Western Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton has avoided anterior cruciate ligament damage, but the rising AFL star may still need knee surgery.

There were fears the 19-year-old could require a knee reconstruction when his leg buckled under him in gruesome fashion during a third-quarter marking contest in Saturday’s elimination final loss to GWS at Giants Stadium.

Naughton appeared in significant pain as he was helped to the bench and was on crutches wearing a heavy leg brace soon after the Dogs’ season ended with the 58-point defeat.

Scans undertaken in Melbourne on Sunday revealed he has avoided the ACL tear, which would have likely ruled him out of the entire 2020 season.

But he will consult a specialist to determine if he needs an operation to fix damage to his lateral ligament that could potentially slow his start to pre-season training.

Naughton kicked 32 goals in his second season after he was switched from the defensive role he played in his debut season.

He took nine contested marks and kicked a career-high five goals in a big win over Richmond in round seven, which helped earn him a four-year contract extension that ties him to the club until the end of the 2024 season.