GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron is confident key forward Jonathon Patton will come back stronger after a second knee reconstruction.
Patton 21, will undergo surgery either on Friday or early next week after suffering an injury in the club's win over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
Patton, the Giants' first No.1 draft pick had missed just one match this year, after making just ten appearances in his first two injury-plagued AFL seasons.
"You could clearly see he was distressed and thinking 'here we go again, this rehab program for another 12 months,'" Cameron said on Monday.
"But since he's thought about it,, to his credit he's on the front foot.
"He wants to hit it head on and rehab himself again to get back up and play the sort of footy that we've actually seen him play.
"He's really only in his first (full) year and we're confident with our rehab ability and the people we have in charge, to get him back up playing some really good footy either at the back end of next year or 2016."
Patton's misfortune was one of three significant injury issues arising out of the club's first win in Melbourne, with co-captains Callan Ward and Phil Davis also getting hurt.
Midfielder Ward is considered unlikely to play again this season unless his calf injury isn't as bad as initially feared.
Davis suffered concussion against the Demons and also has a calf problem, which could rule him out of Saturday's home game against Collingwood.
With Ward out, Davis in doubt and co-vice-captain Tom Scully also injured, the Giants other co-captain and former Collingwood premiership star Heath Shaw, could lead the Giants against the Magpies.
"It's more and more looking like that unless Phil can make a really really good recovery," Cameron said.
Irrespective of whether Shaw does lead the Giants, Cameron said he would be leaning on the defender to provide an insight into the minds of the Collingwood players.
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