Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin hopes star forward Jesse Hogan won't miss the rest of the AFL season with a broken collarbone.
The 22-year-old copped a heavy hit in the third quarter of the Demons' shock four-point loss to North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon in Hobart.
"We'll rehab him as quick as we can, have the operation and get him back as quick as we can," Goodwin said, adding Hogan would undergo surgery on Sunday.
"Obviously, we'll be guided by our doctors and the surgeon, so we'll wait and get all the information, but I wouldn't be saying it's season-ending.
"He knows there's a lot to play for for the remainder of the year and really wants to be part of it."
Hogan has played just eight games this season, missing a significant potion due to surgery after a testicular cancer diagnosis.
North Melbourne's 11.10 (76) to 10.12 (72) victory was their 17th-straight against Melbourne, whose top-four chances took a significant hit.
