Fremantle defender Alex Pearce will miss the start of the AFL season after suffering a fracture in the leg he broke last year.
Pearce had a plate inserted in his right leg last year after suffering a fracture in the round nine loss to Richmond.
The 21-year-old had the plate taken out three months ago, but he faces another frustrating stint on the sidelines after he suffered a partial fracture to the same leg during a running session on Friday.
Pearce won't require surgery but he'll be required to wear a weight-bearing cast for six weeks.
Fremantle haven't set a date on when they expect him to return.
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The injury is a bitter blow for Fremantle, whose defence struggled last season in the absence of Luke McPharlin (retired) and Michael Johnson (knee/hamstring).
Pearce had been a revelation for the Dockers since making his debut in 2015.
The 197cm defender recently spoke about the frustration of breaking his leg last year, and how he had sought support from Nat Fyfe, who is his housemate and is on the comeback from a similar injury.
"With injuries like mine, you need a lot of support through different people, and Nat's definitely one who I've drawn a lot from," Pearce said in November.
"He's helped me a lot by keeping me in a good positive headspace moving forward.
"After surgery, there can be a few tough weeks when you're sitting at home not doing a great deal.
"All through the year we had those conversations about how hungry we were to get back and how tough it is watching."
