A pre-season accident has left Geelong defender Jackson Thurlow hospitalised with a lacerated kidney.
Thurlow's injury is not as serious as a similar one suffered by teammate Tom Lonergan eight years ago, with club officials saying the 20-year-old Thurlow had avoided surgery.
The Cats are hopeful he will be out of hospital later this week.
But he appears unlikely to resume training until next month.
The injury apparently happened during competitive work.
Thurlow has played 10 senior games since his debut last season.
Lonergan lost a kidney and nearly died late in the 2006 season when he backed into a contest with Melbourne key position player Brad Miller.
He remained in a coma for four days after losing the kidney and lost 17kg.
Lonergan returned to the AFL the following season and played in Geelong's 2011 premiership team.
He is one of Geelong's most important backmen and played 145 AFL games.
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