Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy has undergone an arthroscope on his left knee which will rule him out of the opening rounds of the AFL season. 

“Sean pulled up sore following our match simulation against West Coast, after recovering over the week he was cleared to play Port Adelaide. Sean was withdrawn at half-time of Friday night’s practice match against Port as a precaution and subsequently pulled up sore again following the game.” said Executive General Manager of Football Joe Brierty. 

“Sean was sent for a scan on Sunday and following specialist advice it was agreed with Sean that the best course of action was to complete an arthroscope to remove some of the loose bodies that were identified from the scan to be causing the discomfort.” 

“This procedure will enable Sean to get back to full fitness after an initial reloading period post the procedure.” 

The Club will confirm the return in play timeline for Darcy in the coming days. 

Wingman Nathan O’Driscoll has also required a surgical procedure to remove a blood clot from his right knee. 

Following the West Coast Eagles match sim, the Club identified a blood clot superficial to the knee joint. After seeking specialist advice, it was agreed to surgically remove the clot to speed up O’Driscoll’s recovery. 

“Nathan will be off-feet for a couple of days after the procedure, but it is expected that we will recover quickly from the procedure,” Brierty said. 

“Once he ticks off his load progressions, he should be able to transition back into football fairly quickly.” 

Both players will miss the start of the AFL season and the Club will continue to work through return to play timelines.