Nat Fyfe will undergo minor surgery this week after fracturing the fibula in his left leg early in the first quarter of Friday night’s Preliminary Final against Hawthorn.

The star midfielder had scans yesterday and a subsequent specialist’s report recommended that a plate be inserted to aid the healing process.

General manager of football operations of Chris Bond said: “It is a fairly minor procedure and given the duration of the player off season period our medical advice, at this stage, is that the recovery and rehabilitation process will not affect Nat’s 2016 pre-season.”