Fremantle is ruing a major blow to champion midfielder Nat Fyfe after scans revealed a stress fracture in his left foot, placing his availability for the remainder of the season in doubt.
The former Fremantle captain was substituted out of Saturday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, which the Dockers lost by 29 points, after he experienced soreness in the foot that’s been hampered by plantar fasciitis.
“We subbed Nat out of the game on the weekend. We have since had some scans done on that foot,” said Fremantle high-performance manager Phil Merriman.
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“Unfortunately, Nat has sustained a stress fracture. It’s the same foot he has been dealing with all year.
“We have now put him in a boot, so he is going into a period of de-load.
“We are going to see how his foot is after this period of de-load and we are hopeful that we will see him again this season.”
The serious setback continues a tough run for Fyfe, who was also substituted out of Fremantle’s game against North Melbourne in round two.
The two-time Brownlow Medal winner was expected to return in round five but was sidelined until round eight.
Injuries have limited the 31-year-old to 16 games over the last two seasons.
Fyfe, who in February was replaced as captain by defender Alex Pearce, signed a two-year extension in June, committing himself to the Dockers until the end of 2025.
Fremantle is placed 11th on the ladder ahead of round 17, and will face Carlton, Collingwood, Sydney and Geelong over the next month.
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