BRISBANE Lions midfielder Daniel Rich will have a traditional knee reconstruction in Melbourne on Thursday.
Rich tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Saturday's loss against Gold Coast.
He has opted for the traditional reconstruction over LARS surgery, which means he will now face about 12 months on the sidelines.
Rich flew to Melbourne on Wednesday and will see surgeon Dr Julian Feller on Thursday.
Lions strength and conditioning coach Matt Hass confirmed the news.
"Obviously it’s a discussion for the surgeon and the player, but Dan will be getting a traditional reconstruction," Hass told lions.com.au.
Hass said the injury actually could have been much worse.
"It wasn’t very good news for Dan, but if there is any silver lining it’s that he hasn’t done his PCL meniscus or lateral ligaments," he said.
"It’s purely an ACL, and they’re slightly easier to reconstruct in rehab."
Hass said Rich's first month of post-surgery would be pretty quiet before the real rehabilitation began.
Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
