ESSENDON ruck Steph Wales has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing her ACL against Richmond in the Dreamtime in Darwin clash on Saturday night.
Wales' right knee buckled underneath her in a ruck contest in the dying stages of the clash, with the emerging tall stretchered off the ground.
"We are shattered for Steph after scans this morning confirmed she has ruptured her ACL," Bombers head of medical services Megan Smith said.
"Steph is incredibly resilient, and we have no doubt she will come back stronger. We all will wrap our arms around her and support her through her rehabilitation.
"We will seek a surgical opinion and advice on next steps over the coming days."
Wales has had a superb 2024 campaign, averaging 13.4 disposals, 2.7 clearances and 23.4 hitouts a game this season.
The Bombers will look to keep their season alive when they take on Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday night.
Essendon currently sits in eighth spot on the ladder with one round to go and needs to a win against the Blues to cement its spot in the finals.
If the Bombers lose to the 14th-placed Blues, Narrm or Geelong could steal their spot with wins in their respective matches.
