BRISBANE ruckman Oscar McInerney requires a shoulder reconstruction to repair the injury he suffered in the preliminary final win over Geelong, ultimately costing him a premiership medallion.
The 30-year-old was the heartbreak story of last Saturday's Grand Final after he dislocated his shoulder twice against the Cats before being ruled out of the decider against Sydney.
McInerney will undergo the surgery on Saturday and isn't expected to return to full training until Chris Fagan's squad reports back for pre-season training after the Christmas break.
Since being recruited from the Casey Scorpions at the age of 23 in 2016, McInerney has played 151 games for the Lions across seven seasons in Queensland.
The Victorian played the 25 of the first 26 games of the 2024 campaign before being subbed out of the penultimate game of the season at the MCG, after courageously battling through two quarters after the dislocation.
Journeyman ruck Darcy Fort replaced McInerney in the Grand Final and battled well against dual All-Australian Brodie Grundy to help the Lions win their first flag since the 2003 three-peat under Leigh Matthews.
Two-time Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale underwent further scans on his foot on Tuesday morning ahead of a presentation in the city.
Neale, who won the Gary Ayres Award for best player in the finals series after finishing second in Norm Smith Medal voting on Saturday, will meet with specialists to determine what is required next.
The South Australian carried a heel injury across the final 10 weeks of the season and required painkilling injections to play each week.
