SHANE Mumford will miss the early stages of the JLT Community Series after undergoing elbow surgery late last week. 

The Giants ruckman is expected to be sidelined for up to a month after he had some floating bone removed from his right elbow in a procedure on Friday.

Giants head of athletic performance David Joyce said the surgery should not affect Mumford's chances of being available for the home and away season.

"The surgery was a success and we don’t expect Shane to have any ongoing issues," Joyce said.

"Shane has had a really good pre-season to date and has hardly missed a beat, so we’re confident this shouldn't affect his preparation for the premiership season.

"We'll monitor Shane closely and expect him to take his place in the later parts of the JLT Community Series." 

The big ruckman finished equal-eighth in the Giants' best and fairest award in 2016, playing 23 games and averaging 34.7 hit-outs per game. 

The Giants open their JLT Community Series campaign in Narrandera, New South Wales, against West Coast on February 18.

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