TOP DRAFT prospect Jy Simpkin faces an extended stint on the sidelines after breaking his leg playing for his school side on the weekend.
The classy half-forward suffered a fractured fibula for Scotch College on Saturday, with further examinations on Monday to determine how long he will be out of action.
Simpkin has been tipped as a likely first-round pick at November's NAB AFL Draft after impressing last season as a bottom-ager for Vic Country and the Murray Bushrangers.
He is expected to miss a large chunk of the season, including the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships in June.
"At the very least he'll be ruled out of the national carnival, and then whether or not he plays some TAC Cup footy at the end of the year will be wait and see, but there'll be no rush so he can focus on his rehab and recovery," said Bushrangers talent manager Lee Fraser.
"He's getting looked at to see exactly what the damage is and to get a real course of action and prognosis for recovery. He's naturally an upbeat kid so he'll accept his challenge."
The 18-year-old was aiming to spend more time in the midfield this season, and recently played for the NAB AFL Academy in its two games against VFL opponents.
He was added to the national academy last year following his composed and smart performances around goal, and travelled to America in January for its two-week training camp.
Fraser said Simpkin still had plenty to achieve this year even with most of it to be spent off the field.
"One thing he hasn't done yet for the clubs is put out a diligent rehab and recovery program, so that'll be his main focus over the course of the next period of time," Fraser said.
"It'll be a good opportunity for him to show how professional he is off the field as well as what we've seen him do on the field.
"It was a blessing that he got elevated to the academy for level two as well, and he got that exposure to the clubs who have gotten to know him and enjoy his company.
"He's an outstanding kid and character, and often it's good to build some resilience nice and early so there's still a lot to gain from this year."
