FREMANTLE recruit Blake Acres will miss the opening rounds of the 2020 season after suffering a hamstring injury at training on Wednesday morning.
Scans confirmed a tendon injury to his right hamstring, but he is likely to avoid surgery.
Prior to the injury, Acres had a standout pre-season that had seen him earmarked to fill a vacant wing role at his new club.
"After undergoing scans on Thursday, we can confirm a tendon injury to Blake’s right hamstring," Dockers football manager Peter Bell said.
"Fortunately, the injury is not of a high grade and surgery is unlikely to be required.
"While we do not yet know the exact duration of the injury, we can confirm that Blake will miss the opening rounds of the season."
PRE-SEASON FIXTURE Check out your team's Marsh Community Series games
Acres has been a standout in both intraclub hitouts for Fremantle, taking that form into the opening Marsh Community Series clash against Carlton last Saturday.
The former St Kilda midfielder had 31 possessions, six inside 50s and six clearances in an excellent performance that cemented him as one of the wing replacements for departed running men Bradley Hill (St Kilda) and Ed Langdon (Melbourne).
The Dockers have been hit hard by injuries to key players this summer, with defensive pillars Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling (pictured below) both sidelined with ankle injuries for the start of the season.
Half-back Nathan Wilson (toe) will also be missing through the early rounds, with veteran David Mundy (broken leg) also pushing for an early-season return. Small forward Sam Switkowski is battling a back injury.
Key forward Jesse Hogan is sidelined indefinitely after taking time away from the club to focus on his mental health and general wellbeing.
