TOP DRAFT prospect Troy Menzel is breathing a sigh of relief after scans revealed the prolific goalkicker won't need a second knee reconstruction following a collision at the weekend.

Menzel, who underwent a LARS reconstruction on his right knee as a 16-year-old, limped out of Central Districts' qualifying final loss to West Adelaide on Sunday, but fears he had ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament have been allayed.

"Troy strained his left posterior cruciate ligament, so he'll undertake an eight- to 12-week rehabilitation program," Menzel's manager Justin Reid of Elite Sports Properties said.

"It doesn't require surgery."

Menzel has kicked 13 goals in eight appearances for the Bulldogs' senior team this season and booted 15 goals in two games for South Australia at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships before succumbing to groin soreness.

The injury means he won't take part in any athletic testing at October's NAB AFL Draft Combine, but he will attend the Melbourne camp to undergo medical testing and interviews with clubs.

On talent alone Menzel, a 186cm forward-midfielder, has the credentials to be taken inside the top 10 picks at November's NAB AFL Draft, but clubs will first need to be completely satisfied that his LARS procedure won't be a major issue in the future.

"All the clubs will have copies of his MRI and x-rays of both knees at the draft combine," Reid said.

"Everyone will have the information to make a sound decision on his body.

"It's been proven overseas that people do have LARS surgery and have never had an issue with their knees. We're in the lap of the gods like anyone else - we don't have a crystal ball."

Artificial LARS ligaments have failed in older players including Sydney Swans' Nic Malceski and Port Adelaide's David Rodan, but Menzel has not reported any ill effects since the surgery, with his youth making it difficult to draw comparisons between his and other cases.  

Reid dismissed a News Limited report that suggested a link between Menzel's issues and his brother Daniel's, who has undergone two knee reconstructions while playing for Geelong, would cause his draft prospects to 'plummet'.

"People will try and draw comparisons because they're brothers, but Troy's injuries are different to Daniel's," he said.

"Obviously clubs will do their due diligence with regard to his body because he has already had one reconstruction, but what I want to make clear is that both his knees have been impact injuries.

"When he was 16 someone fell across his knee and at the weekend he drove his knee into the turf and someone clipped his leg. It's not like Daniel where he's made a sideways movement and his knee has given way on him.

"I think he'll go in even with everyone else in the draft."

Jason Phelan covers the NAB AFL Draft for AFL.com.au. Follow him on @AFL_JasonPhelan