Carlton have lost Caleb Marchbank for the rest of the 2019 AFL season, the young defender suffering a fractured neck late in the Blues' tight loss to Melbourne.
Marchbank received a knee to the head in a marking contest at the MCG on Sunday and was sent for scans after reporting pain in the rooms after the match.
It was confirmed he had suffered a non-displaced fracture of a vertebrae at the base of his neck.
The 22-year-old saw a specialist on Monday, who advised him to miss the rest of the season, which should allow the break to heal naturally without the need for surgery.
"While it is disappointing we won't see Caleb on the field again this year, our main focus is ensuring we look after his wellbeing and give him sufficient time to recover to get back to his best," Blues performance manager Andrew Russell said.
"An injury like this is able to heal naturally without surgery which is a positive, allowing Caleb to be fully fit when he returns for pre-season training.
"He has taken significant steps forward this year as a player and we look forward to seeing him continue that hard work and develop into an exciting player for our football club."
Marchbank, selected sixth overall by GWS at the 2014 draft, played seven AFL games with the Giants before he was traded to Carlton ahead of the 2017 season, where he has taken his career tally to 48 senior appearances.
