Essendon and North Melbourne are preparing to be without their reigning club champions David Hille and Brent Harvey respectively for significant periods after confirmation on Sunday of serious injuries to the star pair.
Hille, the Bombers No.1 ruckman, is almost certain to miss the rest of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in the opening minutes of Saturday's Anzac Day win over Collingwood.
And Harvey, who collected a club record equalling fourth best-and-fairest last season, dislocated his elbow during the Roos' shock loss to Richmond and is facing up to three months on the sidelines.
Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said on Sunday that while the Bombers were yet to definitely confirm that Hille had done the dreaded ACL, he said it was 'not looking good' for the club's inspirational big man.
"We will have the MRI scan today and have it confirmed," he told Channel Seven on Sunday.
"The surgeons have had a look at him and our club doctor Bruce Reid has had a look at him and they are confident it is an ACL so it's not looking good at all."
Hamilton said the Bombers, who also have their No.2 ruckman Jason Laycock out indefinitely with foot stress fractures, would consider the same kind of ground-breaking surgery on Hille that was performed on Sydney star Nick Malceski last year which enabled him to return in just three months instead of the usual 12 months.
"It is a possibility, we will look at all options," Hamilton said.
"With surgery like that it really depends on the injury itself."
"If it's a clean tear and nothing else has happened then there is a possibility but any type of complication at all then that type of surgery won't be considered."
Harvey meanwhile could be sidelined until the closing weeks of the season in a massive blow to the Roos' finals hopes after his elbow popped out in a tackle against the Tigers on Saturday night.
It is the first serious injury of the 30-year-old's career given Harvey has played at least 20 games a season for each of the past 11 years.