Young GWS forward Max Gruzewski and dynamo teammate Brent Daniels have suffered serious injuries in a horror minute for the Giants against Hawthorn.
Already dealing with a lengthy injury list, GWS could be without Gruzewski and Daniels for the rest of the season after the pair went down in the second quarter at the MCG.
Gruzewski, who was only returning on Friday after recovering from a hand injury, suffered a patella dislocation and was in agony as he was helped from the field.
The 21-year-old has already suffered a knee dislocation, going down in his first pre-season after being drafted in 2022.
Gruzewski is out-of-contract at season’s end and is thought to be a long-term replacement for veteran forward Jesse Hogan, whose future is unclear due to ongoing injuries.
Daniels, who played just five games last year due to an abdominal injury, limped off with a calf concern just before Gruzewski suffered his latest misfortune.
The forward, who could do damage with cameos in the midfield, was distressed sitting on the bench with ice on his calf.
Key players Tom Green, Josh Kelly, Jack Buckley, Darcy Jones and Hogan are already sidelined.
During the period of injury carnage, Hawthorn star Nick Watson blew the game open with three goals to give the Hawks a 29-point buffer at halftime.