MELBOURNE forward Sam Weideman will miss the early part of the season after scans revealed a stress fracture in his right leg.

Weideman had completed an uninterrupted block of training to this point of 2021, but is now expected to be sidelined for the next 10-12 weeks.

“It’s disappointing news for Sam who has had a great pre-season to date,” GM of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson told Melbourne Media.

“Following some soreness in his hip region, the medical team decided to conduct a scan, which has shown a stress fracture in his femur.

“We didn’t expect to find anything this substantial, but it’s better to get onto it now and prevent it from getting any worse.

“We will take a conservative approach and an exact return to play date will be determined by how Sam responds to the on-going rehab program.”

The 23-year-old joins fellow key forward Ben Brown in the rehab group, after the club’s new recruit underwent successful knee surgery last week.