Another AFLW player has succumbed to an ACL injury with Gold Coast defender Jade Pregelj to miss the rest of the 2022 season.
The 30-year-old was injured early in the Suns' upset win over Richmond on Sunday.
Pregelj, who has played all 19 games since Gold Coast's entry to the AFLW in 2020, had scans on Tuesday that confirmed the worst-case scenario.
She will meet with a specialist this week before having surgery.
"It's absolutely devastating news for Jade who is a much-loved teammate and has been so important for the club over our first three seasons," Suns women's football boss Fiona Sessarago said.
"Jade is one of the toughest players at the Suns and we have full confidence she will attack her rehab to come back stronger than ever."
Pregelj is the sixth AFLW player to suffer a serious knee injury during the first four rounds of the season, joining Brisbane Lions premiership hero Kate Lutkins and her teammate Gabby Collingwood, Western Bulldogs gun Isabel Huntington, Richmond defender Harriet Cordner and Collingwood superstar Brianna Davey.
It was Davey's second ACL rupture and Huntington's third.
Last year, ACL injuries were at their lowest level since the league's inception in 2017.
Meanwhile, Collingwood's dual-sport ace Ash Brazill has opted to sit out the 2022 season.
She recently returned to Melbourne after representing the Australian Diamonds in the netball quad series, with the 32-year-old coming to the difficult decision.
"My body didn't pull up as well as I wanted it to coming home from England and I need to get my body in the best shape possible to try and play for Australia and make that Commonwealth Games team," Brazill said.
"It breaks my heart as (this team) means the absolute world to me and I know I wouldn't have this Diamonds opportunity if it wasn't for you all (at Collingwood)."
Brazill has played 16 games for Collingwood after debuting in 2018, but spent a year on the sidelines after suffering an ACL rupture in 2020.
She is contracted with the Magpies until the end of the 2023 season.
