Sam Draper is expected to miss the next 6-8 weeks after undergoing a knee arthroscopy on Tuesday morning.

The ruckman has been experiencing pain in his knee when kicking over the past few weeks and following a recent medical consultation, the advice was that the procedure was the best option to address the issue.

The Bombers are keen to get Draper right for the back end of the 2024 campaign following an interrupted pre-season, expecting him to return to full fitness shortly after the club’s round 14 bye.

“Sam is an important player for us, both for our structure and for the energy he provides to the team, so we wanted to get on top of this issue as quickly as possible," GM - AFL, Daniel McPherson said.

"After a couple of days of recovery post-operation, he will undertake a rehab program which we expect will have him available to return to play just after our mid-season bye.”