Andrew Welsh was operated on last night at Epworth Hospital to repair a broken fibula in his lower right leg and also a dislocated ankle.

Football operations manager, Paul Hamilton, said the procedure was a success.

""Last night the doctors pinned the bone in his leg and also put his ankle back in place,"" Hamilton said.

""They are happy with the result of the operation but we still expect Andrew to miss three to four months of football.

""Andrew is in very good spirits and has been sending humorous text messages to his team-mates this morning.

""Obviously he will be on crutches for a while but he is already very excited about getting back to the club and having some input. The main thing for him to focus on for now is to rest.""

Welsh is likely  to remain in hospital for the next few days.

The 25-year-old veteran of 134 games was injured in the third quarter of yesterday's intra club match at Whitten Oval during a regulation tackle.