St Kilda have confirmed vice-captain Lenny Hayes will miss the 2011 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament on Friday night.
The Norm Smith Medalist twisted his left knee in a midfield scramble during the third quarter of the Saints- 95-apiece draw with Richmond at the MCG.
The Saints released a statement on Saturday morning announcing Hayes was remaining positive after the extent of the injury was revealed.
"Obviously it's really disappointing but I have been through this before and I know what to expect," Hayes said.
St Kilda confirmed in the statement that conventional surgery was the most likely option.
"The champion midfielder will consult with surgeon Julian Feller tomorrow to plan the appropriate surgery, which at this stage is likely to be the conventional reconstructure," the statement read.
"Given the nature of this injury, Hayes is likely to miss the remainder of the season."
"This is just another challenge that I will tackle head on. This is certainly not career ending, I still feel like I have a lot of footy left in me," Hayes said.