Star West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui has had more surgery to his reconstructed knee.
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He had exploratory arthroscopic surgery after suffering soreness on the back of an extensive training escalation in a bid to possibly make an earlier than expected playing return during the Eagles' finals campaign in 2017.
There was slight cartilage damage that needed trimming and cleaning up from surgeons.
A major revelation from the exploration, though, is that the 2012 All-Australian had bone damage in the head of his femur bone on the outside of his left knee.
New All-Australian and first-time West Coast club champion Elliot Yeo also needed an operation to repair a hip injury he carried late into this year's home-and-away season and finals.
Yeo, 24, is now likely to have a delayed start to summer training next month.
Naitanui's immediate future is not threatened but the problem for the hulking big enforcer is likely to be continued degeneration in the knee as his career extends, especially for such a heavy body and his explosive high leap in ruck contests.
The 27-year-old is on course for a playing return early next year after missing the entire 2017 season in his recovery from a dreaded ruptured cruciate ligament suffered in last year's stirring home win over Hawthorn just ahead of the finals.
He had scans in July ahead of escalating his rehabilitation into full training and starting a determined push to make it back to playing ahead of the end of the season.
Naitanui was cleared for the heavy training loads and even headed to an exclusive clinic in Philadelphia in the US to complete a gruelling two-week extensive training program on the way back to full drills and match simulation.
Much of his August and September training was generally behind closed doors at West Coast headquarters in the club's run into finals clashes with Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney.
Naitanui ended that three-month phase with some soreness, with more scans in late September revealing the bone damage and unexpected deterioration.
His plans for a return trip to the US for more heavy training with world renowned fitness guru Bill Knowles is understood to have been abandoned this month as Naitanui recovers from his operation.
