Ace West Coast Eagles recruit Willie Rioli has suffered a sickening setback to his plans for an emotional AFL debut early into the new season.
The classy small forward has seriously ripped his hamstring and could be out of action for up to three months.
![Willie Rioli has torn his hamstring.](/web/20170211042715im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/a/p/f/1/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guapbi.png/1486783583189.jpg)
The mature-age draftee is headed for surgery to repair the torn muscle next Tuesday.
Rioli, 21, was ruled out of the Eagles full-scale practice match behind closed doors in Perth on Friday.
It is understood the clever goal-shark suffered his injury early last week before scans revealed a badly torn right hamstring muscle.
Eagles medical staff opted for surgery which could require a 10 to 12-week recovery program.
Rioli had emerged as an almost certain first-team starter to solve the Eagles almost decade-long search for a brilliant small forward sharp-shooter.
He is the cousin of Hawthorn four-time premiership superstar small forward Cyril Rioli and shredded 16 kilograms ahead of a brilliant season with Glenelg last year that attracted West Coast interest in his goal-scoring class and slick ball use with extreme speed and accuracy.
Rioli was taken by West Coast at pick 52 in the third round of last November's national draft.
His summer training has been stunning since crossing from strong South Australian club Glenelg where he was an opportunistic goal-scorer after heading south from Darwin to increase prospects of an AFL draft selection.
It had been widely expected with his highly impressive match simulation performances in that the elusive small forward was firmly on course to even make his debut in the 2017 premiership season opener against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium in March.
While Rioli is certain to be sidelined well into the new season with his adopted outfit his fellow mature-age Eagles import Drew Petrie is poised for a stunning debut against his old club after crossing to West Coast as a rookie choice.
Petrie, 34, is understood to have controlled the ruck through a searching and rain-soaked Eagles intra-club showdown on Friday.
The 316-game for Kangaroo is believed to have rucked for long stints against another recruited big man Nathan Vardy and emerging ruckman-forward Fraser McInnes.
Petrie is tipped to start the extension of his decorated career sharing the ruck with Vardy as lead pair Scott Lycett and Nic Naitanui recover from knee surgeries.
Another handy backup big man Jon Giles continues to be troubled with knee soreness and also suffered a nasty hand injury last week and did not play the scratch match.
All-Australian key defender Jeremy McGovern continued his evolution as a flexible big man playing much of the two-hour practice game as a forward with occasional stints running on the ball in the ruck.
McGovern's highly anticipated switch into an influential on-baller and deep forward line marking target has gathered momentum over Eagles summer training with an apparent return to form and confidence from 2014 fairest-and-best Eric Mackenzie.
Mackenzie missed the entire 2015 season after suffering a dreaded ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and was restricted to just 13 games inside the early stages of last year as he battled to rebuild personal confidence and lost his defensive spot.
His summer has been highlighted with greater dash and authority in his key defensive duties which could release the influential McGovern for stints on the ball or up forward in tandem with star scoring avenues Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling.