Sidelined:Sam Weideman.Credit:Getty Images
Brown recently had surgery on his left knee and will miss the early rounds of the season.
Weideman had been training well but pulled up sore recently and scans revealed the extent of the damage.
“It’s disappointing news for Sam,who has had a great pre-season to date,” Melbourne’s football manager Alan Richardson said.
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“Following some soreness in his hip region,the medical team decided to conduct a scan,which has shown a stress fracture in his femur.
“We didn’t expect to find anything this substantial,but it’s better to get onto it now and prevent it from getting any worse.
“We will take a conservative approach and an exact return-to-play date will be determined by how Sam responds to the ongoing rehab program.”