Jack Ziebell has been ruled out of Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide with a shoulder injury.
The vice-captain was handed the bad news by the club's High Performance Manager Steve Saunders after a test on his shoulder on the morning of the game, captured by NMFC.com.au's cameras.
"I reckon we've gotten to that point now where the improvement form now is really going to start to accelerate," Saunders told Ziebell.
"... I don't think it's good enough to clear you to play."
PRESS PLAY above to watch Ziebell's moment of truth | YouTube
Ziebell was clearly upset after hearing the news.
"Getting ruled out is never great. It's a bit disappointing and frustrating, but in the scheme of things it's probably the smart option," he said.
"I think within yourself you know whether you can play or not. It's still pretty sore and I would have struggled to get up."
The midfielder has been replaced in the 22 by Ben Jacobs, who will go into the match as the substitute.
