Carlton utility Andrew Walker will miss most of the AFL season after he undergoes surgery this week on his troublesome right shoulder.

The talented 22-year-old received the bad news when he consulted a specialist on Monday, after reinjuring the shoulder in a VFL practice match on Saturday.

"Andrew will have surgery on Wednesday morning and it is likely that he will miss the majority of the 2009 season," the Blues said in a statement.

Walker, the No.2 pick in the 2003 draft, has played 81 games for Carlton since making a stunning debut in 2004.

But he has had frequent shoulder problems, missing three games in 2007 then not playing a senior match until round 16 last year after needing an operation in the pre-season.

He again injured the shoulder in training in January this year, which meant he started the season playing practice games in the VFL to regain fitness and was yet to resume in the senior side.

The news was better for Blues fullback Michael Jamison, who injured his shoulder against Brisbane at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

After consulting with a specialist, the club decided he does not need surgery and expect him to miss only two or three matches.

The prognosis was also brighter for Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens, with scans on his injured right knee indicating he will be out for only two to four games.

The club had said after the knee buckled during Saturday's win over Richmond at Skilled Stadium that they expected Ottens to be out for four to six matches.

But the club's No.1 draft pick, Mitch Brown, received much gloomier news, the 18-year-old key forward prospect ruled out for the rest of the season after breaking his left fibula in a VFL practice game.

Adelaide forward Trent Hentschel will miss a month of football, with the club deciding he needed an operation to clean out "debris" from the right knee he seriously injured in 2006.

Port Adelaide forward Justin Westhoff was to have surgery on Monday night on a broken bone in his left foot and will miss four weeks.

Sydney are holding out hope star forward Barry Hall can play against Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night despite straining his groin in the last quarter of the club's weekend upset of Hawthorn.

Coach Paul Roos said Hall would face a fitness test late in the week.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn do not expect fullback Trent Croad, who broke his foot during last year's grand final, to return until the second half of the season.

Croad had surgery last week to remove bone spurs, setting back his rehabilitation time.

But the Hawks are confident fellow key defender Stephen Gilham will return from a knee injury to play North Melbourne on Sunday.

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