Melbourne expect to lose exciting forward Liam Jurrah for a huge chunk of the AFL season with a serious shoulder injury.

Jurrah will have reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for 16 weeks.

He sustained the injury when he fell awkwardly during the first quarter of Saturday's loss to Adelaide.

"This is disappointing news to learn of the severity of Liam's injury," Demons football manager Chris Connolly said.

"Liam met with the surgeon this afternoon, and he'll have the operation to reconstruct his right shoulder on Wednesday. At this stage, he will miss approximately 16 weeks of football.

"As a club, we will work closely with Liam in what will be a difficult time throughout his rehabilitation.

"We will aim to get him back playing football during the second half of the season."

The athletic indigenous forward's debut season was one of the brightest lights for the Demons as they collected a second straight wooden spoon last year.

Despite not making his debut until round 12, he was third on the club's goal-kicking list with 20 goals in nine games and developed a cult following with some stunning displays of skill.

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