Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands is to have surgery on his injured left hamstring.

General manager of football operations Chris Bond said that based on the advice of a Melbourne specialist Sandilands visited today he would miss between eight and 12 weeks.

“It’s very disappointing for Aaron and the club but with the appropriate period of recovery and a structured rehabilitation program, it is possible he will be available for selection mid-way through the season,” Bond said.

“But at this stage we will have to wait until after his surgery and the recovery phase before we can be more specific about when Aaron will be available for selection.”