Melbourne defender Jake Bowey will miss the first half of the 2026 season after scans confirmed a Lisfranc injury sustained during pre-season training. The 23-year-old is set to undergo surgery in the coming days and will be sidelined for six months, the club announced.
Bowey was coming off a career-best season in 2025, averaging 22 disposals off half-back and finishing fourth in Melbourne's best and fairest count. His absence is a significant blow to the Demons' backline, which also lost Judd McVee to Fremantle during the trade period.
However, the addition of Hawthorn speedster Changkuoth Jiath is expected to help alleviate the loss. Melbourne's lineup will look vastly different in 2026 following the off-season departures of star midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver.
Trent Rivers, who had been tipped to spend more time in the midfield next year, may now be needed in defense. Bowey, selected with pick No. 21 in the 2020 draft, has been a consistent performer since breaking into the senior team in late 2021 and famously won his first 17 games, including the 2021 premiership.
Melbourne football boss Alan Richardson said the club will take a cautious approach to Bowey's recovery. “This is a really unfortunate injury for Jake, who hurt his foot during a recent training session, with scans confirming a Lisfranc injury,” Richardson said. “Jake will have surgery in the coming days to repair the Lisfranc injury. We will ensure Jake receives all the support he requires throughout his recovery period. I have no doubt that Jake will attack his recovery with his usual professionalism.”
The Demons are coming off a 14th-place finish in 2025 that led to the sacking of premiership coach Simon Goodwin.
