Scans revealed Leuenberger tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee against Port Adelaide on Saturday.

Football manager Dean Warren said that the Lions would miss Leuenberger’s leadership and on-field presence.

“We have lost a wealth of experience due to injury in the last two weeks, so to lose Matthew for an extended period of time will challenge our depth,” he said.

Key forward Jonathan Brown said Trent West, recruited from Geelong in the off-season, would be forced to carry much of the load.

“Matty Leuenberger’s one of the top ruckmen in the comp, so that no doubt hurts us, but we’ve got to band together and get around Westy and support him,” Brown said.

“Westy’s going to have to play big chunks of the game out on the field, he won’t be getting rotated, but he’s got a big heart, so I’m sure he’ll be able to carry us through.”