Bulldogs defender Ryan Gardner will miss the start of the AFL season after suffering an elbow injury.

“Ryan sustained a small crack to one of the bones in his elbow and we’ve decided that the best course of action to fix the injury is to undergo minor surgery,” Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell said.

“This operation will repair the area of bone damage and be completed this afternoon.”

The Club will monitor Gardner over the next 2-3 weeks to determine his exact return to play plan.