Essendon forward Harrison Jones has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his foot this week.

General manager of football Josh Mahoney said the 20-year-old saw a surgeon on Monday morning.

"Since Harry presented with that initial foot soreness some weeks ago, we have taken a very conservative approach to that injury. Despite rest he has remained symptomatic and while there was some hope he could play again this year, unfortunately he needs to have the surgery now to treat the underlying issue,” Mahoney said.

"Our rehab program gave Harry every chance to return this season. Based on that plan, he trained last week with the team and although slightly improved, his foot was still sore enough following the sessions for us to make the decision to prepare Harry for the pre-season.

“Harry met with the surgeon on Monday morning and the recommendation was for Harry to undergo surgery in the coming days.

“We will continue to fully support Harry and this course of action will mean he will focus on his recovery and rehabilitation in the off-season, ready for a full pre-season campaign.”