Australian Rules midfielder Daniel Chick has sacrificed a finger to save his playing career. The talented 25-year-old had his ring finger amputated because he repeatedly dislocated it in match situations. This led to him missing large parts of the last three seasons through injury, and after an operation last year failed to resolve the problem, Chick decided to get rid of the injury once and for all with the dramatic move.

Chick was given the option of having the joints fused together or having his finger cut off after the injury showed no signs of healing, but as fusing the joints would have made it difficult to catch and pass the football, he decided instead to have the finger chopped between the knuckle and the first joint.

Chick, is expected to resume training next month, and on release from hospital on Monday he confirmed: "I had only two options and I don't think fusing the finger would allow me to play the way I want to play."

Filed by Shane Murray