WESTERN Bulldogs star Adam Treloar has been ruled out for at least the next 6-8 weeks after requiring ankle surgery.

The midfield jet will be sidelined for up to two months after it was decided he will go under the knife to repair a damaged syndesmosis ankle ligament suffered in Saturday night’s steamrolling win over St Kilda.

It is a blow for the top-of-the-ladder Dogs, however the club expects him to return in the back half of the season ahead of the finals.

"We’ve decided the best way to manage this injury is to operate to stabilise the ligament," the club’s head medico Chris Bell said.

"This will get him back playing sooner and avoid ongoing complications.

"We will confirm his timeframe to return to play following the surgery but expect him to miss 6-8 weeks of footy."

Treloar was substituted out of the Dogs’ 111-point win over the Saints after having his leg caught in a tackle. The former Magpie and Giant had been averaging 26 disposals a game before the weekend’s injury after his controversial move from Collingwood in last year’s Trade Period.