Jackel dislocated and fractured his elbow when playing against Bacchus Marsh earlier this year and the Devils have now ruled a line through him for the rest of the season.

The hard onballer, who features prominently on pay television show 'The Recruit', will miss the entirety of Darley's 2014 campaign, which will stretch into the finals.

The Devils are all but certain to finish fourth on the BFL ladder, meaning they will face an elimination final in the first week of finals against whoever finishes fifth, which will be either Bacchus Marsh, Lake Wendouree, Sunbury or East Point.

Darley coach Jarrod Edwards said it was frustrating for Jackel, as well as the club, that he would be forced to watch on from the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

"It's been a disappointing year for him, and especially us, in so many ways," Edwards said.

"Obviously it would have been good to have him all year."

Jackel missed the first five rounds of the season when the show was being filmed, before a hamstring injury hampered his season further, missing out on a further four weeks of footy before his return against Bacchus Marsh.

In that match, he injured his elbow in the first quarter, meaning he managed little more than two games for the entire season.

This followed a breakout year in the BFL last year, where he finished third in the Henderson Medal for the league best and fairest.

Compare this year to last, where he played all 18 Darley games, including two finals, and was named in the best a staggering 12 times.

"If you said to me at the start of the year that 'The Jackel' is only going to play just over two games of the year for you obviously you would be disappointed," Edwards said.

"It's a big loss, but we have a few weeks before finals to figure out how to fill his position."

Jackel is still alive in 'The Recruit', which gives amateur footballers a chance of being drafted onto an AFL list.