WESTERN Bulldogs forward Billy Gowers has been injured in a car accident.

The breakout star suffered a broken wrist in the crash on Thursday afternoon as he drove home from Whitten Oval.

Gowers was a bright spot in a sour season for the Dogs, leading the club’s goalkicking with 26 majors after coming off the rookie list.

The Bulldogs said Gowers would be sidelined “for a short period of time”, which is likely to delay his pre-season.

First to fourth-year players are expected back at Whitten Oval shortly after the 2018 draft on November 22-23.

Despite the setback the club is confident Gowers’ 2019 preparations “will not be impacted significantly”.

There were no other serious injuries sustained by the other occupants of the two vehicles.

It caps a bizarre year for the Dogs after Roarke Smith and Kieran Collins were involved in a car accident in July.