REIGNING Peter Crimmins Medallist Will Day has been cleared of a broken collarbone after being taken to hospital in an ambulance on Sunday.
The 23-year-old was substituted out of the 63-point win over Richmond before quarter-time following a crunching collision with teammate Jai Newcombe.
Subsequent scans have cleared Day of a break, but the South Australian will undergo further testing on Monday to determine his availability for September.
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With only one home and away game to come ahead of a potential finals return for the first time since 2018, Day is unlikely to be available for next weekend’s trip to Launceston to face North Melbourne at University of Tasmania Stadium.
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said the results were much better than first feared, but further assessment is required before the club can be certain Day will play again this season.
“He has an X-ray and no break, which is good news,” Mitchell said in his post-match press conference on Sunday night.
“That’s not enough information, so he will undergo more tests tomorrow. We initially thought something was broken. We will have more information tomorrow.
“I was pretty happy at the end of the game when the doc said there is no break. We’ll support him and see how nasty it is.
“At this stage, the information I have is he could play next week or he might not play for the rest of the season. We actually have no idea. We have to wait another 24 hours.”
Day missed the first six games of the season due to the stress fracture he suffered in his foot at the start of January, but has been one of Hawthorn’s most influential players since returning in round seven, featuring in 12 wins from 16 appearances.
Important defender Jack Scrimshaw is in doubt for the round 24 clash against the Kangaroos after finishing the game on the bench with a badly dislocated finger, but the Hawks are hoping to regain Changkuoth Jiath after he missed a second game due to calf tightness.
“Popped his finger. Sometimes they can be nasty and sometimes they can be OK,” Mitchell said of Scrimshaw.
“It is a little bit worse than that. He’ll have an X-Ray and find out what the damage is.”
Father-son recruit Calsher Dear continued his brilliant debut season with three more goals against Richmond, taking the teenager to 19 from 14 appearances, matching the personal best mark he set last weekend against Carlton.
Mitchell hopes the Rising Star judges don’t miss 195cm budding key forward when they convene on Monday.
“I don’t think I’m allowed to have too much to say, but I was a little bit disappointed this week because I thought he was really important for us against Carlton,” he said with a grin.
“He was obviously prominent today in the outcome; I thought he was really important for us. Fingers crossed.”
Hawthorn has recovered from 0-5 to sit half a game inside the eight with one game to play. It is a simple equation for Mitchell’s Hawks for next week’s game against North Melbourne: win and they are in.
“The players know the reality of the season. I think now if we win, we’re in,” he said.
“It’s not percentage. Last week it was win and it might not be enough. I think now the way some of the other games have gone, if we win we play finals. If I have to help with the motivation we are not deserving of making it.”
Richmond coach Adem Yze lamented giving the Hawks a 50-point start by the first break, saying his side had ‘let the club’s supporters down’.
“You can’t give a team that sort of head start on all phases of the game then expect to reel them in,” Yze said.
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