Hawthorn is expected to be without Sam Frost for at least the next month after he injured his knee during Saturday’s narrow loss to Fremantle.
Frost was substituted out of the game in the fourth quarter after injuring the cartilage in his knee.
The club has decided to take a cautious approach with the 28-year-old, ruling him out at least four weeks, depending on his clinical recovery.
After being unable to prove his fitness in time for the Fremantle match due to a swollen knee, Mitch Lewis has since returned to modified training.
The 23-year-old is tracking well and is likely to be available for the Round 15 clash against the Western Bulldogs.
In further positive news, Jack Gunston has turned a corner with his ankle injury, returning to running this week.
If his improvement continues, he is also expected to be available for selection in time for the Dogs.
Tom Phillips is also coming towards the end of his rehabilitation following his ankle injury.
He has returned to skills training and should be available for selection come Round 15.
Both Ned Long and Emerson Jeka are progressing through their rehabilitation off the back of their respective hamstring injuries and are expected to be available following the bye.
Josh Ward is training well in a non-contact fashion after he was unable to progress through the final stages of his concussion protocols given some intermittent symptoms.
The club is currently working with external specialists to help manage these, with his return to play set to be dependent on how he progresses through the rest of the protocols.
Max Lynch is continuing to work with club doctors and external specialists to guide his progress through his concussion protocols.
He has made a return to non-contact training and will look to return to football sometime after the bye.
Pending a specialist’s review, Ben McEvoy may be able to come out of his neck brace for a return to skills training over the coming weeks.
If all goes well, he is expected to build towards a return to football in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Connor Downie has received another setback after injuring his other hamstring while training last week.
He is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.
In further unfortunate news, Seamus Mitchell has been ruled out for the season due to facing some bone stress in his ankle.
The club decided that best management for him will be surgical intervention over the coming weeks.
After being picked up in the mid-season draft earlier this month, Max Ramsden has recently completed his strength and conditioning block to prepare him to play.
Although not injured, Ramsden has yet to play at VFL level to enable him to make improvements within this area.
He is now expected to be available for selection after the bye.
Injury list
Mitch Lewis – knee – 1 week
Jack Gunston – ankle – 1 week
Ned Long – hamstring – 1 week
Emerson Jeka – hamstring – 1 week
Tom Phillips – ankle – 1 week
Sam Frost – knee – 4-6 weeks
Connor Downie – hamstring – 4-6 weeks
Josh Ward – concussion – TBC
Max Lynch – concussion – TBC
Ben McEvoy – neck – TBC
Seamus Mitchell – ankle – season
Tyler Brockman – shoulder – season
