Hawthorn vice-captain Dylan Moore said fellow roommate and reigning best and fairest Will Day was in “good spirits” after positive scans ruled out a major collarbone injury, but does not expect him to play in the round 24 clash with North Melbourne.
The positive news on Day’s injury comes after midfield Bull Jai Newcombe also said he was “sore” but not injured following a nasty incident in the final quarter of Sunday’s win over Richmond that all but secured the Hawks a place in the finals.
Although no fracture was found, the results of further scans on Monday will determine what role Day will play in the finals. Defender Jack Scrimshaw’s participation in the round 24 match against the Kangaroos is uncertain after he finished the game on the bench with a nasty finger sprain.
“I live with Will and when I came home he was lying on the couch in full play gear and in a carrier,” Moore told SEN on Monday morning.
“It wasn’t a pretty sight, but he’s in pretty good spirits. He was devastated and thought he had broken his collarbone.
“I assume he won’t play next week.”
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell confirmed that Scrimshaw had jammed his finger and could be replaced by Changkuoth Jiath after missing a second game with a calf strain.
“Sometimes they can be mean and sometimes they’re OK,” Mitchell said of Scrimshaw.
“It’s a little worse. He’ll take an x-ray and find out how much damage there is.”
Newcombe landed awkwardly after a marking contest and spent several minutes with the trainers before finishing the game.
After the game, he said his body “felt good” despite a tough day.
“It always hits you a little less when you win,” he said.
“Hard day out there. Body is fine.”
Rising teenager Calsher Dear scored three goals in that win, his second three-pointer in the last two games, and Moore showed how far the 19-year-old had come in 2024 to become a key part of the team’s return to the finals.
Dear, the son of 1991 Norm Smith Medalist Paul, was considered a speculative choice but has developed faster than even his teammates expected.
“I’ve never seen anyone grow as much as he has in six months,” Moore said.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but we had a preseason training camp at the end of December, and we all ordered food, and we ordered chicken salad or a sandwich, and he ordered a chicken burger.
“And Sam (coach Sam Mitchell) was there and said, ‘Oh God, this kid has a long way to go.’
“Since that moment, Jack Gunston has worked really closely with him to help him off the field, just show the professionalism of a footballer off the field. He had no idea.
“He hasn’t played much football and now he’s working so hard behind the scenes. Nobody is watching more footage than Calsher and the Gunners at the moment. He’s such an ambitious person and his talent is on par.”
