Hawthorn have suffered a massive setback in their finals push, with star youngster Josh Weddle ruled out indefinitely after scans revealed the early stages of a stress fracture in his lower back.
The 21-year-old pulled up sore after last weekend’s thumping win over North Melbourne in Launceston. Medical staff acted swiftly, sending Weddle for scans, which confirmed lumbar bone stress. While there’s hope he could return in time for finals, the club admits he’s likely to miss the remainder of the home and away season.
“We will need to take some time to deload Josh during this initial phase before we can identify just how long he will be sidelined for,” Hawthorn doctor Liam West said.
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“Given how early the injury was discovered, we are hopeful he can return to play before the end of the season.”
Finals return still a possibility
The Hawks have eight matches left before September, leaving Weddle with little wriggle room to prove his fitness before finals selection. But with early detection, club medicos are cautiously optimistic.
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“While this is obviously disappointing for Josh, our priority right now is taking a careful and cautious approach to ensure Josh makes a safe return, but as quickly as possible,” Dr West said.
“We will ensure to provide further updates on Josh’s injury as soon as we can.”
Weddle’s absence leaves a significant hole in Hawthorn’s midfield and half-back rotation as the side builds momentum toward a potential finals berth.