418 days after breaking his leg in a horrific incident, Hawthorn small forward turned midfielder Sam Butler will run out for the Hawks against the Bulldogs in the opening game of round 13.
Butler has been a revelation in the midfield for Hawthorn's VFL affiliate Box Hill since his return to playing football in 2025 and will look to make an impact in a Hawthorn midfield that has been underfire for its recent performances, as it struggles to cope with the loss of star midfielder Will Day, who is currently sidelined with a broken navicular.
The 22-year-old's recovery from the broken leg ramped up during the pre-season, where he went from walking laps of Waverley Park to defeating known endurance runner Karl Amon in the Hawks 6 minute time trial on the first day back of training post Christmas, showing that he had not lost any of his speed and running power that was a hallmark of his game.
Butler, who was selected with pick 23 in the 2021 AFL National Draft, has played 7 matches at VFL level this season as he returned from his horrific broken leg that put him on the sidelines since early in 2024.
He returned to the VFL team playing as a small forward, but was moved up into the midfield, where he has been able to use his pace and endurance to add a dynamic look to the Box Hill midfield.
Over the past 3 matches at VFL level, Butler has averaged 34 touches, 6 marks and 7 tackles as he has put his best foot forward and showed Hawthorn head coach Sam Mitchell that he could be the tonic for the Hawks' underperforming midfield.
During the past fortnight, the Hawthorn midfield has looked out of sorts and struggled with being able to run with some of the competition's best midfields in the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Magpies, while also recording some of the lowest tackle numbers at the club since tackle records were kept.
Last Friday evening, the Hawks recorded 38 tackles for the whole match, beating their total of 36 the week before against Brisbane, in an effort that has been highly criticised as not being to the level expected at the club.
Butler, who played 2 games for the Hawks in 2024, with his last appearance in Round 5 against Gold Coast, will be looking to make the most of his opportunity at AFL level, after playing 19 games since he was drafted.
Butler's inclusion in the team for tomorrow night's clash against the Bulldogs will be a boost for the Hawks, who are looking to return to the winner's circle and arrest momentum after three consecutive defeats against top 4 teams.
The Hawks and Bulldogs clash kicks off at 7:30 pm Thursday evening at Marvel Stadium in a clash that will have massive ramifications for both teams' premiership aspirations in season 2025.
