SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Ben McEvoy of the Hawks runs onto the field during the round 23 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks at Sydney Cricket Ground on August 25, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Hawthorn's Ben McEvoy has been clear of a serious hamstring injury.
The Hawks went down to the Saints by 21 points in their Marsh Community Series clash on Thursday night. But that was the least of their worries with McEvoy going down early in the first quarter with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Thankfully though, after the game it was learnt that it was a badly corked thigh.
“He was pretty stiff. In his first contest of the game he went to, he gets a corkie,” coach Alastair Clarkson said post-match.
“It bled pretty heavily so he might miss a week, I’m not sure.
“The docs will look at it and we won’t take any risks. He’ll get that right and it’s bad enough for him not to be able to return to the game.”
The Hawks were already without gun defender James Sicily and losing McEvoy so early in the contest wasn't the most ideal for the Hawks.
“That hurt us a little bit,” Clarkson added.
“He and Sicily are our best intercept markers and organisers behind the ball for us. ‘Sis’ has just got a bit of a sore heel so we didn’t want to take a risk with him and then ‘Big Boy’ (McEvoy) gets hurt.
“That unsettled our balance a little bit.”
Sicily is named in the Victoria squad for next week's State Of Origin Bushfire Relief game, but he is no certainty to play in the game.
“It didn’t feel quite right for him early this week so we figured there was no point in taking that risk,” Clarkson said further.
“‘Sis’ has been selected to play next week for Victoria and we’re keen for him to do that but we’ll just have to wait and see if he’s right, but we’re hoping that will be the case.”
Tom Mitchell returned after a 12-month layoff from a broken leg and looked good, playing three quarters and amassing 21 disposals, and his return pleased Clarkson.
“We’ve seen Tom Mitchell go through the stages this pre-season so that made tonight a less anxious experience than you might think,” the Hawks coach said.
“It was good for Tom to get three quarters in, get a bit of the footy and show us that we’re again going to be a much better side with him back around.”
The Hawks and Saints will face-off again next Friday in Morwell for the emergency services fundraiser before the Hawks will play Melbourne on March 6th in their second Marsh Community Series game.