Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has brushed off any concerns for star James Worpel after the 26-year-old was subbed out in the third quarter of the contest against the Western Bulldogs on Thursday night.
Worpel had struggled to make a meaningful impact in the first half of the contest, recording a disposal efficiency of just 54.5 per cent from his 11 possessions, however Mitchell was forgiving, given the midfielder suffered a "nasty corky" less than five minutes into the match.
The out-of-contract Hawk managed to play through the pain but was unable to get through the post-halftime warm-ups unhindered, resulting in a change in the third term.
"It's one of those things you wouldn't have seen unless you knew what had happened," Mitchell said.
"In about the first four or five minutes of the game, he got a really nasty corky, and he tried so hard - he was actually enormous for what he did for two and a half quarters after that.
"But after halftime, he couldn't warm up and he couldn't get going, but to even stay out there for that long, he did an amazing job.
"He was trying so hard not to limp, but he battled away all night and did a great job for us. But it got the better of him halfway through the third, and we decided to make the change."
The Hawthorn coach also provided more insight into the timelines of injured Hawthorn stars who missed Thursday night's match, including skipper James Sicily. Sicily was ruled out with an abdominal injury in the lead-up to Thursday's contest after previously playing through the issue this season.
Jack Scrimshaw was managed from the clash, with Mitchell revealing a minor ankle concern caused the omission, while Nick Watson missed due to illness.
"Scrimshaw's been carrying a bit of an ankle, which has been probably more annoying, but a bit inhibitive for his best footy," Mitchell said.
"Nick, we would expect to be available. He was a bit too sick, he had the shakes and all that sort of stuff, which is not a great preparation.
"We were deciding whether or not he could play on Saturday, even for Box Hill, because it's two days later, but he was pretty knocked around. He'll continue to rest up.
"(Sicily) won't be available. We're hopeful for after the bye, but we haven't tested that out at this stage."
Following Hawthorn's first win since a three-game losing streak began in Round 10, the Hawks will travel to their home away from home in Tasmania to take on the Crows next Friday night, with a win set to boost the Hawks back into top-four contention.
