Second year Hawthorn player Noah Mraz will miss the next few weeks with a lacerated kidney.
Hawthorn Head Doctor Liam West said Mraz was assessed post-game and, after experiencing further discomfort, was sent to hospital where he spent the night.
“Noah's health and wellbeing is our number one priority. As soon as it became apparent that he had the abdominal pain, we arranged for him to go to hospital for further testing,” West said.
“At this stage, we don't believe Noah will require surgery; however, he will not be available for a number of weeks."
There are four games remaining in the home and away season and the Hawks are expected to go deep into finals with Mraz establishing himself as an important contributor, playing all four games since his debut against Melbourne in Round 17.
While he has primarily played in defence in the VFL and has looked assured there at AFL level so far, he has also been given stints in the ruck in the past fortnight, with Ned Reeves' absence putting more responsibility on starting ruck Lloyd Meek.
The Hawks take on North Melbourne, Brisbane, Collingwood and West Coast to finish the season and are all but certain of a top four finish and could secure a home qualifying final if they win out.
