Hawthorn midfielder Conor Nash has been a significant loss in the Hawks' engine room.
His big body standing at 198cm helps in the trenches, while he can also play a variety of roles for Sam Mitchell.
Nash has been out of the side since Round 11 after he suffered an unusual neck-related nerve problem.
Code Sports are reporting that Nash has lost up to 50 per cent power in his shoulder and arm as a result of the nerve issue.
Injuries such as these more commonly occur in sports like rugby and it happens when a player's head is pulled in the opposite direction to their shoulder in a tackle or contest.
There is no timeline yet on when Nash will return to the senior side as he is seeking outside help to try and fix the issue.
The Irishman has been a good football story since he was recruited from County Meath in 2016.
Nash has played 130 games and has kicked 24 goals, while finishing third in the best-and-fairest in 2023.
In good news for Hawthorn, the mercurial Nick Watson is expected to return for next Saturday's clash with Carlton after he missed the game in Tasmania with a minor hamstring injury.
Karl Amon (knee) and Jarman Impey (hamstring) could also possibly return to the line up.
Key defender Josh Battle will miss at least another round as he recovers from having his appendix removed last week.
