Will’s luckless day: Hawks consider surgery for star onballer after dislocated shoulder

Hawthorn’s dynamic midfielder Will Day dislocated his shoulder at training on Thursday and, at the very least, will miss the start of the season.

A more accurate timeline for his recovery will not be known until Day meets with surgeons next week.

Day was helped from the ground by trainers and was cradling his right shoulder.

He suffered a significant injury to the same shoulder at the end of the 2024 season, which ruled him out of the finals campaign. While that injury was to the same shoulder area, it was more of a collarbone and neck injury than shoulder concern.

The Hawks said scans of the latest injury had shown no bone damage to his shoulder.

“This is a disappointing setback for Will, and we really feel for him at this time,” said Hawthorn’s executive general manager of football, Rob McCartney.

“Will is one of the most resilient people I know, and he has done everything possible to return to full fitness already this off-season.

“The club is supporting Will through this process and will provide a further update on his recovery timeline once further consultation has been completed.”

The 2024 shoulder injury interrupted Day’s last pre-season, but he managed to be fit for the start of the 2025 campaign before suffering a serious foot injury in round four.

He hurt his navicular, a notoriously problematic injury for sportspeople and a stress injury Day had suffered once before.

Day was able to return to play late in the season but, in his second game back, he re-injured his foot when it was stomped on during the match against the Crows, inflaming the navicular bone stress.

After missing Hawthorn’s finals campaign in 2024 he was also forced to sit in the stands last September as the Hawks went on to make the preliminary final.

The Hawks chased Essendon’s Zach Merrett, then-captain of the Bombers, in the off-season to bolster their midfield with extra class. The idea of Merrett joining a fit Day and Jai Newcombe in the midfield would have made for a vastly improved on-ball brigade on last year’s campaign.

The Hawks were unable to prise the contracted Merrett out of Essendon and have now again lost Day for at least a portion of the season.

The Hawks’ opening-round game is against the Giants on March 7.

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