Senior Coach Sam Mitchell has thrown his support behind Chad Wingard after suffering a calf injury.
Senior Coach Sam Mitchell has thrown his support behind Chad Wingard after suffering a calf injury.
The 30-year-old had been making strong progress in his comeback from a ruptured achillies in August last year, but was forced to depart the training track early on Thursday after reporting some discomfort.
While speaking on SEN Breakfast, Mitchell confirmed that scans had revealed a tear in Wingard’s calf, which will now halt the livewire forward in his return to play.
Amid his comback trail, Wingard had suited up for Box Hill seven times in the VFL this season, including last weekend against Geelong.
“He’s been a little bit sore in the calf, we just thought that it would warm up and he was a bit overloaded it from his first game back for a while, and he’s had a scan and has got a little tear in there,” Mitchell said on SEN Breakfast.
“So that’s probably going to cost him a month, or thereabouts, we don’t have all the information at the moment.
“I feel so bad for him because he’s just worked as hard as he ever as in the time that I’ve known him to try and get himself right.
“He just deserves a genuine crack at this late part of this season after what he’s done in the last 12 months since his ruptured achillies.
“It can be a cruel game and it was cruel to him yesterday.”
Hawthorn will provide further updates on Wingard’s injury in due course.