Hawthorn midfielder Conor Nash could miss the rest of the season as deals with a “complex” neck injury, while superstar forward Nick Watson will spend another week on the sidelines.
Nash hasn’t played since Round 11 and still has no clear timeframe on a potential return date.
The 27-year-old has a disc issue in his neck, which is causing nerve problems down his arm. He is still able to run and train, but hasn’t been cleared to return to contact training.
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Nash went to Sydney this week to see a specialist who’s worked with rugby league players as the club hopes to get to the bottom of the injury.
Coach Sam Mitchell said Nash won’t play for at least the next month and may not return at all this season.
“It’s pretty complicated … its quite unusual, so we’ve had to go to some experts – he went to Sydney through the week and got some further treatement,” Mitchell said.
“Now, he definitely won’t play for a month … but we have no timeline, so realistically he could miss the rest of this season.
“He’s very frustrated.”
Asked if Nash would recover from this injury, Mitchell was adamant that it is “when, not if”.
“The worst-case scenario is he misses the rest of this season.”
Nash has been a key cog in the Hawks’ midfield the past five seasons and his absence was clearly felt on the weekend as the Demons produced a first-half domination for the ages.
Meanwhile, Watson will Saturday night’s clash against Carlton with his hamstring issue.
The star forward had been hoping to return from the injury that forced him to miss last week’s loss to Melbourne, but he will spend another week on the sidelines.
Mitchell confirmed he is a near certainty for next week’s game against Richmond.
“On Tuesday, he ran 88 per cent of his top speed, which is still faster than most of us,” Mitchell said before Thursday morning training.
“But just from a confidence point of view, we don’t feel like it’s worth the risk with him — so he’ll miss one more and he’ll be available for next week.”
Defender Josh Battle is recovering from having his appendix removed last week and also will remain sidelined.
“The boys are all saying he has man flu and he should be fine. But unfortunately he won’t be available either,” Mitchell said.
— With AAP.
