Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Conor Nash injury concerns have left the Hawthorn Hawks facing the possibility of losing the midfielder for the rest of the AFL season, while Nick Watson will miss Saturday night’s clash with Carlton.
Nash has not played since Round 11 because of a disc issue in his neck that has caused nerve problems down one arm, with coach Sam Mitchell confirming he will miss at least another month.
The injury setback comes as Hawthorn try to steady their season, while Fremantle Dockers talls and defence remain a major talking point in the wider AFL flag race.
Nash Facing Long Spell
Nash is still able to run and train, but he has not been cleared for contact work. He travelled to Sydney this week to see a specialist with rugby league experience as the Hawks search for a clear answer.
“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.”
Mitchell said Nash is expected to recover, but the timing remains uncertain.
“The worst-case scenario is he misses the rest of this season.”
Watson Held Back Again
Watson will also miss the Carlton match after sitting out last week’s defeat to Melbourne Demons with a hamstring issue.
The star forward had pushed to return, but Hawthorn are choosing caution before a likely comeback against Richmond next week.
“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.”
Josh Battle will also remain out after having his appendix removed last week. Official AFL injury updates, fixtures and ladders are available through the Australian Football League.
“The boys are all saying he has man flu and he should be fine. But unfortunately he won’t be available either,” Mitchell said.
