After suffering a collarbone injury, Hawthorn champion Will Day revealed “serious” health concerns.

Hawthorn club champion Will Day has successfully undergone surgery on his injured collarbone after his season ended prematurely. The 23-year-old missed both of the Hawks’ AFL finals matches due to a partial dislocation he sustained in the final round of the home-and-away season. Day had hoped to return in September, but Hawthorn needed to reach at least the preliminary finals for that to be possible, which ultimately did not happen.

Will Day expressed his disappointment about how his season ended, stating, “Not the way I imagined finishing such a fun season, and absolutely gutted I wasn’t able to be out there with my mates playing finals footy. Could not be more proud of the boys and the growth we’ve shown this year.” His sentiments highlight both his personal loss and pride in his team’s progress throughout the season.

Will Day was quickly scheduled for surgery to repair his SC joint, where the collarbone connects to the sternum, going under the knife on Friday. He noted that the injury turned out to be more complicated than initially thought, with potential serious health implications if he were to re-injure the area.

“Can’t thank the club, doctors, and high-performance team enough for the process we went through, having my wellbeing at the forefront of every decision,” he said. He added that the surgery went well, and he’s now preparing for a big pre-season, stating, “Coming for 2025.”

Throughout the finals, Day had been kept out of contact training to protect his health. This collarbone injury capped off a challenging year for the reigning best-and-fairest winner, who had already missed the first six weeks of the 2024 season due to a stress fracture in his foot.

Hawthorn faced significant injury challenges as the season concluded, with several key players impacted. Captain James Sicily dealt with two shoulder dislocations and is expected to undergo surgery in the off-season, while veteran defender Sam Frost, despite playing every game, was sidelined for the semi-final due to bone stress in his foot. Ruckman Lloyd Meek expressed the team’s heartbreak over Frost’s absence, emphasizing their close-knit bond and his vital contributions throughout the year. Additionally, young star Cam Mackenzie also missed both finals after suffering a hamstring injury, further complicating the team’s playoff hopes.