Will Day likely to miss round 24 but Jai Newcombe all clear after ugly incident

A revealing update on an injured key Hawk came with a hilarious story about a rising star’s evolution this year.

Will Day hunches over after colliding with a teammate at the MCG. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Hawthorn vice-captain Dylan Moore says housemate and reigning best and fairest Will Day was in “good spirits” after positive scans cleared him of major collarbone damage but doesn’t expect him to front up in the round 24 clash with North Melbourne.

The positive news around Day’s injury comes as midfield bull Jai Newcombe also declared he was “sore” but not injured following a nasty final-quarter incident in Sunday’s win over Richmond that has all but secured the Hawks a finals spot.
Despite being cleared of a break, the results of more scans on Monday will determine how much of a role Day plays in the finals campaign, with defender Jack Scrimshaw in doubt for the round 24 clash against the Kangaroos after finishing the game on the bench with a badly dislocated finger.

“I live with Will and I came home and he was on the couch in full playing kit and in a sling,” Moore told SEN on Monday morning.

“It wasn’t a great sight, but his spirits are pretty high. He was shattered, he thought he had a broken collarbone.

“I assume he won’t play next week.”

Nothing can stop Jai Newcombe 😳#AFLHawksTigerspic.twitter.com/RvdFhwPfaR

— AFL (@AFL) August 18, 2024

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell confirmed Scrimshaw “popped his finger” and he could be replaced by Changkuoth Jiath after he missed a second game due to calf tightness.

“Sometimes they can be nasty and sometimes they can be OK,” Mitchell said of Scrimshaw.

“It is a little bit worse than that. He’ll have an X-ray and find out what the damage is.”

Newcombe landed awkwardly after a markings contest and spent several minutes with trainers before playing out the game.

He said post-match that his body was “feeling good” despite a tough day.

“It always hits a little bit less when you win,” he said.

“Tough day out there. Body is feeling good.”

Teenage rising star Calsher Dear booted three goals in the victory, his second three-goal haul in the past two games, and Moore revealed just how far the 19-year-old had come in 2024 to become a key part of their surge back to the finals.

Calsher Dear has kicked on this season. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Dear, the son of 1991 Norm Smith medallist Paul, was considered something of a speculative pick but has developed quicker than even his teammates expected.

“I haven’t seen anyone grow as much as he has in six months,” Moore said.

“I don’t know whether I should be saying this but we had a pre-season camp in late December, and we all ordered food and we were ordering chicken salad or a sandwich and he ordered a fried chicken burger.

“And Sam (coach Sam Mitchell) was there and he was like, ‘Oh, God, this kid has got a long way to go’.

“Since that moment, Jack Gunston has worked really closely with him, just to help him with off-field, just the professionalism of being an off-field footballer. He had no idea.

“He hadn’t played much football and now he’s working so hard behind the scenes. No one watches more footage than Calsher and Gunners at the moment. He’s such a driven individual and his talent is a match.”

Originally published as Will Day likely to miss round 24 but Jai Newcombe all clear after ugly incident