AFL: Dual All-Australian Chad Wingard the latest Hawk to be ruled out for the season with injury

The rebuilding Hawks have decided to pull the pin on a high-profile player’s season as their 2022 campaign nears an end.

Chad Wingard will miss the rest of the season. Picture: Getty Images

Dual All-Australian Chad Wingard is the latest Hawk to be ruled out for the season after failing to show enough progress from his hamstring injury.

Coach Sam Mitchell said Wingard’s best-case scenario was to be fit enough to return for Hawthorn’s round 23 clash with the Western Bulldogs, so the Hawks opted to pull the pin on his year.

The 28-year-old’s hamstring setback in late June came just as he was trying to push for a return from a calf issue.

Wingard has played only 57 games in his first four seasons at Hawthorn since the Hawks gave up a first-round pick and Ryan Burton as part of a trade package with Port Adelaide.

Defender Sam Frost, speaking with coach Sam Mitchell, won’t play again this year. Picture: Getty Images

Sam Frost (knee), James Worpel (shoulder), Lachie Bramble (back) and second-year pair Tyler Brockman (shoulder) and Seamus Mitchell (ankle) had already been ruled out for the rest of the 2022 campaign.

“Chad was doing some jogging and he’s still not progressing well enough,” Mitchell said.

“It’s unfortunate for him and he’s a bit frustrated, but he’s just not coming along as quickly (as we would like) and the upside to getting him back for the last game – a risk at that – isn’t worth it.

“We need him to have a really strong pre-season and get on top of this lack of continuity that he’s had, particularly this season, but over the last couple of years.”

Jack Gunston will also miss a second-straight match as he mourns the sudden death of his father Ray but Mitchell was optimistic the star forward would return next week against North Melbourne.

Star Hawk Jack Gunston will miss consecutive games. Picture: Getty Images

“Jack hasn’t been able to train with us and we’ve had good, open conversations with him and he’s had a really tough week planning a whole range of things,” he said.

“Really pleasingly, he has spent a lot of time with his family and it was good we had him in the club (on Wednesday) and he spoke to the boys and we told some stories about Ray, which was really nice.

“It was good to have him in and put our arms around him for a little bit. He came in (on Thursday) morning and did a few things but he hasn’t trained with us and … he’s obviously coming off a bit of a sore ankle.

“He won’t play this week. We’d expect him to be available next week. But, by the same token, it’s going to be up to him when he feels comfortable and ready to play.”

Hawthorn young gun Will Day is available to return from suspension. Picture: Getty Images

Will Day returns from suspension for Hawthorn’s clash with 17th-placed West Coast at the MCG on Sunday as the club seeks consecutive wins for the first time since rounds 1 and 2.

The Hawks ended a five-game losing skid with a fighting 32-point defeat of Adelaide last week.

“We’re on our own journey and we know what we’re trying to achieve,” Mitchell said.

“West Coast brings a different sort of threat, because they’re capable of kicking seven goals in a quarter against Carlton and producing some really elite football.

“They’ve got some elite talent in their squad and we know that their best is very, very capable. A little bit like us, their best has been very, very good, but they haven’t been able to sustain that throughout games.”

Originally published as AFL: Dual All-Australian Chad Wingard the latest Hawk to be ruled out for the season with injury