AFL injury news: All the injuries from Round 23, Will day updates

Hawthorn star Will Day will miss the club’s final round clash with North Melbourne, but should the Hawks play finals he is a chance to feature in week one. JOSH BARNES has the latest

Will Day comes from the field injured on Sunday. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Will Day will miss Hawthorn’s must-win round 24 clash against North Melbourne and his finals hopes hinge on a visit with a second specialist on Tuesday.

The star Hawk smashed into teammate Jai Newcombe in the first term of Sunday’s comfortable win over Richmond and was soon after subbed out with a collarbone injury.

While he escaped a break to the collarbone, the Hawk has a partial dislocation.

A specialist on Monday said that Day would not need surgery and if that holds, Day could yet play in an elimination final if the Hawks get there.

A second specialist will have a say on Tuesday.

Will Day could still play in Hawthorn’s first final if they make it. Picture: Getty Images

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell told AFL 360 on Monday that he was “hopeful” Day would play, should the Hawks reach September.

“We have seen one specialist who has said no surgery and hopefully another one will say the same thing tomorrow and then it is just about how quickly we can get it to settle down,” he told the Fox Footy program.

Mitchell said Day was “one genuinely tough athlete” and would do what he could to battle through the pain.

Defender Jack Scrimshaw had a minor operation on a broken pinky finger on Monday but could still play against the Roos on Saturday.

Hawthorn still needs to stamp its ticket to September by beating North Melbourne, otherwise the Hawks could be tipped out of finals by Fremantle.

Will Day hunches over after colliding with teammate Jai Newcombe. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

Day now has 18 days to get ready for that potential elimination final, which would likely be played on a Saturday.

He said on Monday he was hopeful of playing.

“Always look at the positive side and I will be hoping to get back out there,” he told 7 News.

“It would be pretty special. Since I have been at the club finals hasn’t really been on the cards at all and we have put in a lot of work so we are really excited about the prospect of it but obviously we have another week to go to get it done.”

The Hawks have won 11 of the 15 games Day has played this year, but lost five of six before he returned from a foot injury after round 5.

His housemate Dylan Moore said Day was in “good spirits” on Sunday night after the blow.

Day, 23, won his first club best-and-fairest last year and is a key component of the Hawthorn midfield.

Originally published as AFL injury news: All the injuries from Round 23, Will day updates