GWS Giants star Jesse Hogan details toilet bus door incident that left him with a broken thumb

Initially Jesse Hogan thought it was just a sore thumb. He tells Josh Barnes what happened with the bus toilet door and how he’s roared back into Coleman Medal contention.

Superstar GWS goalkicker Jesse Hogan has detailed how a broken thumb from a run in with a bus toilet door left him “distraught” as he sent a warning about finding his groove after a seven-goal haul against Geelong.

Hogan missed the first two games of the season due to a fracture in his right thumb after innocuously jamming it in the toilet door while on a team bus driving from Canberra to Sydney following a pre-season match on February 28.

Is Jesse Hogan the best key forward in the competition? 🤔

Enjoy his bag of SEVEN goals against the Cats. pic.twitter.com/Svp5JmTO47

— AFL (@AFL) May 11, 2025

The nail on his thumb is still visibly chipped, and he initially thought nail damage would be the extent of his problems.

“It was like midnight, the boys were pretty tired and everyone was pretty much asleep,” he said.

“I just thought the nail had broken so I didn’t think much of it. The next day I just sent (a picture) to the doc and I got a scan and an X-ray and radiologist was like, ‘You f---ed it’.

“I was pretty distraught to be honest. Last year I started the year so well and I probably had my best pre-season I have ever had so to miss off something so stupid was infuriating to be honest.

“It pissed me off a fair bit to miss off something that is not footy-related but these things happen. It is a long season. You kind of have to move on and you just hope that little niggles and silly injuries are behind me.”

Celebrating one of his seven against the Cats. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Unfortunately for rival defenders, a fully fit Hogan has left his mark on this season, virtually single-handedly winning a classic against the Cats on Sunday with seven goals.

Hogan equalled a career-high with nine majors in round 4 against West Coast but he entered the Geelong game dirty on his own form after kicking five goals in his last three outings.

“Honestly, the last few weeks I have been pretty disappointed with myself and just tried to tinker with a few things to try and keep myself in the game,” he said.

“I was just fading in and out of games a little bit, whereas last year I thought I was pretty consistent and I wasn’t having as big lapses.

“I don’t want to play one game here or there, I would like to get a bit more consistent and get the ball rolling – which doesn’t mean kicking seven each week – it is just playing my role and giving faith to (coach Adam Kingsley) and the mids that if they kick it forward they will get a contest.”

Hogan was the difference in Geelong. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Hogan was giving much better service than simply “a contest” against the Cats, shifting defenders Sam De Koning and Connor O’Sullivan at will.

His Sunday special at GMHBA Stadium vaulted him to second in the Coleman Medal count, just two behind Sun ben King, despite missing three matches this year.

Few players are better in a marking contest and the 2024 Coleman medallist knows how to play to his literal strengths.

“I’m not as athletic as Jez (Jeremy Cameron), I need a few more tricks,” he said.

“I can’t just hit up on leads, I am not that quick. I put a fair bit of time into my bodywork, I think I read the ball fairly well in the air and it is something I put a lot of time into.

“But it is no good doing that if the kick is not in the right place. If you haven’t got connection to the mid that is kicking in, it won’t work out. I think (against Geelong), we were able to get a lot of good looks and get the ball in deep to that one-on-one and as a forward, that is all you can ask for.”

While Hogan was imperious against the Cats, a one-on-one contest deep at a vital time late in Sunday’s game was missed by youngster Joe Fonti, who took the short option.

A team player, Hogan didn’t bury the kid, but in his way made it clear he was the best option when he was in such red-hot form.

“He is a young fella. We back our young fellas in to take the kick most of the time,” he said.

“But yeah, he didn’t hit it, so put it in long.”

Originally published as GWS Giants star Jesse Hogan details toilet bus door incident that left him with a broken thumb