Hawthorn not concerned about training loads and programs despite Josh Weddle’s back injury

Josh Weddle is the third Hawthorn player to suffer a back injury in the last couple of seasons and his return is unclear.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell concedes Josh Weddle may not play again in 2025 no matter how deep into September the Hawks go as he confirmed captain James Sicily was set to return against St Kilda on Saturday.

After Weddle reported soreness following last weekend’s win in Tasmania, scans revealed he had a bone stress reaction in his back and he was immediately sidelined for an extended period.

Medical staff wouldn’t rule the 21-year-old out for the entire season, but Mitchell revealed on Thursday that he was planning without Weddle in mind, knowing his response to treatment would determine his availability, and no risks would be taken no matter where the Hawks’ premiership ambitions lay.

“He pulled up from the game pretty sore in his back, and as you do, you get a scan and obviously a disappointing result. Realistically, we don’t know and we won’t know for a month,” Mitchell said.

JoshWeddle is out indefinitely. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

“We’ve had a couple of these: Will McCabe came in with some back trouble and Calsher (Dear) at the start of the year. It’s reasonably similar; the process is wait a month, don’t do much in that time, rescan it and see how it’s gone.

“If in a month’s time there is a bit of healing and it’s on the right track, that will keep the door open for the season.

“If in a month’s time they rescan and it doesn’t look as progressed as they would have liked, then they will rule him out.”

Mitchell said the club would “look into” anything in the training program that might be contributing to back issues but was overall happy with his club’s medical staff.

“That’s three over a couple of years now. Is that worth something changing too much? Probably not,” he said.

Sicily hasn’t played since round 12 after succumbing to a nagging hip issue that impacted his normally proficient kicking during a run of three-straight losses.

He had some work done but did not undergo surgery and Mitchell said both Sicily and James Worpel, who has been sidelined since round 14 with a bad cork, needed to get through Thursday’s training and then “wake up well” to take on the Saints.

“It is probably more how they wake up tomorrow, so even if they get through training today we’ll name them, but for both of those guys, how they wake up the next day is important,” Mitchell said.

James Sicily could return. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“Worpel’s corkie ended up being quite a nasty bleed. He is as professional and as diligent a player that we have. He has done a good job to get back this quickly; I don’t think anyone would have got back quicker.”

Gun midfielder Will Day has also stepped up his training workload this week and is targeting a return to the team by round 20 after overcoming a stress fracture in his foot.

Originally published as Hawthorn not concerned about training loads and programs despite Josh Weddle’s back injury