AFL 2024: All the latest pre-season injury news as Tom Lynch, Seamus Mitchell to miss weeks

Hawthorn’s defensive plans for the early rounds of 2024 with a regular member of the club’s backline suffering a fractured jaw during match simulation.

Richmond star Tom Lynch is unlikely for Opening Round. Picture: Jason Edwards

Breakout Hawk Seamus Mitchell will miss the start of the season after fracturing his jaw at training on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, who became a regular in Sam Mitchell’s defence and featured in 14 matches last year, was injured during a match simulation session.

The blow occurred at a time when the AFL’s contact training rules are in the spotlight after Bulldogs Aiden O’Driscoll and Bailey Williams were placed in concussion protocols following a sickening head clash.

Mitchell is set to have surgery next week.

Hawthorn defender Seamus Mitchell will miss the start of the season following a jaw injury. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

“Seamus had scans on Thursday afternoon which unfortunately confirmed a fracture of the jaw,” Hawks doctor Liam West said.

“He will now see a specialist and then have surgery early next week.

“We will have a better idea on his timeline for return to play following that. But at this stage, we anticipate this to be somewhere between four to six weeks following his operation.

“It’s an unfortunate result for Seamus, but we expect him to make a full recovery and he’ll be doing everything he can to return to the field as soon as possible.”

Mitchell averaged 16.6 disposals, 4.7 marks and 1.8 tackles during his debut campaign.

The injury could force a rethink of Mitchell’s defensive plans for 2024.

The Hawks have trialled Blake Hardwick as a forward throughout pre-season and fellow defender Changkuoth Jiath has been touted for a switch to the wing.

LYNCH ADMITS DEFEAT ON OPENING ROUND QUEST, AIMS FOR ROUND 1

Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch has set his sights on playing against Carlton in round 1 after virtually ruling himself out of facing Gold Coast in opening round.

The goalkicker has been slowly building fitness in the injured foot that limited him to just four games last season.

Lynch had been eyeing the blockbuster season opener against the Suns on March 9 but a meeting held last week switched his focus to a huge MCG clash with the Blues just five days later.

“I think round zero might be a bit tough, especially with a five-day break leading into round 1,” he said.

“At this stage it is probably less likely than likely and I think I will put more focus on round 1, or even that Port Adelaide game in round 2.

“I have clearly missed a lot of football so I need to get some good training under my belt and really that football conditioning, we don’t want to rush back. We want to get as many games in this year as I can and if I miss opening round, so be it.

“Things can change as we know, at the moment the plans we put in place, we had a quick meeting last week of what it looks like and for round zero, it looks like a bit of a stretch.”

Tom Lynch. AFL Richmond Football Club pre-season training. Picture: Jason Edwards

Lynch had only began running on grass in recent weeks after he “hadn’t run for nine months” and said he expected to get back into proper training within the next fortnight.

The 31-year-old has not played more than 20 games in any of his last four seasons but said he would not take breaks during the season to manage his foot.

“I think once I am back, I am back … it is healed, it is strong,” he said while launching a Charity Shield pre-season game against Collingwood that will raise funds for Foodbank.

Lynch appears set to return to a Richmond forward line with two new marking targets, as former Hawk Jacob Koschitzke and defender Noah Balta settle up front now that Jack Riewoldt has retired.

A defender through most of his 85 games, Balta has been swung forward by new coach Adem Yze this pre-season.

“Noah is obviously a great talent and he is at the point in his career where I feel like he is going to take the next step and develop into a really consistent player,” Lynch said.

“He has obviously played a bit as a forward, he has played predominantly in his career down back but ‘Ooze’ really likes him forward and pinch-hitting in the ruck, where he can use the athleticism he possesses.”