Brownlow Medallist and Hawthorn star Tom Mitchell to miss 2019 season after suffering broken leg
Hawthorn star Tom Mitchell has broken his silence from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery to repair the badly broken leg that will keep him out for the entire 2019 season.
Hawthorn
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Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell says he is “up for the challenge” after having surgery to repair his broken leg.
Mitchell is likely to miss the entire 2019 season after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg at training on Friday and was rushed by ambulance to hospital.
“I am overwhelmed by the amount of visitors and kind messages I have received,” he said in a message on Instagram.
“I am grateful for all the support I have around me. My partner, my family and friends, my teammates, the medical team, the football club and our supporters.
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“The highs and lows can change in a second but I am up for another challenge and be back out there in no time.”
Mitchell, 25, had the operation on Friday night and several teammates visited him in Epworth hospital on Saturday.
He suffered the badly broken leg in a sickening training accident as distressed Hawthorn teammates looked on at Waverley Park.
An ambulance was called to training and a sheet was placed over Mitchell as he was taken to Epworth Hospital alongside Hawthorn’s club doctor.
Mitchell’s teammates then huddled together after witnessing their best player snap both bones in his lower left leg during a tackling drill in the club’s first session after the Christmas break.
X-rays confirmed clean breaks of both the tibia and fibula bones and Hawks football boss Graham Wright said Mitchell was immediately booked for surgery.
“For Tom to suffer an injury like this is incredibly disappointing for both him and our footy club,” Wright said.
“He will undergo surgery over the weekend and as a result will most likely miss the 2019 season.
“However, Tom is a very resilient young man and we have no doubt that he will tackle his rehab with the same professionalism and diligence with which he approaches his training.”
Sources close to Mitchell, 25, told the Herald Sun he was due to go under the knife at 6pm on Friday night.
The ball magnet will become the first reigning Brownlow Medallist to miss the following season in 42 years.
Mitchell was in clear agony on the turf and went down during one of new midfield coach Sam Mitchell’s first drills in charge.
A metal rod was likely to be inserted into Mitchell’s tibia bone, along with multiple plates and screws.
The Hawks drifted from $13 to $26 for this year’s premiership with the TAB.
Mitchell was third-favourite ($7.50) for the 2019 Brownlow Medal before Friday’s blow.
Current and former teammates visited him in hospital, including Hawks Jaeger O’Meara and Jack Gunston.
Mitchell was in the frame to take over from Jarryd Roughead as captain this season.
Former Sydney teammate Gary Rohan took 483 days to recover from a similar injury and said yesterday he would reach out to Mitchell.
“I’ll wait a couple of days and I’ll give him a buzz and see how he is,” Rohan told the Herald Sun.
“I nearly missed two years of footy, which is a good chunk.
“All the physio, running, (there’s) a lot of to-yourself time. So you really learn if you can push yourself or not and a couple of times I nearly gave up.”
Hawks doctor Michael Makdissi said Mitchell suffered “no other associated injuries” from the trauma.
Thoughts are with Tom Mitchell. Hate seeing anyone get an injury like that. Hoping for a quick recovery
— Ryan Burton (@BurtoRyan) January 11, 2019
“As such it is just a matter of waiting for the bones to heal,” Dr Makdissi said.
Mitchell has won back-to-back Hawthorn best-and-fairests and All-Australian honours since crossing from the Swans after the 2016 season.
The extractor ranked No.1 in the AFL for clearances and No.2 for contested possessions last year.
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