Hawthorn star Will Day is set to undergo surgery this week after the Hawks delayed the procedure in hopes of a potential finals return. The 23-year-old will have surgery on Friday to address a complex partial dislocation of his “SC joint,” which connects the collarbone and sternum. Day sustained the injury during Hawthorn’s round 23 victory over Richmond, sidelining him for the final four weeks of the season despite his efforts to return for the finals.
Day trained well ahead of the semi-final against Port Adelaide but couldn’t progress to full-contact drills in time to be considered for selection. Hawthorn confirmed that he will have surgery and is expected to begin full training by late November in preparation for the pre-season.
In addition, Hawthorn captain James Sicily is likely to undergo shoulder surgery after dislocating his shoulder twice during the season. Despite the injuries, Sicily played through the pain, making significant contributions across the field.
Day’s absence wasn’t felt in the qualifying final against the Western Bulldogs, where Hawthorn dominated the midfield, but his presence was missed in the close three-point semi-final loss to Port Adelaide, particularly in contested possessions and ground ball gets.
Hawthorn’s fitness head, Peter Burge, noted before the semi-final that Day’s injury had reached a point where he couldn’t advance to contact training. “The joint stability and integrity haven’t improved enough to progress to contact,” Burge said, making it impossible for Day to play.
As Hawthorn prepares for the potential additions of free agent Josh Battle and West Coast’s Tom Barrass, the club announced the release of two players, midfielder Cooper Stephens and forward-ruck Clay Tucker, who were not offered contracts for 2025. Stephens, 23, struggled with concussions in the VFL after joining from Geelong in 2022 and failed to secure a place in the senior side. Forward Chad Wingard also confirmed his retirement earlier this month.
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