Hawthorn star ruled out of crunch Melbourne clash
Hawthorn star Nick Watson, who sits equal second in the Coleman Medal, will miss the Hawks' clash with Melbourne in Launceston due to a hamstring injury.
Star Hawthorn forward Nick Watson has been ruled out of the Hawks’ clash with Melbourne due to hamstring tightness.
Watson missed the entire second half of last Friday night’s win against GWS.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell attempted to play down concerns over the dynamo, claiming Watson had been rested as a precaution.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.But in a halftime interview, Watson revealed he had barely trained ahead of taking on the Giants due to concerns about his hamstring.
After looking sore, Watson incredibly kicked three goals in a game-changing burst just before the main break to help Hawthorn take a crucial lead.
Hawthorn will head to Launceston for Saturday’s game against the dangerous Demons without Watson and fellow prolific goal-kicker Jack Gunston.
Watson is equal second in the Coleman medal with 39 goals, only trailing Gold Coast spearhead Ben King.
His replacement will be rugby league convert Matt Hill, who spent time in the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos academies.
Originally from Katherine in the Northern Territory, Hill was signed by Hawthorn as a category B rookie in 2024.
The speedster kicked 28 goals across 30 VFL games for Box Hill, including an impressive performance against the Giants last week.
