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Hawthorn Midfielder Will Day Dislocates Shoulder, Expected to Miss Start of 2026 Season

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Hawthorn midfielder Will Day dislocated his right shoulder during training on Thursday. The injury is expected to delay the 24-year-old's start to the 2026 AFL season, impacting the club's preparations for their Opening Round match.

Incident Details

Will Day sustained a right shoulder dislocation during a training session held at the club's Dingley facility on Thursday morning. He was observed being assisted off the training ground by medical staff. Scans subsequently confirmed the dislocation, with no bone damage reported.

Recovery and Outlook

Day is scheduled to meet with a surgeon next week to determine the required treatment and recovery pathway. Hawthorn General Manager Rob McCartney stated that the club is providing support to Day and will issue an update on his recovery timeline following further consultation. If surgery is deemed necessary, Day is anticipated to be sidelined for a minimum of three months. This timeline suggests he will miss the beginning of the 2026 AFL season, including Hawthorn's Opening Round game against Greater Western Sydney.

Injury History

This latest injury follows Day's recent return to full training on Monday, after recovering from a foot injury. His recent injury history includes multiple setbacks:

  • 2024 Season: Day sustained a navicular stress fracture early in the year. Later in the season, a complex collarbone injury ended his participation prematurely, causing him to miss the club's final two appearances and the entire finals series. While located in the same general region as the current shoulder injury, the previous issue was characterized as a collarbone or neck concern rather than a direct shoulder injury.
  • 2025 Season: Day was limited to six appearances due to two separate foot issues. These included an April surgery for a navicular injury, which resulted in him missing 14 games, and a subsequent season-ending right foot injury (navicular bone stress) in August. These foot issues led to him being on a modified pre-season program leading up to the current training incident.