Hawthorn has revealed an extended setback for young forward Calsher Dear, who has also signed a new deal with the Hawks for a further 12 months.
The club confirmed on Thursday that Dear is dealing with a bone stress injury in his lower back and will require further assessment of the ailment before understanding the timeline for his recovery.
Dear will undergo further scans next month before determining his return to the training program, with the 19-year-old potentially facing a delayed start to his second campaign in the brown and gold.
"Calsher has already begun an offloading period to enable his injury to heal," Hawks doctor Liam West said.
"Scans have indicated bone stress in his lower back. We will get more information from ongoing physical assessments and further scans, and this will determine an exact recovery timeline.
“Given Calsher's age, we will ensure we are diligent and thorough throughout this rehab process.
"We will provide further updates in due course."
While the injury news is disappointing for Dear, it comes as the son of club great Paul Dear inks a new contract with Hawthorn.
Set to see his rookie contract reach its cessation at the end of next season, Dear has added an extra term to his deal to be locked in at Hawthorn until the end of 2026.
"After drafting Calsher as an exciting prospect last year, we have been thrilled with his progress in the brown and gold to date," Hawthorn list manager Mark McKenzie said.
"On the back of an impressive debut year where he managed 17 games, Calsher was able to showcase his potential as a developing key forward by booting 25 goals.
"At just 19 years, he continues to work closely with our coaches and mentors, like Jack Gunston, and we're very excited about what's to come for Calsher in this new deal and beyond."
Dear enjoyed a strong debut season for the Hawks this year, playing 17 games for a return of 25 goals at AFL level. He would feature in both of Hawthorn's finals against the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide, contributing four goals in September.