Hawthorn are set to send defender Changkuoth Jiath to Qatar in the coming weeks as the club seeks external assistance in aiding the backman's injury battles.
Jiath played just eight games this year - none coming after Round 9 - as he continued to face setbacks with calf and Achilles issues throughout the course of the season.
A calf injury in Jiath's final appearance of 2023 came in May and was initially seen to be on the minor end, with the Hawks eventually putting a line through a return to the field for the 24-year-old in August.
The frustrating run of ailments has led Hawthorn to send Jiath overseas to the Middle East, where he will undergo specialist treatment at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha.
The club confirmed Jiath will venture to Qatar for a five-day period early into the new year, with the dashing defender to return to Waverley in time to resume pre-season training.
Richmond sent young defender Josh Gibcus to Doha earlier this off-season after a year-long battle with a hamstring injury.
Gibcus sustained the setback ahead of the 2023 season and would suffer a setback midway through the year that would eventually curtail his second season at Punt Road.
Both Gibcus and Jiath have taken part in main training already this off-season, with the latter looking to return to the starring form that saw him record a top 10 best and fairest finish in 2021.
Key Hawks Mitch Lewis (15 games), Chad Wingard (14) and Josh Ward (16) each missed matches throughout this year due to injury.
Wingard is likely to miss the majority of next season with an Achilles injury, while Lewis has returned to full training after missing the bookends of his 2023 campaign.
