Injured Hawthorn duo Mitchell Lewis and James Blanck will travel to the United States to visit a renowned international reconditioning guru and complete a week-long rehabilitation block as they recover from ACL injuries.
Blanck suffered his rupture on the eve of the 2024 season in an intra-club match, ruling the key defender out for the entirety of the season.
It was an ill-timed injury for the 24-year-old, who showed promising signs of holding a spot in the AFL team, but will now have to compete against the additions of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle to win his spot back.
Lewis fell victim to a torn ACL in his first match back from another knee injury in Hawthorn's clash against Geelong in Round 17, with the 26-year-old key forward playing just four games in 2024.
The tall stocks will visit guru Bill Knowles and his Philadelphia-based facility Knowles Athletic, perย AFL.com.au's Josh Gabelich.
Knowles is regarded highly internationally by sports medical practitioners and players alike, forging a strong reputation as a rehab expert. Knowles has more than 30 years of experience and has worked with AFL athletes since Cat Max Rooke first journeyed to the US in 2010.
The rehab guru has also worked with stars of the game Christian Petracca, Nic Naitanui, Callan Ward and Sam Docherty, as well as other sporting phenoms such as golfer Tiger Woods, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and tennis player Andy Murray.
Hawthorn's rehabilitation coordinator will also travel with the pair after working closely with the two in their recovery to transfer their learnings back at Waverley training upon their return.
It's not the first time Hawthorn have sent players overseas for high-quality rehab sources, with Changkuoth Jiath undertaking testing in Doha, Qatar, in late 2023 after a string of soft issues injuries.
Jordan De Goey and Adam Cerra also spent time in Qatar this pre-season, with Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy anticipated to head over shortly too.
Hawthorn's first pre-season scratch match is less than a month away against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium on February 17, with their formal Community Series clash against the Bulldogs in Launceston on February 26.
The Hawks open their season officially against Sydney on Friday night in Opening Round.
