Hawthorn forward Mitch Lewis is set to miss the remainder of the 2024 season after scans revealed an ACL injury for the Hawks spearhead.
Lewis was unable to finish Saturday's clash against Geelong following an aerial contest that left him limping from the field.
The 25-year-old, who had just returned from knee and hamstring issues, underwent scans in the wake of Round 17 and is now set to undergo an ACL reconstruction.
“Our thoughts are all with Mitch at this point in time,” Hawks football boss Rob McCartney said in a clun update.
"He has worked so hard to get his body right and return to AFL level and this injury was a cruel blow.
“While this will spell an end to his season, we are confident that with expert guidance of our medical team and the strength of Mitch's character that he will work his way through the immediate challenges that lie ahead.
“Only being 25-years of age, I'm extremely confident that following his rehab Mitch has a bright future ahead in the brown and gold and is an integral part of what we are building at our football club.
“Most importantly, our focus at present is to support Mitch and wrap our arms around him.”
The setback will likely place Lewis out of action for close to 12 months, meaning his 2024 campaign will come to a close after just four appearances.
Lewis played in the Hawks first three games of the season before suffering a hamstring strain in his side's Easter Monday clash against the Cats, with a subsequent knee cartilage issue keeping him off the track.
The Hawks attacker returned over the weekend for his first game in 14 weeks and managed to boot two goals in his side's 51-point loss.
The setback comes a year after a breakout period for Lewis, who kicked 73 goals across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Lewis joins fellow Hawks forward Sam Butler and defender James Blanck in being ruled out of playing until 2025.