Star Hawk out with bad break

BROWNLOW Medallist Tom Mitchell will miss the entire 2019 season after suffering a sickening broken leg yesterday as distressed Hawthorn teammates looked on.

An ambulance was driven on to Waverly Park and a sheet was placed over Mitchell as he was rushed to hospital alongside Hawthorn’s club doctor.

Mitchell’s teammates then huddled together after witnessing their best player snap both bones in his lower left leg during a tackling drill in the club’s first training session after the Christmas break.

X-rays confirmed clean breaks of both the tibia and fibula bones.

“For Tom to suffer an injury like this is incredibly disappointing for both him and our footy club,” Hawks football boss Graham Wright said.

“He will undergo surgery over the weekend and as a result will most likely miss the 2019 season.

“However, Tom is a very resilient young man and we have no doubt that he will tackle his rehab with the same professionalism and diligence with which he approaches his training.”

Sources close to Mitchell, 25, said he was due to go under the knife last night.

He is set to become the first reigning Brownlow Medallist to miss the next season in 42 years.