Player Watch Welcome to Hawthorn: Mitchell Lewis. Extended to 2026!

[HedgeFund]

One view seems to illustrate that the guy turned his head and hips and abandoned the ball as his target.

So he made a choice to brace for contact and not seriously try to mark or spoil. Lewis is wide open to get creamed.

Given the outcome you'd have think this automatically goes to the tribunal, to let them figure out the details.

Not saying the offender deserves weeks, but if you turn your head and hips and make a bump your priority and you're unco enough to whack a guy in the head and miss the ball you're culpable in some way.

Definitely a brutal game, but there's still rules.

Time for the AFL to either look at this, or we've got to seek clarification.

In the first image below he makes contact, the second just prior. The third prior to that. His eyes aren't on the ball in the first two because he's bracing and swinging that elbow horizontally.

But then look at the height of his right elbow in the third when the ball is there to be won. It's a foot below his left arm, perfectly positioned for a scything elbow to Mitch's head.

Two angles look OK, but one shows him never really getting his right hand/arm to marking height.

One guy is trying to mark the ball and his eyes remain on it. The other one lands a Tony Locket style elbow.

Anyone who has played any reasonable level of football will tell you this was an accident involving two players who both had eyes only for the ball.

Watch it in real time.

I think Jason Dunstall is right.

 

[BobHawk]

Terrible news for Mitch. Tough game to make his return in too. Just have to hope surgery and the rest goes well for him.

Picking up Scaife in the mid season draft now looks like a pretty good insurance policy. Probably gets to play this week if Dear doesn't come up.

 

[Barry Damage]

Absolutely devastated for Mitch. Let’s hope this knee comes back super strong. Very early days but I’d be tempted to be looking at comeback at peak strength for start of 2026 rather than rushing back for the back end of 2025. Am I right in thinking a lot of the evidence suggests better outcomes for an 18 month rehab from ACL?

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

Absolutely devastated for Mitch. Let’s hope this knee comes back super strong. Very early days but I’d be tempted to be looking at comeback at peak strength for start of 2026 rather than rushing back for the back end of 2025. Am I right in thinking a lot of the evidence suggests better outcomes for an 18 month rehab from ACL?

Roughly every month you delay return to sport after 9 months decreases the re-rupture risk. It probably caps out at around 14 months though. Most of the evidence also suggests you should wait between 3-6 months before having surgery to improve your outcomes.

However, most of the studies aren't done in the super elite environment. Mitch will have access to a medical team that operates at a far higher level than most other people have access too. You can't really compare the two.

 

[Sizzlesilk]

Would argue it should have been a free but nowhere near deserving of a report. Lewis came back into his space

The Duncan push a few years ago that caused Impey's ACL was dirtier than that

Just in case you’re booing Duncan & sticking pins in him with a voodoo doll … it was Atkins.

 

[I got the outside word]

Just in case you’re booing Duncan & sticking pins in him with a voodoo doll … it was Atkins.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Anyone who has played any reasonable level of football will tell you this was an accident involving two players who both had eyes only for the ball.

Watch it in real time.

I think Jason Dunstall is right.

Anyone playing football at a reasonable level knows that as a defender sometimes you look like you're playing the ball, but you're not.

You want to hit the forward because if he marks it he's going to kick a goal.

The narrative is as old as the game itself. I mean Dunstall copped his share of dog shots to the back of his head that were ostensibly 'attempts to spoil'.

 

[Sixpence]

 

[Holy Rioli]

When he’s right… he’s right.

Mitch doesn’t need to miss any more time just for the sake of it. He needs carrots dangled for his own motivation.

Had his poorest pre-season since his first year at the club. Club was very disappointed and it clearly affected and ruined his season. Devastated for him but hopefully he buys in like the rest of the playing list has otherwise he's going to waste his enormous talents.

 

[Bedi]

Does the 12 month period for an ACL usually include full rehab and match conditioning? ie Theoretically he will be right for early July as opposed to Aug 2025? If the former that's not too bad as least he'll play a crucial role for us next year. But either way he should be right to play in our premiership next year, so all good.

 

[smish]

Does the 12 month period for an ACL usually include full rehab and match conditioning? ie Theoretically he will be right for early July as opposed to Aug 2025? If the former that's not too bad as least he'll play a crucial role for us next year. But either way he should be right to play in our premiership next year, so all good.

I think it excludes match conditioning.

I hear now that the rule from surgeons is 10 months minimum. Nick Murray did his knee on 22/07/23 and played his first SANFL game back on 01/06/24 - i.e. just over 10 months.

Based on that we can expect to see Mitch back in the VFL mid May 2025 at the earliest.

 

[Yardie]

This'll sound strange but this could be a blessing in disguise. I think we were struggling to get him right and this could be the opportunity to sort it all out.

 

[HedgeFund]

Anyone playing football at a reasonable level knows that as a defender sometimes you look like you're playing the ball, but you're not.

You want to hit the forward because if he marks it he's going to kick a goal.

The narrative is as old as the game itself. I mean Dunstall copped his share of dog shots to the back of his head that were ostensibly 'attempts to spoil'.

Yet the same person who wore those “old school hits” as a forward, clearly stated himself during the broadcast - it was a fair contest / play on.

I can’t make it any simpler than that.

 

[Mr Lizard]

sometimes you look like you're playing the ball

Kolodjashnij clearly playing the ball, was up before Lewis left the ground.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Yet the same person who wore those “old school hits” as a forward, clearly stated himself during the broadcast - it was a fair contest / play on.

I can’t make it any simpler than that.

It looked pretty simple alright. If you've played football, and watched buckets of it, you get a sense for when a guy wants the ball.

Just because people say it's play on, doesn't mean the hit wasn't intentional. It's just that this is within the spirit of the way the game used to be played.

 

[toomanysquibs]

View attachment 2043375
Kolodjashnij clearly playing the ball, was up before Lewis left the ground.

His eyes aren't on the ball here either. And he's started to turn sideways.

He did it very well. But he wasn't after any of the ball or he would have gotten more of it and less of Mitch.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Yet the same person who wore those “old school hits” as a forward, clearly stated himself during the broadcast - it was a fair contest / play on.

I can’t make it any simpler than that.

Except you're not engaging your brain.

Of course he says it's fair. It's almost exactly what happened to him for his entire career because that was the way the game was played at the time.

Not rocket science mate.

 

[I wanna pash Nash]

I think it excludes match conditioning.

I hear now that the rule from surgeons is 10 months minimum. Nick Murray did his knee on 22/07/23 and played his first SANFL game back on 01/06/24 - i.e. just over 10 months.

Based on that we can expect to see Mitch back in the VFL mid May 2025 at the earliest.

I honestly doubt Mitch plays senior footy next year unless we are looking like a real shot. It's a really awkward time frame for him. All things going well he could possibly play a quater of next season (regular season).

Sicily is the obvious one to compare him too, but I'm pretty sure Sic did his maybe a month later (around August maybe)? And he didn't play the next season.

 

[Dipper]

Had his poorest pre-season since his first year at the club. Club was very disappointed and it clearly affected and ruined his season. Devastated for him but hopefully he buys in like the rest of the playing list has otherwise he's going to waste his enormous talents.

When you say disappointed that sounds likes they weren't happy with his approach and endeavours, is that what you're implying? Also the comment about him wasting his talents.

Or is it more the frustration that he had niggles and couldn't do all the work.

 

[Ka Norkers]

devastating news for the poor bloke. Hopefully, he looks to Charlie Curnow

30

Charlie Curnow

Age

27

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

9.7

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

for inspiration, he has the potential to be as good.
should be back mid-season next year, and after a token game in the VFL, will be looking to spearhead our surge into the top four. I'm tipping a return to AFL in round 17, next to Calsher, who will have 48 on the board by then.

 

[burger09]

Sorry if I've missed it, surgery or no surgery?

 

[theiaofseed]

Sorry if I've missed it, surgery or no surgery?

Full reconstruction

 

[HedgeFund]

Except you're not engaging your brain.

Of course he says it's fair. It's almost exactly what happened to him for his entire career because that was the way the game was played at the time.

Not rocket science mate.

Why did you reply twice to the same comment - 2 hours apart?

Couldn’t you come up with the above insult at the same time as the more reasonable reply at 1.06pm.

Maybe delayed concussion.

If you think me agreeing with Jason Dunstall’s view about a football action is “not engaging your brain”, I think we have exhausted this discussion.

 

[Billyc]

I honestly doubt Mitch plays senior footy next year unless we are looking like a real shot. It's a really awkward time frame for him. All things going well he could possibly play a quater of next season (regular season).

Sicily is the obvious one to compare him too, but I'm pretty sure Sic did his maybe a month later (around August maybe)? And he didn't play the next season.

And he’s not exactly the most durable player, so can’t see him being rushed. Reckon any footy in 2025 is unlikely. Rotten luck.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

And he’s not exactly the most durable player, so can’t see him being rushed. Reckon any footy in 2025 is unlikely. Rotten luck.

I would bet my house that he plays some footy next year.

He’ll be chomping at the bit to play by the time we are hitting the mid-way part of 2025.