Mitchell ruled out for the season after breaking leg at training
Hawthorn's Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell will undergo surgery on Saturday after breaking his leg at training on Friday.
The Hawks expect the injury will rule him out for the season.
The Hawks star was taken to hospital in an ambulance after suffering the injury in what was described as an innocuous incident at training.
Hawthorn football manager Graham Wright said in a statement that it was unlikely at this stage that the 25-year-old would return in time to play again in 2019.
"For Tom to suffer an injury like this is incredibly disappointing for both him and our footy club," 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."
It was the Hawks' first training session after the Christmas break and the 25-year-old was completing a regular drill when the incident occurred.
The Hawks gathered in a group after Mitchell left the track in the ambulance.