“That’s the Reality We’re Facing”: Hawthorn Young Star’s Unfortunate Leg Injury Reveals Harsh Truth

Hawthorn faces an anxious wait regarding the severity of Connor Macdonald’s injury after he was substituted in the second quarter during the match against Carlton. The Hawks ultimately secured a victory with a score of 12.8 (80) to 8.12 (60).

Midway through the quarter, Macdonald found himself tackled to the ground by George Hewett, resulting in his leg twisting awkwardly beneath him.

Jack Gunston was brought into the match as Macdonald was escorted off the field by a trainer.

“Macdonald is a significant loss; he’s an exceptional ball user in the forward half,” remarked David King during Fox Footy’s coverage.

This tackle incident arises after the prohibition of sling tackles due to concerns over head injuries. Unfortunately, players are still being brought down with their hips dropped instead.

Leigh Montagna commented on the event as a “consequence” of that rule change.

“You must find a way to tackle them; if not, you will have to bring them down, and this is the result of that adjustment,” he stated on Fox Footy.

AFL great Jason Dunstall concurred with this viewpoint.

“Absolutely correct. You need to give the tackler some leeway. If you’re going to say that slinging is off the table, then dragging him down is the alternative; otherwise, you risk completely altering the game with such restrictions,” he remarked.

Hawthorn was the first to score at the MCG, but it seemed Carlton responded almost immediately with a long-range attempt by Tom De Koning.

The Blues ruckman celebrated, only for the umpire to indicate that Jack Silvagni had infringed on Tom Barrass at the goal-line as he tried to touch the ball.

“That was definitely a free kick, though they’re seldom awarded on the goal-line. I’ve gotten away with worse,” Jack Riewoldt commented.

Hawthorn held a narrow two-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, with Carlton taking the lead by half-time, 6.4 (40) to 5.5 (35).

The close contest continued, with Hawthorn leading by five points at the end of the third quarter. However, the Hawks surged in the last quarter, claiming a 20-point victory to remain unbeaten this season, while Carlton now finds themselves with two consecutive defeats.

Mabior Chol was impressive, netting three goals, while Jai Newcombe had 32 disposals for Hawthorn. Carlton’s standout performers included Pat Cripps, Adam Cerra, and Hewett, who followed closely behind in the disposal counts.