Hawks' costly intra-club injury toll rises to three

Young defender Denver Grainger-Barras is the latest casualty from Hawthorn’s disastrous AFL intra-club hitout.

With fellow tall backman James Blanck already out for the season after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament during Thursday’s action, the Hawks have announced Grainger-Barras also will be sidelined with a turf toe injury.

Grainger-Barras will be out for 12-14 weeks following surgery.

The 21-year-old was seen as the player most likely to step up this season in Blanck’s absence.

Blanck, Grainger-Barras and midfielder Changkuoth Jiath – who is out of action for six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury – were all hurt during last week’s intra-club at Waverley.

James Blanck will miss the entire season for Hawthorn after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

“Denver injured his toe in the intra-club last Thursday, with subsequent scans showing he has a significant turf toe injury,” club doctor Liam West said.

“Following discussions as a medical team, alongside consultation with several specialists across Australia, it was deemed that the best course of action for Denver was for him to undergo surgery to help return him to play this season and protect the health of his toe in the long term.

“Having successfully undergone this procedure we are expecting to see him return to play in 12-14 weeks.”

Grainger-Barras has also played as a forward in his 28 games over three seasons at Hawthorn.

The Hawks tried to recruit North Melbourne key defender Ben McKay in last year’s trade period, but he went to Essendon.

Captain and All-Australian James Sicily is Hawthorn’s standout backman, but he is more of an intercept player and the emerging Hawks will be stretched against opposition key forwards.