- Sam Butler to return for Hawthorn against Western Bulldogs
- Forward was left shattered when playing for Box Hill in the VFL
AFL star Sam Butler has posted a stomach-churning image of his broken leg which saw the Hawthorn forward sidelined for over 400 days.
Butler, 22, broke both his fibula and tibia in a game for VFL side Box Hill on April 28 last year in horrific scenes.
Adding to the drama was Butler then having to wait half an hour for an ambulance to arrive and take him to hospital.
A few niggles late in the pre-season delayed the youngster’s start to 2025, but he has been recalled by Hawks coach Sam Mitchell to play the Western Bulldogs in a blockbuster at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Butler, who has displayed his versatility by playing in the midfield for Box Hill in recent weeks, will look to help the Hawks avoid a fourth successive defeat.
Concerningly, they were hammered by premiership favourites Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions in their last two outings.
AFL star Sam Butler (pictured with partner Ava Polkinghorne) has posted a stomach-churning image of the broken leg that kept the Hawthorn forward sidelined for 418 days
Butler, 22, broke both his fibula and tibia in a game for VFL side Box Hill on April 28 last year (pictured, an X-ray of his injury)
Butler (pictured with Polkinghorne) made his AFL debut in 2022 for the Hawks and has impressed playing under Sam Mitchell
Mitchell has outlined what he desperately wants to see from his players more than any other against the Bulldogs.
‘I just think it’s pressure,’ the coach said.
The Hawks were outclassed in the tackle counts against the Magpies and Lions, with the numbers – 82-38 and 59-36 – painting a grim picture.
‘The winning tackle count is often not the winning team, but you can’t get beaten the way we have been,’ Mitchell added.
‘Enabling the players to be able to put pressure on the opposition is going to be the most important thing for us.’
Meanwhile, Luke Beveridge’s Bulldogs are bracing themselves for a fierce attack on the contest from a desperate Hawthorn side.
‘You’re always wary when a club’s been under the microscope a bit and the way they galvanise and prepare for their next game,’ he said.
‘We’ve got to be ready for their intensity in this game, because it might be more explosive than what you’re sometimes used to.
‘That’s our challenge in the bigger part of the platform to springboard into the back half of the year off a really good experience.
‘It’s a really critical game for both clubs.’
The Bulldogs will be bolstered by the return of Adam Treloar from a calf injury, with Ryan Gardner and Josh Dolan to also feature.
