Hawthorn forward will miss four weeks with a right hamstring strain.
AFL star Jonathon Patton broke down in tears on the bench after suffering a right hamstring injury on Friday night, 10 July, which looks set to sideline the Hawthorn forward for a month.
The 27-year-old Patton picked up the injury when attempting a sliding chest mark after just 10 minutes against Collingwood at Giants Stadium in Sydney. It was his first game since Round 3 and his fourth for the Hawks.
Patton, the number one draft pick in 2011, has suffered a series of injuries, including three knee reconstructions during his playing stint with Greater Western Sydney. The big forward has played only 93 games across eight seasons.
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Before the Hawk’s loss to the Magpies, the 6-foot-6 star missed two games after a burn on his foot got infected. So, injuring himself on Friday night was overwhelming to him. He said:
“It was a bit of a whirlwind when I got to the bench. I’ve obviously missed the last few games with a little blister and I didn’t get picked against the Giants. I really worked myself up for the game on Friday night.”
He continued:
“I went in already with a lot of emotion, and so to have that happen in the first 10 minutes was pretty frustrating. I couldn’t really control myself on the bench. It was a tough night, but I’m feeling a lot better.”
It's been a tough trot on the injury front for this man. 😓
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) July 13, 2020
But, he's feeling positive and ready to attack rehab. See you back out there soon, Jonny! 👏#Always pic.twitter.com/TO2U4MP2rb
The former Giants star tore his left ACL during a club training session in 2018, causing him to miss the end of the year and the entire 2019 season. He has already missed 90 games in his short career.
Hawks football boss Graham Wright said he’ll ensure Patton’s rehab’s cautious approach to make him return to the field as soon as possible. He said:
“The positive news is that we should see Jon back on the park in a month and he’ll undertake his recovery with the support of the club, as we continue in the hub environment.”
“We’re confident that he will do all the right things in his recovery to ensure we see him back out there as soon as possible.”
Patton will continue his rehab while staying with the Hawks. He said:
“It actually feels pretty good considering I’ll be out for the next four weeks. I can pretty much walk around pain free now.”
He added:
“Maybe mid week or towards the end of the week I could do some light running. I could almost do a mini pre-season before I come back.”
Patton has another challenge ahead to overcome now. Soon, he’ll get his career back on track.
