Hawthorn young gun Sam Butler has suffered a suspected broken leg during the Hawks’ VFL match against Sydney on Sunday.
Butler went down in the forward pocket at Fenjiu Stadium in Box Hill with trainers and medical staff rushing to his aid.
Play was subsequently halted and an ambulance called while stunned players left the field in distressing scenes.
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Butler was then loaded into the ambulance and taken away to hospital.
The match was stopped for a total of 30 minutes in the third quarter.
“Ambulance has left the field with Sammy. Our thoughts are with him at this time. We hope for a speedy recovery,” the club tweeted.
The Hawks trailed by 10 points before the break, but roared back to a 27-point victory.
“A win for our mate. Love ya, Sammy,” the club tweeted.
Butler has played two matches in the AFL this season, but was dropped back to the VFL last week.
The 21-year-old has played a total of 19 senior games since being drafted to the club with pick No.23 in the 2021 draft.
He is the younger brother of St Kilda’s Dan Butler, who was a member of Richmond’s 2017 premiership side.