Hawthorn star Mitch Lewis has suffered a concussion in the opening quarter of Saturday’s clash against Essendon.
There were worrying scenes midway through the first term when the game was stopped as medical staff attended to Lewis.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Mitch Lewis ruled out after head clash
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The key forward appeared dazed after he crashed into the back of Essendon youngster Jaxon Artemis while trying to tackle.
The pair clashed heads in the incident and Lewis came off worse.
He got to his feet, but looked in serious bad shape with blood pouring out from a cut above his eye.
The umpire stopped the game for the blood rule, but Lewis stood stationary in the hands of the club doctor.
“He looks crook there, he copped a fair whack,” Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
“Very groggy when he stood up. He’s got a few issues there. He looked a bit dazed.”
Boundary rider Cameron Mooney added: “It’s going to take some time to get him off here.”
Lewis then dropped down to one knee as the motorised stretcher was called.
But he eventually walked off on his own before being quickly ruled out for the remainder of the match.
The concussion means he will also miss next week’s clash against North Melbourne.
The injury comes just days after he inked a four-year contract extension to remain at the club.
Essendon also copped an early game-ending injury with Jordan Ridley ruled out with a foot issue early in the second term.
The Ridley injury allowed Jack Gunston to kick seven goals, including his 600th AFL major, to lead Hawthorn to a thumping 93-point win.
Fresh off signing a one-year contract extension to take him into an 18th season, the magnificent Gunston, 34, headlined a 19.18 (132) to 5.9 (39) smashing that tightened Hawthorn’s grip on a top-four berth.
The three-time premiership forward booted three goals in the second term then four in the third, with the MCG crowd of 42,509 erupting when he nailed his sixth goal for his 600th league major.
Gunston also became the VFL/AFL’s 37th greatest goalkicker and surpassed former teammate Luke Breust as Hawthorn’s seventh all-time greatest goal kicker.
Essendon were initially buoyed by their drought-breaking win over GWS last week, but Sam Mitchell’s Hawthorn – who still hope to add Suns spearhead Ben King to their loaded attack – broke away with six unanswered goals in the second quarter.
Midfielders Will Day (21 disposals, two goals), Jai Newcombe (28 disposals) and Josh Ward (32 disposals) and half-back Jarman Impey (37 disposals) were influential while Nick Watson jagged three goals.
Essendon had few winners around the ground, with Nate Caddy fighting his way to three goals.
Zach Merrett, who was desperate to get to Hawthorn last year and is expected to seek a trade again, was Essendon’s leading disposal winner with 21 touches plus nine tackles.
It was a horror day of injuries for second-last Essendon, currently in their head coach recruiting process, and interim boss Dean Solomon.
Injury-plagued Ridley, also expected to seek a trade at season’s end came off, while young gun Sullivan Robey was helped off with a right knee injury suffered in a tackle early in the third term.
The Bombers were hopeful Robey had only suffered a knee knock.
Archer Day-Wicks (right hip) limped off at the start of the final quarter.
Essendon dug in initially but Gunston nabbed two goals in quick succession to set Hawthorn on their way early in the second quarter.
The Hawks never looked back from there, leading by 45 at halftime, then 74 at three-quarter time before kicking away again for their third straight win.
The Bombers host Adelaide at Marvel Stadium next Sunday.
— With AAP
