Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has COVID-19 but the Hawks are confident he will recover in time to face West Coast.
The Hawks confirmed Mitchell had tested positive and was doing well and recovering at home.
Mitchell’s assistants will take the reins at training during his absence, but Hawthorn were hopeful he would return to their football program in the coming days, ahead of Sunday’s game in Launceston.
No coaches have missed a game through COVID-19 this season, though several were sidelined throughout 2022.
No other football department members or players had tested positive as of Monday morning.
The league no longer has the stringent testing requirements that marked the 2021 and 2022 seasons but the Hawks were monitoring their players and staff.
West Coast and Hawthorn will both attempt to claim their second win of the season when they meet at UTAS Stadium.
Hawthorn sit bottom of the ladder, with West Coast 17th and just 0.5 per cent separating the bottom two teams.
The loser of Sunday’s game will also likely be the favourite to claim the wooden spoon, though two-win North Melbourne are also in the mix, and therefore first dibs on touted No.1 draft pick Harley Reid.
