Sam Mitchell racing clock to face Hawthorn
Sam Mitchell is no certainty to line up against former AFL side Hawthorn as he receives treatment for an injury he initially thought was a snapped leg.
West Coast will give their prized midfield recruit a chance to regain fitness ahead of Sunday's clash against the struggling Hawks at the MCG.
But coach Adam Simpson says a call on Mitchell's availability could be made early in the week.
Mitchell was hobbled when kicked above the ankle accidentally by teammate Jack Redden in the second quarter of their round-four win over Sydney, limiting his output to 17 touches.
The 34-year-old was on crutches for two days after the game last Thursday, hampered by swelling and an inability to put weight on the leg.
"I'm not ruled out at this stage, so I'm working towards it (the Hawks clash)," Mitchell told the AFL website.
"It's OK. It's not 100 per cent, but it's better than it was.
"Now I can weight-bear again and now I'm just trying to get the range of movement and get rid of a bit more of the swelling."
The four-time Hawthorn premiership winner was counting his blessings the injury wasn't more serious.
"To be honest, when I first did it I thought, 'yeah, I've broken my leg here'. As I went down I thought 'gee, I've snapped my shin'," Mitchell said.
"I felt it and it was all there and in place. It wasn't as bad as it could have been."
Simpson said was open-minded on Mitchell's prospects, cautious about his fitness but appreciative of the personal significance of the Hawks clash.
"He was in doubt over the weekend, but he's pulled up really well," Simpson told the Seven Network.
"The 10-day break's going to help him, but he'll be touch-and-go.
"I don't think we'll play any games. If he's not right, we'll just declare it as early as we can. But we do want to give him as much time as we can."
"I don't want to overplay it, but obviously it'll be a big moment for him but, more importantly, a big moment for us, travelling to the MCG again and playing against a team that's on the ropes."
