A Humbling Moment for Hawthorn’s Head Physio
During the fourth quarter of Hawthorn’s match against Collingwood on Thursday night, head physio Andrew Lambert found himself in an unexpected and awkward situation. As the ball came into play on the wing, Lambert was attempting to move away from the area to avoid giving away a free kick or interfering with the game. However, things took a turn when Collingwood’s Lachie Schultz took a mark right in front of him.
As Lambert tried to flee the scene, he slipped twice, grimacing in pain as he struggled to get back up. The moment was captured by commentators, who were quick to react. “Trainer’s down! Hopefully all is OK, doesn’t look good,” said Mark Howard on Fox Footy, as the crowd gasped at the unexpected incident. North Melbourne great David King added, “It would look weird getting a trainer to come out and assess another trainer.”
Despite the mishap, the Pies continued to keep possession of the ball, kicking it around without much fuss as Lambert, hands on his hips, walked slowly off the field. Once he reached the bench, he bravely returned to work, helping captain James Sicily strap his ankle.
Injury Revealed and Impact on the Club
It has since been revealed that Lambert suffered tendon damage in both of his hamstrings as a result of the falls. According to journalist Xander McGuire, he will need surgery to correct the more severely damaged one and is expected to miss the club’s upcoming clash with Fremantle next week. This will be one of his first absences from a Hawthorn match day in over 20 years.
Lambert is clearly well respected within the club, with club legend Luke Hodge reportedly leaving his broadcast duties early after the game to check on him. “Hodgey raced down after the game and said ‘I’ve got to go check on the physio’. Clearly he had a long relationship with him. Hodgey was quite worried,” said Kane Cornes on SEN.
David King added, “He looked like he’d done his ACL.” The question remains whether Hawthorn will include Lambert in their injury report this week.
Reactions from Club Legends and Teammates
Hodge captained the Hawks to three successive premierships and played in four total for the club. Other Hawthorn greats, including Isaac Smith, also reportedly checked in on Lambert after the match. Smith found the moment comical during the Triple M radio coverage of the game.
“He’s had a mare. The runners have got slippery,” Smith laughed. “He’s a good physio, he’ll be able to fix it. He’s the best in the business. One of the great men, Andrew Lambert and he likes taking the piss out of everyone, so that’ll be highlighted Monday in the review. I might sneak down (to training).”
Final Result and Aftermath
The Hawks left Thursday night with two points after a draw with the Magpies, thanks to a Dylan Moore goal after the siren. The incident involving Lambert not only provided a moment of humor but also highlighted the physical demands of the sport and the importance of the support staff behind the scenes.
