A year ago, this Hawk had to learn how to walk again. Now he’s starring in finals

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Hawthorn forward Sam Butler doesn’t remember much about April 28 last year when he snapped both bones in his leg in what appeared to be an innocuous incident during a VFL match at Box Hill City Oval.

But what he does remember of that moment in front of the now-removed cricket nets is enough to make the stomach churn.

Sam Butler suffered a stomach-churning leg injury.

“Someone ran through my leg. I heard the break, and I thought: ‘Geez, I hope that’s not me’,” Butler recalled this week.

“I looked forward again, and looked back again, and my leg was out [to the side], and my toes were nearly touching my knees. It wasn’t a good sight.

“I don’t remember much of that day. I blacked out and had a few green whistles [pain medication] – it was a long recovery.”

Butler had to wait 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, but he said the Hawks’ medical staff had him as comfortable as he could be. The diagnosis soon came – he had broken the tibia and fibula bones, and an arduous rehabilitation period lay ahead.

Jarman Impey and coach Sam Mitchell celebrate with Butler after the semi-final win.

After surgery and rest, Butler had to regain the confidence required to walk, then jog, then run, let alone play professional sport. There is a clip of his first running session on the Alter antigravity treadmill on Instagram, with teammates cheering him on. As Butler gets moving, it feels as if he does not want to stop, so delighted was he to be back running.

Through the ordeal, he had strong support by his side, including his parents, partner Ava Polkinghorne and brothers Dan – the former Richmond premiership player and now Saint – and Matt, a psychologist. The brothers are close, often having dinner together, and battling each other for supremacy when it comes to Mario Kart on Nintendo 64.

While the emotional support was there, only Butler, 22, could begin to rebuild his football career.

“The main [challenge] for me was probably the mental side, starting contact work again, because it happened in a way, those actions happen in any game, they can happen at any time, and it was so sudden,” Butler said.

“I heard the break, and I was like: ‘Oh crap, I hope that wasn’t me’. It’s scary coming back and dealing with the mental side because you don’t know when it can happen.”

Club sports psychologist Ed Barlow, a former Sydney and Western Bulldogs player, was also pivotal in his rehabilitation. And this wasn’t just on the mental side of the game, for Barlow joined Mitch Lewis and James Blanck, who also had major injuries at the time, during physical activities, including cycling work and circuits.

The culmination of Butler’s rehabilitation came in round 13 this year when he returned to the senior team against the Western Bulldogs for the first time in 418 days. There were two more senior games for the former Greater Western Victoria Rebel, before a return to the VFL, and the distinct prospect he would not reclaim his spot back for the finals.

“I started off the year getting a bit of confidence back, first few games was still wearing a shin guard which was a bit weird for a half forward, still getting a bit of confidence back. I played 11 games straight, then the leg started to catch up with me a bit – a bit of bone stress,” Butler said.

Young gun Sam Butler has thrived during the Hawks’ September run.

Still with a titanium rod in his lower leg, which may be removed over summer, Butler goes through a weekly maintenance program.

“The way this year has gone, say I play on a Sunday, or Saturday, the leg feels pretty crap for a day. I’ll stay pretty low-key, and stay off legs for the early part of the week, then do main training and play again. It’s kind of a repeating cycle,” he said.

“I think this year I put a lot more pressure on myself, coming off a big injury. I am in my fourth year now, kind of missed all of my third year, so I need to start to get things moving. I put a bit of pressure on myself to perform. I think that helps me work hard throughout the week, do different bike sessions, swim sessions, all that type of stuff. Then that helps me to prepare for the weekend.”

Amid the challenges came opportunity. Butler got the finals chance he craved when Luke Breust was dropped ahead of the trip to face Greater Western Sydney at Engie Stadium. He had a goal and four tackles in that game, and was singled out by coach Sam Mitchell in his post-match press conference after the stirring win over the Crows on Friday for his heavy bump on a Crow and determination to force a stoppage, which Mitchell said would live long in his memory.

“It was pretty unexpected to come back into the side as well, just with how good they were going,” Butler said.

“It was a pretty set team. Everyone has earned their spot, a couple of people got injured, which helped my case, and also playing some good footy as well. The coaches backed me in to come in for finals, which is massive as well – that was unreal.”

Teammate Nick Watson said Butler had been an inspiration through his recovery.

“Obviously, he is a very hard worker. To see him come back from that injury and have full confidence – it’s obviously a heartbreak of an injury, to lose all confidence in your leg. It’s the worst thing,” Watson said.

“For him to get back to playing finals footy at AFL level is very good to see. It all comes off his hard work and rehab. He is very important to our side. He had a ripper game last week [15 disposals, two goals].”

While Butler’s firm focus is now on Friday night’s preliminary final against Geelong, he also has 2026 to ponder. Off contract and keen to spend more time in the midfield, the Hawks have offered him a new two-year deal, but West Coast have also come calling to Butler’s manager, Dave Trotter.

“Yeah, they have. We’ll see where that goes. I am happy playing here. As I said, we’re playing in a prelim. That’s amazing,” Butler said.

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