HAWTHORN midfielder and former No.1 pick Tom Scully has stepped away from the club to deal with personal circumstances.
The 29-year-old has missed the past fortnight of training ahead of the final season of a three-year contract at Waverley Park.
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"Tom has requested time off from his football commitments due to personal circumstances," a Hawthorn spokesperson told AFL.com.au.
"Hawthorn is fully supportive of Tom's request and remains in regular communication with Tom to provide him with any support required.
"The club ask that Tom's privacy is respected at this time and will provide a further update when available."
Scully played 14 matches for the Hawks last season after featuring in 21 of a possible 22 games in his debut campaign in brown and gold in 2019.
The hard-running wingman arrived at Hawthorn after a serious ankle injury limited him to one game for Greater Western Sydney in 2018, costing the Hawks only a future fourth-round pick.
While many saw it as a 'steal' given Scully was named in the 2016 and 2017 All-Australian squads, it was an important transaction for the Giants to clear his three-year contract off its salary cap with long-term uncertainty around his ankle.
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The Hawks took on Scully and backed in their exemplary medical record to transform him back into one of the game's best runners.
Taken by Melbourne with the top pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft, Scully played two seasons with the Demons before departing for the Giants on a six-year contract.
