HAWTHORN captain Emily Bates will miss the rest of the season after scans confirmed the gun on-baller has suffered a ruptured ACL.
The star Hawk suffered the injury late in the third quarter in Hawthorn's win over the Western Bulldogs on the weekend, when her right leg was caught under her in a tackle.
HAWKS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats
Bates immediately clutched at her leg and was stretchered off the ground by medical staff.
It means Hawthorn's midfield will have a very different look to it for this week's clash against North Melbourne in Cairns, given young midfielder Laura Stone will also miss with concussion and Daisy Flockart will be assessed after a knock to the chest.
"We'll have to look around, we've been playing different players through and trying to build some versatility in our side ... we're confident in the players we'll have in there," Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster said post-match on Saturday.
"It'll be a good challenge next week with who we're playing ... we'll probably have some sort of different look in there with different players and that's okay. We'll keep getting to work."
The Hawks have a win-loss record of 3-2 as it stands, but will now have to embark on a challenging period without their captain and star midfielder.
