Luke Breust during Box Hill's preliminary final against Footscray in September, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

RETIRING Hawthorn champion Luke Breust will undergo a knee reconstruction in the coming days after a serious injury in the VFL on Saturday.

Scans on Sunday have revealed not just a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but also a torn medial collateral ligament.

Breust was helped off Mission Whitten Oval in the second quarter of Box Hill's preliminary final loss to Footscray.

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Heartbreaking scenes as Breust injures knee in 'gruesome' incident

Hawthorn champion Luke Breust is carried off after suffering a knee injury in Box Hill’s VFL final, in a cruel twist to his final weeks with the Hawks

Last month, the three-time premiership small forward announced his decision to retire at the end of the season.

After reaching 300 games in last year's semi-final loss to Port Adelaide, Breust played on in 2025 with the knowledge spots were tight inside the Hawks' forward 50.

He has added eight more AFL appearances this year, but played the final three games of the home and away season and travelled to Adelaide for the semi-final, and would have been the next forward in.

Now the 34-year-old won't get the fairytale finish his career deserves, but he retires as one of the best small forwards to play the game.

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The two-time All-Australian will finish his career with 553 goals to his name across 17 seasons at Waverley Park.

Breust was selected with pick 47 in the 2008 Rookie Draft and will retire as one of the best rookie picks ever.

Clubs have been pursuing the New South Welshman to join them as a development coach this off-season.