Ella Roberts leaves the field in the hands of trainers during round 12, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

WEST Coast will sweat on scans for superstar midfielder Ella Roberts after she suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the opening minutes of Saturday night's loss to Hawthorn. 

Roberts planted her right leg to change direction and went down immediately in pain, requiring the help of trainers to leave the ground in a significant blow to the Eagles hopes in what turned into a 55-point defeat. 

EAGLES V HAWKS Full match details and stats

The 21-year-old, who is among the most talented players in the game, took no further part in the match, with the Eagles confirming she had suffered a knee injury as they now wait on scans to determine the exact nature of the setback.

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"We won't know [the extent] until we get it scanned," coach Daisy Pearce said post-match. 

"It was serious enough that she didn't go back out there, but we'll just wait on results and hope for the best.

"Her attitude on the bench was outstanding and the way she carried herself through the game. 

"She's a competitor, and she would have hated watching."

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Roberts has won the Eagles' AFLW club champion award in each of the past two seasons and is the leading contender to take out the award in 2026 after another strong season. 

She has averaged 23.5 disposals and led the Eagles for tackles (6.4), clearances (5.5), contested possessions (13.2) and inside 50s (4.2), ranking second for score involvements.  

Saturday night's clash was the Eagles' last game of the season, with the team failing to qualify for AFLW finals after a 4-8 campaign. 

The 55-point defeat was a disappointing way to close the year, with Hawthorn kicking its highest ever AFLW score and landing five unanswered goals in both the second and fourth quarters.