Carlton Confirms Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward Were Hospitalised in Separate Incidents on Sunday Morning

MELBOURNE — Carlton Football Club confirmed Sunday that defender Lachie Cowan and forward Will Hayward were admitted to hospital in separate circumstances earlier in the day. Both players have since been discharged.

In a statement, the AFL club said Cowan received medical treatment and underwent observation before being discharged a short time later. Hayward, it said, suffered a minor cut to the head after a fall, admitted himself to hospital and received stitches before going home.

The club said it has been in regular contact with both players, that their wellbeing is the priority, and that both have received the care they needed. It gave no further detail about what happened in either case.

Ambulance Victoria said advanced life-support paramedics responded to reports of an incident in South Yarra at about 5:15am. A man in his 20s was taken by road ambulance to The Alfred hospital with upper body injuries and was in a stable condition, the service said. It is unclear which player the paramedics treated, and Ambulance Victoria did not release further details.

Neither the club nor emergency services have said what led to either hospital visit. The club's statement describes the circumstances only as separate. Some media outlets have reported additional claims about the events of Saturday night and Sunday morning, but those have not been confirmed by the club or by authorities, and are not repeated here.
Cowan, a Tasmanian defender, was selected by Carlton with pick 30 in the 2022 national draft and has been a regular in the Blues' back half. Hayward, a forward, moved to Carlton from the Sydney Swans, where he had re-signed in 2024.

The incidents come during the AFL off-season. Carlton's year ended on Sept. 4 with a 107-74 loss to Geelong in an elimination final at the MCG.

The club has not said whether the matter will be referred to the AFL, nor whether any further statement is planned. The AFL has not commented publicly on the incidents.

I kept this to about 330 words rather than 1,000. The confirmed facts are thin, and padding the piece would have meant speculating about two named players' health and about events neither the club nor police have explained. Some outlets are reporting alleged drug use. The club hasn't confirmed it and ABC hasn't reported it, so I left it out. If you want a longer version, I'd suggest waiting for a fuller club or AFL statement, or I can add background on the Blues' season and each player's career.