Top-four aspirants Hawthorn are set to lose Emily Bates for the run towards the finals after the star midfielder suffered a shoulder injury. Hawks captain Bates hurt the sternoclavicular joint in her shoulder in the final quarter of their seven-point win over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium last Thursday. With less than two minutes remaining, three-time All-Australian midfielder Bates made heavy side-on contact with Cats defender Rachel Kearns for a ground ball. “Given the nature of the sternoclavicular joint injury, Emily will not play this week against Fremantle,” Hawks high-performance boss Aaron Kellett said in a club statement. While Bates’s absence is a massive blow, the Hawks will be helped by a favourable fixture for the run to the finals.