A depleted tall forward crop could see Hawthorn unveil a famous name for Sunday's game against the Western Bulldogs.
Set to be without key pair Mitch Lewis (knee soreness) and Mabior Chol (suspension) for Round 8, first-year father-son selection Calsher Dear could be rewarded with an AFL debut following a promising start to the season with VFL affiliate Box Hill.
Dear, taken with Pick 56 in last November's National Draft, is the son of the late Paul Dear - Hawthorn's Norm Smith Medal-winning champion in 1991.
The teenager enjoyed a strong draft campaign with the Sandringham Dragons in 2023 and would feature among his side's best performers in their Talent League grand final win last September.
Donning the brown and gold at the VFL level this year, Dear has booted nine goals and amassed 18 scoring shots in his past four games under Zane Littlejohn, looking at ease against senior opposition.
His promising form for the Hawks' reserves, coupled with the club's call not to challenge Chol's one-game suspension and 7 News' reports of Lewis' extended absence through injury, might just lead coach Sam Mitchell to weigh up the young forward at selection.
Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis will miss at least one more match with knee soreness.
Trained fully last Friday, felt sore Saturday + was a late out Sunday. Scans yesterday showed no major damage, but the Hawks will deload his training and build him up gradually. Reassessed next week.— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) April 30, 2024
The Hawks will look to replace Chol from the side that fell to Sydney on Sunday, with tactical sub Max Ramdsen another name in the mix to partner veteran Jack Gunston in the forward 50.
Gunston's place at selection could also come into question in the wake of the premiership Hawk's five-disposal outing against the Swans, however his leadership and experience might still prove integral within a burgeoning squad.
If Mitchell looks to keep Ramsden in his side and still seek a replacement for Chol, then Dear looms as the leading choice for Round 8.
While still needing time to develop his forward craft and add size, Dear has shown an astute ability to have an impact in the air and work with teammates forward of the ball across Box Hill's 4-1 start to the season.
Ramsden would alleviate some of the ruck workload first-string tall Lloyd Meek will be tasked with in his matchup with All-Australian ruckman Tim English on Sunday, while the absence of a key forward might see Mitchell revert to a two-ruck setup and the recall of Ned Reeves.
Reeves returned from concussion over the weekend and should be available for selection if required.
If Mitchell seeks ground-level options to sharpen his spear, veteran Chad Wingard could be in the mix after a successful return from an Achilles injury sustained last August.
The former Port Adelaide star booted two goals for Box Hill over the weekend as the Hawks eased the 30-year-old back into action.
Midfield pairing Josh Ward and Henry Hustwaite could also be considered for Round 8 selection amid continued selection pushes from the lower level.
