Hawthorn's key forward stock squeeze is set to cause selection headaches at match committee over the next fortnight as two big talls push a case for a return to the Senior side as the Hawks look to secure a top 4 spot in the 2025 finals series.

On the weekend for Box Hill, young second-year tall Calsher Dear and injury hit key forward Mitch Lewis shone in the Hawks 44 point victory over Sandringham, combining for 38 touches and six goals and showing that they are ready to return to the Hawthorn side that has won their past four matches and is sitting on 11 wins for the season.

The transformation of the Hawks forward line over the past two years has been enormous and has seen the club go from lacking in key talls to having an abundance of quality players that can play and contribute in the AFL on a weekly basis.

Both at AFL level and at VFL level for Box Hill in 2025, the Hawks array of tall forwards has all put their best foot forward.

Mabior Chol, who played his 100th game last weekend and is at his third AFL club, has found a new lease on life since arriving at the Hawks, playing as the lone key tall on many occasions this year and holding himself in good stead.

Chol, 28, who is in his second year of a four-year deal, has shown that he has not only the attacking threats to hit the scoreboard, but also has improved his defensive exploits and is showing consistency at the top flight.

He is currently sitting 10th on the Coleman medal board with 32 goals for the season and has shown his importance to the Hawks forward line, where he is averaging two goals a game, along with 2.3 tackles that have him in the above-average range for both statistics.

Jack Gunston, who returned to the Hawks after a one-year stint at Brisbane, has shown that even in the twilight of his career that he can still play an important role in a forward line.

Gunston has been given some important negating roles by coach Mitchell this year on the likes of Sam Taylor and Callum Wilkie, while also proving to be lethal in front of goal, where he is sitting 6th in the Coleman medal race with 38 goals, despite only playing 13 games to date this season, including one as the sub.

The 33-year-old is averaging 5.5 marks per game, while he is slotting almost three goals per game and proving his worth to the team.

Young tall Max Ramsden has impressed during his month-long run at AFL level this year, where he has grown in confidence at the top level, showing his ability to take contested marks and to be able to follow up at ground level.

Ramsden, who has played nine AFL games, has also been important in helping out in the ruck, where he has taken up some of the slack in that area, using his 203 cm frame to play as the second ruck while Meek takes a spell.

His best game came in Round 16 against North Melbourne in the game played at UTAS Stadium, where he kicked three goals and had four marks in what many saw as his breakout game at AFL and one where his confidence and belief started to soar.

While the consistency and performance of the incumbents at AFL level has seen them cement a starting spot in the starting 23, the VFL form of the Hawthorn listed talls has been impressive over the past few weeks.

Mitchell Lewis, who made a successful return from his ACL injury that he suffered in Round 17 last year, has had two games back at Box Hill and is throwing down the challenge to be considered for an AFL return.

Lewis has kicked five goals in his two games back and has shown that he has not lost any of his running or marking ability, looking a class above the level.

Calsher Dear, who has featured once at AFL level this season as he returned from a stress fracture in his back that occurred during the pre-season, has shone brightly after the bye.

Dear, who had a breakout finals series for the Hawks in 2024, in the past fortnight has collected 17 marks and kicked five goals, while his defensive pressure, work rate and ability to impact contests have been a standout and has him nearing a return to the AFL, even as soon as this weekend against the Dockers at Optus Stadium.

While Lewis and Dear have impressed at Box Hill, young gun Will McCabe is developing his game as a forward, having played most of his Under 18 year as a key defender.

McCabe, who was a father-son selection, has impressed with his work rate at VFL level, leading up the ground and offering a target, while being able to make the most of his opportunities in front of goals.

Despite having yet to debut at AFL level, his development this season has him starting to show consistency and the ability to hit the scoreboard, kicking 13 goals from 12 games as a key forward, in a promising sign that he will be contending for a spot in the senior team in the not too distant future.

While Hawthorn is currently flush with options in the key forward department in 2025, it wasn't long ago that this area of the ground was one where the Hawks were seen to be badly lacking.

When Hawks fans cast their mind back to the end of 2023, the key forward stocks looked thin.

The last game of 2023 saw the Hawks run out with a forward line of Brandon Ryan, Jacob Koschitzke and Jack Scrimshaw, with Mitch Lewis out injured, in their loss to the Dockers at the MCG to conclude the 2023 season.

During that year's trade period, the Hawks moved on Koschitzke in a trade to the Tigers and effectively turned Brandon Ryan, who at that stage had played three games since being selected in the mid-season draft, into Mabior Chol and Jack Gunston through an impressive trade deal.

In the AFL National Draft that year, the Hawks took two young father-son selections in Will McCabe and Calsher Dear, who both had the potential to play as key talls down the track for the Hawks.

Fast forward two years to 2025, and the Hawks key forwards are firing on all cylinders at both AFL and VFL levels.

Hawthorn has gone from rags to riches in the key tall department in a relatively short space of time and is causing positive headaches for the coaching panel as they look to find the right combination of talls that will see the Hawks pushing for a Premiership flag in 2025.