Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has provided some clarity around the decision to sub star midfielder Jai Newcombe out of Thursday night's eventual win over Carlton in the third term.
Newcombe didn't look hampered as he was placed on the back row of the Hawks' bench, with the club stating their young gun was 'managed'.
The reigning Peter Crimmins Medal winner was limited at training this week after reporting a calf issue following the Round 19 win over Port Adelaide, with Newcombe passing a fitness test on Wednesday to be cleared to face the Blues.
The combination of any lingering concerns for Newcombe and the opportunity to rest a key player ahead of the last month of the season was behind the decision to end Newcombe's night abruptly.
"He had a bit of a tight calf coming out of the last game," Mitchell said after the four-goal victory.
"We had a five-day break, he had a fitness test before the captain's run yesterday. He passed that and was no worries.
"Now we've got travel, going over to Adelaide on Friday night next week, obviously a massive game for us and then them.
"That's a game we want our best players fresh and ready. If we've got the chance to take Jai out and get a bit of time into some others, and give him a bit of a freshen up, we thought that was a win.
"He could've kept playing. I asked him and told him I was thinking of making the sub. He thought that might not be a bad idea. He'll certainly play next week."
The return of another best and fairest winner in Will Day also played a part in the call to rest Newcombe, with Day coming back for his first game since Round 3 after a long-term foot injury.
Looking to get the needed midfield time into Day in his increasing workload plan, Mitchell said he was pleased with the onballer's return outing, which also helped manage his partner in crime.
"They sat on him. He hasn't played since the first four or five games of the season, and he's getting tagged in his first game back. So that shows how Carlton are feeling about him," Mitchell said of Day.
"He's an ultimate professional. Seventy per cent game time was the marker. I think he finished on 69.
"We're really pleased we were able to get him through the game in a healthy way. We had Jai, so to get him out of the game a little bit earlier and get 'Daysy' the numbers we wanted from him... that sets us up well for this last month."
The win for the Hawks has them sitting in fourth on the ladder for the time being, with the remaining results for Round 20 potentially seeing them fall as low as eighth by the end of the weekend.
A trip to Adelaide to face the Crows will come on Friday night, before bouts with Collingwood, Melbourne and Brisbane to conclude their campaign.
