Nick Watson was at his magical best in the first half of Hawthorn's win over Greater Western Sydney, but the mercurial forward spent the second half of the match rugged up on the sidelines as the Hawks didn't want to risk his sore hamstring on a cold Melbourne night.
However, Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said he wasn't aware of any injury concerns for Watson, who has now kicked 39 goals this season and sits equal-second in the Coleman Medal.
"I wasn't aware of anything going into the game,” Mitchell said in the post-game press conference.
"There was no concern about it at all, and they're not concerned now.
"I thought it was a smart call by the medical guys (to rest him)."
Watson isn't expected to miss any time with his hamstring awareness.
The Hawks are flying on the field, sitting in third spot on the ladder with a record of 10-4-1 as the club looks to make a genuine flag tilt this season.
Off the field, speculation has risen about Mitchell and whether he will re-sign with Hawthorn beyond next season, with clubs such as the new Tasmania side waiting in the wings.
However, Hawthorn CEO Ash Klein was quick to dispel any concerns for Hawks fans about who will be coaching the club beyond 2027.
"(Mitchell's) out of (contract) at the end of next year," Klein said on SEN's AFL Nation on Friday night.
"We have had great conversations with Sam. Sam is not going to go anywhere. We don't want Sam to go anywhere. We will finish those conversations.
"We had the conversations before it even came out to the media. Sam is a great coach. He is building an amazing list and an amazing team who will do some great things on the field. He is so great around the club, why would you hesitate?
"I won't go into (contract length), but Sam is going to be at the football club for a very long time."
