Hawthorn star Will Day is set to miss the club's clash with Richmond on Sunday with a corked calf.
Meanwhile, Nick Watson and Josh Battle are set to return from hamstring and appendix setbacks, respectively, provided they get through Thursday's training, while Josh Weddle returns from suspension.
Day has played the last six games, and there was always the plan to manage Day ahead of finals, with the soreness providing the opportunity to do so this week.
“He got a cork in his calf, and he wasn't going to be able to train today, and we knew when he came back (because) there were 14 games between when he came back and the end of the season, we knew he wouldn't play 14 straight," coach Sam Mitchell told the media on Thursday.
"He'll miss this one, unfortunately, but it was going to happen somewhere over the next month anyway.
"We weren't sure where he would miss a game, but it would be somewhere in the next four.
"I don't think (he'll miss another one before finals). It depends on the ladder and the potential of where we finish, but we'll continue to discuss that."
Battle's return, meanwhile, puts pressure on selection, given Noah Mraz has had a shining start to life at the top level in the past fortnight.
Hawthorn has fielded more players than anyone in the competition in the last six weeks, which has provided valuable information about the depth of their list.
"I think statistically we're still one of the older sides compared to what we have been in the past, which has been great. You're always balancing development and performance. You need to make sure you're winning the games in front of you, but also getting games into the future as well.
"If we use Noah Mraz as an example, he's played good footy at VFL, and we've had him working on some parts of his game across the first part of the season.
"When he got his opportunity, those things he's been working on, he implemented at AFL level so sometimes you get caught out with the intensity because of the gap between AFL and VFL but for those guys to be able to step up pretty seamlessly for the most part is a good reflection of them and the work ethic they put in and the coaching that goes on behind the scenes to make sure there is alignment between the two teams."
An AFLPA player survey publicised on Wednesday night revealed that 44 per cent of players are unclear on what constitutes an umpire contact offence, with query also around how the rule is adjudicated and the fairness of sanctions.
Mitchell, who has seen midfielders Jai Newcombe and Josh Ward cop fines for such incidents this season, is comfortable that the rule should be clear for players.
"If that's the case, I'll follow up. I don't think it's that complicated - don't set up behind an umpire and don't run into an umpire," he said.
"I actually do the umpiring out here at training sometimes, and when you ball it up and back backwards, it's quite intimidating, so I understand they're in a vulnerable position when they're trying to take into account so many bodies in front of them."
