Having had the week off for their mid-season bye, the Hawks returned to Waverley Park on Saturday ready to attack the back end of the season and use their 9-5 record as a launching pad towards the 2025 finals series.
The Hawks, who won their past two matches before the bye against fellow top eight fancies the Bulldogs and the Crows, will look to add a host of experienced players over the next few weeks as they look to not only secure a top eight spot, but also aim for a top four position in the finals.
During Saturday's main training session at Bunjil Bagora, skipper James Sicily and inside midfielder James Worpel put forth their case to return to the side, having missed out through injury as the Hawks toughed it out and corrected their poor form that saw them struggle against the Lions and the Magpies.
Sicily, a former All-Australian member, returned to running after overcoming an abdominal issue that had caused him to struggle to impact contests and use his kicking skills to set up attacking forays.
With the skipper's imminent return to the team looming large, it will be an interesting watch as to what head coach Sam Mitchell and backline coach Kade Simpson do, as the Hawks over the past fortnight had used a smaller backline structure that allowed them to not only contend with dangerous key forwards, but also were able to rebound from 50 and set up scoring opportunities.
Throughout the pre-season, the Hawks had tried to find the right combination in the backline but at times had looked too top-heavy with Tom Barrass, Josh Battle, James Sicily, Jack Scrimshaw and Josh Weddle all playing down back.
Sicily's return will mean that there will be a likely shake-up to the current backline structure, and finding the balance between stopping key forwards and helping to create scoring chances upfield will be front of mind during team selection.
Hawthorn, who will need to combat the in-form Roos midfield as they look to take their winning streak to 3 games and continue their winning ways at their second home down in Launceston, are hopeful that inside midfield bull James Worpel will be available for selection in a boost for the midfield.
Worpel, who suffered a severe cork early on in the Western Bulldogs clash and missed the subsequent Adelaide game, ran with the rehab group as he looks to push forth his case for selection against the Roos this coming Saturday.
Worpel's inclusion in the midfield would be a huge boost for the Hawks, who have struggled at times this season since the loss of star midfielder Will Day to a fractured navicular bone that required surgery.
Key forward Mitch Lewis, who is on the comeback trail from injury, is nearing a return the football field for the first time since he ruptured his ACL in Round 17 in 2024.
Lewis, who has struggled with injuries over the past few years, is likely to return to the VFL this weekend against the Kangaroos in the Arden St clash, in a positive for the Hawks' forward line.
The Hawks had been cautious in Lewis' return from his ACL, giving him plenty of time to recover and build his fitness, knowing that he is an important part of Hawthorn's structure as they look to make finals for the second consecutive year.
Lewis recently suffered a small setback in his recovery, with a calf complaint, but yesterday's session showed that he is ready to go for return to football.
During yesterday's match simulation, Lewis roamed freely in the forward line, presenting well to the midfield and giving another tall option in the forward 50 alongside in-form key tall Mabior Chol.
26 year old Lewis will likely be given time to find form at VFL level before being considered with a recall to the senior team, with the Hawks looking to find the best combination in the forward line to partner with Chol and veteran Jack Gunston, who together have scored a combined 53 goals in an impressive start to the season.
Star midfielder Will Day continued his progress in his rehabilitation from surgery on his fractured navicular, ramping up his running while also starting to work on some ball skills away from the main group, while defender Jack Scrimshaw went through his paces as he looks to overcome a hamstring injury that occurred for Box Hill in their clash before the bye.
The Hawks are hopeful that Day will be right to return in a minimum of 5 weeks time, which will give him the back end of the season to find form and regain his match fitness as he looks to be available for a Hawthorn finals tilt, after missing the Hawks two finals clashes that happened in 2024, while the fitness of Scrimshaw will add even more intrigue to the best make up of the Hawks backline as they look to get the balance right between defending and attacking.
With two likely inclusions on the horizon for the Hawks for their Round 16 clash against the Roos, and with more to come over the next month, the selection squeeze at Hawthorn is going to ramp up.
Despite sitting at nine wins for the season, coach Sam Mitchell has been adamant that the Hawks are yet to find their best form, and with pressure for spots at a premium, match committee will be extra difficult for the coach as he looks to reward form and find the best team balance that will allow them to contend for the flag in 2025.
