A club's best recruit doesn't always come from the draft or the trade table. More often than not, the best recruits come from the rehab group - a player returning to the main group after a long injury layoff.
We analyse some of the competition's best players set to return from injury in 2026.
4Will Day
The Hawks had a superb season, making the preliminary final despite missing arguably their best player in Will Day for the majority of the season. Day managed just the six games for the year as he battled persistent navicular injuries.
He showed how important to the Hawks he was in the opening four rounds of 2025, where he averaged 23 disposals, four tackles and a goal per game. However, a stress injury in his foot meant he would only play two more games for the year, re-injuring his foot in Round 21 and missing the rest of the season.
With his ability to hurt teams on the inside and outside, Day is a game-breaker. If he is fit in 2026, he will form a destructive partnership in the centre square with fellow midfield ace Jai Newcombe. You have to wonder whether a fit Day would've changed Hawthorn's September fortunes in 2025.
