Hawthorn's clash against the Demons this Saturday at the MCG will see the Hawks looking to cement a spot in the top four and take their winning ledger to seven wins, giving them a solid base to build towards finals footy.
The Round 9 battle will pit two of the better midfields against each other, with the Hawks and Dees both featuring prominently at centre clearances.
While centre clearance dominance has been a feature of Sam Mitchell's game plan since he took the reins as head coach, what is remarkable this year is that his team is doing it with a new look set up due to injuries and suspension that has seen a raft of changes throughout the first 8 weeks of the season.
The Hawks engine room has missed key players James Worpel (three matches), Conor Nash (four), Will Day (four) and Cam Mackenzie (two), but has still been able to perform well at centre clearances through the young personnel who are stepping up.
With the host of key individuals missing through different stages in the middle, one of the young Hawks who has stood up to be counted on this year is Josh Ward.
Ward, 21, has featured in seven of the Hawks' eight clashes this year, after being an emergency for their Round 0 clash against the Swans in Sydney.
Throughout his seven games at AFL level, Ward has spent more time in the middle, where he has shown his class and ball-winning ability to get the Hawks on the front foot and create attacking forays.
He is currently averaging just shy of 21 touches per game, while gathering 3.9 clearances and just over five score involvements for the Hawks, and has been pivotal in helping the team remain in the top four.
Ward, who plays his 50th game this week for the Hawks after being selected in the 2021 AFL Draft with the fifth pick, has started to cement his spot in the midfield and prove that he can complement the work of the likes of star midfielders Jai Newcombe and Worpel.
Under the tutelage of Hawthorn midfield coach David Hale, as well as Hawthorn development midfield coach Andy Collins, Ward has continued to hone his craft at the contest, as well as using his aerobic capacity to be able to impact in both attack and defence.
Mitchell spoke of Ward's journey in the AFL and his impact so far in 2025 earlier in the week, commending the young midfielder.
โWardy's shown great resilience," Mitchell said.
"He's had to build a little resilience and we knew that would be part of his journey at some stage.
"And certainly now it doesn't look like he's going anywhere, does it?
"I think we've seen growth in his football and he's been able to put together a pretty good season so far.โ
Ward, who is currently studying a legal degree, burst onto the scene in his first two years, where he played a combined total of 30 games for the Hawks as they blooded youth in the team.
"I think he got drafted early and got a lot of games. I had a really good conversation with him early in the year - he played a lot of footy in his first year and how much better he is now, but he didn't start the season in the side," said Mitchell.
Ward struggled for opportunities last year, featuring in 12 of the Hawks' 24 games, before he featured in Hawthorn's elimination final victory against the Dogs, having being brought in to replace injured duo Day and Mackenzie.
In the elimination final victory, he had 22 touches, nine tackles, five clearances and five score involvements as the Hawks won their first final since 2015.
This season to date, Ward has continued to build his belief in his own game and his consistency at AFL level, proving himself to be a very valuable commodity in the Hawthorn lineup, and one of a host of young players who are helping drive Hawthorn towards a premiership tilt in season 2025.
