Highly talented forward Calsher Dear is almost certain to play his first game of the year on Thursday night as one of a handful of changes Hawthorn will make to their line-up to manage the short break before playing in the Darwin heat.
Just as Collingwood rested four players for their five-day break before playing Fremantle last week, the Hawks will look to manage the loads for their players, with four players likely to be rested and rotated.
Calsher Dear has yet to play a senior game for the Hawks this season, but looms as a likely inclusion this week against Gold Coast in Darwin.Credit: Getty Images
Tom Barrass was rested last week with an eye to the short break heading into the Darwin game. The Hawks had mapped out a plan for Barrass from the start of the season, mindful that the veteran’s body would need to be managed as he never played more than 19 games in any of the 10 seasons he played for West Coast before crossing to Hawthorn for this season.
Ned Reeves is another likely inclusion for the Darwin game, with the Haws expected to rest ruckman Lloyd Meek.
Gold Coast, who are also playing off a five-day break – but without losing a day to travel given they played the Dogs in Darwin on Saturday night – will also make a handful of changes.
The Suns are likely to rotate their rucks, taking the opportunity to bring in talented back-up Ned Moyle for a senior game and give Jarrod Witts a rest.
Witts was rested for the second of the two games the Suns played in their back-to-back Darwin matches last year, when Moyle was also called up. The Suns are eager to get more games into the promising Moyle, whom many clubs are keenly following as a potential ruck target if he continues to be starved of opportunity.
Reeves was best on ground in the VFL for the Hawks at the weekend. That game was also on Saturday night, so he will still be playing on a five-day break, but the club is confident he has the game load to manage the turnaround.
Dear, similarly, played in the VFL on Saturday night, but he had played reduced minutes in the two previous VFL games as he made his return from the back-stress problem that hampered his pre-season and early season.
He was one of the finds of the season last year, the Hawks almost as surprised as the rest of the competition by the stunning rise of the tall forward, son of 1991 Norm Smith medallist Paul Dear.
Veteran forward Jack Gunston, who is in outstanding form, will be managed on the short break in much the same manner as Collingwood rested Scott Pendlebury.
Clubs have more five-day breaks this year because there are Thursday-night games played in every round for the season. That has seen a trend for clubs taking a season-long approach to player management and being more open about resting players as they emphasise the need for squad depth.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell confirmed after the Melbourne game that Jarman Impey would miss the match as his wife was due to give birth.
Veteran small forward Luke Breust will almost certainly be rested as he has played full minutes in the past two games and not started as sub or been subbed out.
Versatile defender Jack Scrimshaw is among the Hawks who have flown to Darwin.
The Hawks face a punishing run into the bye. Presently sitting in the top six, they play all five of the other current top-six sides in the next five weeks; Gold Coast, Brisbane and Collingwood both at the MCG, followed by the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium before taking on Adelaide in Launceston.
Gold Coast, who have now won seven in a row in Darwin, will be without Will Graham, who badly injured his shoulder while Jake Rogers has flown back to the Gold Coast.
Young tall Ethan Read was rested for the Bulldogs game, while veteran David Swallow, Sean Lemmens and Lloyd Johnston are in Darwin and available. The Suns have also flown midfielder Ben Jepson, who has yet to make his debut, to Darwin.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
