Key ahead Mitch Lewis will make a direct return to Hawthorn’s AFL facet in a lift to their struggling ahead line in opposition to the Western Bulldogs.
Lewis, second within the Hawks’ goal-kicking final season, sprained his anterior cruciate ligament in January and has not performed a sport at any degree this yr.
The 24-year-old had initially focused a return in spherical 4 or 5 however was held again by a difficulty along with his different knee.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell confirmed Lewis, who final performed in spherical 20 final yr, will characteristic in opposition to the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
“He will come straight back in. We are really pleased with him,” Mitchell instructed reporters on Thursday.
“We could have exposed him to some VFL last week but we thought, ‘Just do everything right’.
“He carried out very well in a coaching session on Sunday. As lengthy as he will get by means of coaching, he’ll come straight in.”
Lewis kicked 37 majors from 15 games last year to finish second behind Luke Breust (40 goals, 21 games) in Hawthorn’s goal-kicking.
He has trained with the Hawks’ main group over the last few weeks and ticked all the boxes in his rehabilitation.
“I’ve been watching him for in all probability a month pondering, ‘Surely he is proper this week’,” Mitchell mentioned.
“It’s not simply his operating however his leaping, catching on the bag and touchdown awkwardly.
“He took a hanger on the bag last week and landed flush on the ball and I thought, ‘If he can do that he can play this weekend’. I had to just stay in my lane.
“He seems to be match prepared. Does that imply he would be the finest participant on the bottom and clunk all the things? Absolutely not. We simply want him to play his function and do his job.”
Lewis re-joins a last-placed Hawthorn facet that has averaged a league-worst 63 factors a sport over the opening six rounds of 2023.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
