Hawthorn are giving their players the best chance to acclimatise in the west two days before they take on Fremantle on Thursday night, and for co-captains James Sicily and Jai Newcombe to get their bodies right.
Sicily is battling a minor ankle issue, but it is Newcombe who has, according to 7NEWS sport reporter Xander McGuire, “significant body soreness”.
Newcombe was unable to train with the main group on Tuesday and could not get above a light jog in a one-on-one session on a separate oval in the morning.
But before he flew out of Melbourne, Newcombe insisted he was fine.
“Body’s good … Just a bit of management,” he told 7NEWS.
“Obviously, quick turnaround last week. So, yeah, just a little bit off legs today and I’ll be ready to go.”
Newcombe said he had nothing to prove fitness-wise ahead of the game, and assured fans he would be “all sweet”.
Sicily also played down his ankle issue.
“Yeah, it’s feeling good. Trained today. Quick healer or an overreaction, I’m not sure,” Sicily told 7NEWS.
“But it was quite sore at the time.”
Forward Calsher Dear will also not make the trip west due to an adductor strain that is hopefully just one week.
The Hawks confirmed Sicily would take his place in the side for the big clash at Optus Stadium against the second-placed Dockers.
Coach Sam Mitchell said his team had put their recent draw with Collingwood behind them and was ready to test themselves against one of the competition’s best sides.
“We know we need to continue to get better throughout this season. We’re not finished product right now, so can we improve our game enough to compete against the best sides?” Mitchell said.
“We play Freo on a Thursday night in Perth. That’s a big test that we feel like we’re ready for.”
The Hawks face a daunting challenge, having not beaten Fremantle at Optus Stadium since 2018. Thursday night’s match will provide a crucial test of Hawthorn’s credentials as they look to measure themselves against the competition’s elite.
