HAWTHORN midfielder Will Day can still feel the deep frustration that took hold of him while watching his teammates surge into a finals series last year.
But the 23-year-old is confident the best is still to come for him and the young Hawks as Day returns to fitness levels he hasn’t reached since a breakout 2023 season.
Day claimed Hawthorn’s best and fairest award two years ago but was unable to hit those same heights again due to injury, at least until an eye-catching display in a 20-point win over Sydney.
"To watch on from the sidelines when I was having so much fun in the middle part of last year, it was really frustrating. Now to be back fully fit, I'm just so excited,” Day told AFL.com.au after the victory on Friday night.
"I've just got a lot of confidence in my body at the moment. To have the pre-season I did, which I haven't had before, is just really exciting.”
Day sent a scare through the Hawks camp when he limped from the ground in the third term after stiffening up while kicking the ball but a healthy dose of pickle juice quickly relieved the cramp.
By then Day had already booted three goals, matching his total haul in 16 matches last season when a stress fracture in his foot delayed his start to the year and a collarbone injury ended it early.
Day was able to return to the field and finished with 26 disposals but was unable to hit the scoreboard again as the Swans turned to James Jordon to limit the damage.
"Kicking more goals is something that I've been trying to work on. That's the same for all of us mids,” Day said.
"Internally, we have so much confidence. With the outside expectation rising, I don't think it has affected us too much.
"It was a bit of the unknown coming into this week. You can do all this work over the summer, and then our two pre-season games weren't as sharp as we'd like, but we turned up against the Swans and got the job done.”
Day isn’t the only member of the Hawks outfit pleased he is fit and firing again as the side looks to bridge the gap to the top four after their stunning rise last season.
"I'm really pleased with 'Daysy'. Obviously his best is fantastic," Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said after the season-opening win at the SCG.
"The thing that I loved about his game was his last quarter. I don't know statistically if it looked good, but he was really important in some key moments of the game.”
