HAWTHORN skipper Luke Hodge will return next Sunday against Gold Coast in Launceston, according to teammate Jordan Lewis.
The premiership star has been sidelined with a knee injury since round six but Lewis told SEN on Thursday that Hodge was on track to face the Suns in round 14.
Lewis joked that anyone who broke even wrestling with the club's ruck coach, ex-Collingwood premiership ruckman Damian Monkhorst, as Hodge did earlier in the week, didn't need to prove their fitness any further.
"’Hodgey’ has been earmarked for next week," Lewis said.
"He was doing some pre-season training with Damian Monkhorst trying to move him off the ball, so certainly if he can do that he is ready to play."
Coach Alastair Clarkson revealed on Thursday that he had given Hodge the option of playing this Friday night against North Melbourne.
"He's getting close to playing and I had a conversation with him earlier this week about whether he wanted to play," Clarkson said.
"We wanted him to do a good block of training to get himself cherry-ripe to play some really good footy in the second half of the year.
"We've missed him in the first part of the year. He's had very little presence in our side obviously for a fair amount of time, very little influence.
"He's a high-quality player and he's the captain of our club, so we're looking forward to what he can bring in the second half of the year.
"He was pretty keen to play, but we've been holding him back just to make sure when he does play, he can make the biggest possible contribution he can."
Hodge had a hard-running session on Thursday morning with teammate Jonathan O'Rourke before Hawks training.
Luke Hodge and Jonathan O'Rourke hit the training track on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images
"We think it's best he does this little bit of a pre-season and gets himself right for the second half of the year," said Clarkson.
The Hawks will welcome back Sam Mitchell, Taylor Duryea and Jonathon Ceglar this week after they missed last Friday’s win over Essendon.
Lewis said the trio would be crucial additions for the vital clash against top of the table North Melbourne.
"Those guys will be handy inclusions for us," Lewis said.
"The guys who came in to replace them will be stiff to go out, but how can you keep those three guys out of the side?"
Hawthorn is fifth on the ladder with nine wins and Lewis said the battle for the top four was so tight there was no time to take anything for granted.
"We need wins right at the moment and if you look at the ladder it's so close, so wins are becoming vital at this time at the season," Lewis said.
"We see ourselves in a really good position."
