HAWTHORN needs to use every minute it has to pick the right team to take on Port Adelaide on Thursday night, with coach Alastair Clarkson cagey on selection as the team flew out of Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.
The Hawks are weighing up a number of selection moves as they travel for the second straight week on a six-day break, with young forward Tim O'Brien available after missing two matches with a hip complaint.
Fellow tall Ty Vickery flew with the team after a competitive effort against the Swans last Friday night, with Clarkson tight-lipped on O'Brien's chances of an immediate recall after a full week of training.
"We'll select our side tonight and we'll take a group over there and pick what we think is going to be the best side to take on Port," the coach said.
"We'll reveal that at five o'clock this afternoon like everyone else does … you can actually tick him (O'Brien) off when he comes through.
"We're not going to reveal anything now on the way we're going to select our side."
Clarkson said the 5-6 Hawks needed every minute available to settle their 22 to take on the Power, with his stance reminiscent of Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge's duel with reporters in round eight.
"We're entitled to select our side at five o'clock on a Wednesday and that's what we'll do … Luke Beveridge went through exactly the same thing a couple of weeks ago," Clarkson said.
"That's why we're so cagey around our side and all that sort of stuff, because we need to be doing everything possible to pick the right team to play this week.
"We need to use every minute that we've got to actually make sure that the team we pick is the right one to take on Port Adelaide tomorrow night and give us the best chance of victory."
Despite the unusual circumstance of travelling twice in six days, Clarkson said fresh legs were not a paramount consideration at selection.
He said the midfield battle would be crucial against in-form ruckman Paddy Ryder, whose stoppage form has the Power ranked No.2 in the AFL for average clearances (40.2).
Port also ranks No.1 in the League for average inside 50s (62.2), with Clarkson identifying midfield supply as the key to beating Ken Hinley's men.
"They've got Ryder back in their side, and in my view he's been the most influential ruckman in the competition this year," Clarkson said.
"He gives their midfielders a really good look at the ball and that enables them to get it inside 50 in the first instance.
"We probably broke even with Sydney in that regard, but it gave is a huge chance to win the game.
"We competed really well in that area of the ground and if we can do that against Port Adelaide tomorrow night that'll give us a chance, [but] if we can't then we're in a lot of trouble."
