HAWTHORN captain Luke Hodge says prodigiously talented draftee Dayle Garlett needs to show his commitment to the club before being considered for selection.
The Hawks gave Garlett permission to fly back to Perth to secure his driver's licence over the weekend and Hodge denied there was anything further involved.
The No.38 pick in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft recently asked the Hawks for time away from the club as he was struggling to cope with the demands of elite-level football.
Hodge told Fox Footy's On The Couch Garlett had made some significant strides in improving his professionalism since arriving at the club, but admitted the 20-year-old still had some way to go.
"He's made huge jumps, but he needs to make that decision that he wants to commit and follow through with it," Hodge said on Monday night.
The Hawks skipper said the club could not afford to gift Garlett games, based upon his undoubted potential, if it affected the team's standards.
"The reason why he went to the club to say he needed time [away from the club] is because that expectation and consistency of training, to rock up on time every day, was something he was finding tough," Hodge said.
"It's a tough call. It's not just the offensive side of things, it's the defensive side and everything else. You need to be consistent for a long time if you want to get a game.
"And we rate ourselves very highly in the discipline side of things – being on time and doing everything right."
The Hawks shrugged off a spirited Brisbane Lions to record a first-up 48-point round one win in Launceston on Saturday.
The game will be remembered for the tight tussle between star Hawks midfielder Sam Mitchell and Lions vice-captain Tom Rockliff.
Rockliff was offered a one-match from the Match Review Panel for an off-the-ball hit on Mitchell.
Hodge said Rockliff's bump deserved to be cited.
"As far as the hit goes, I think if it's that far off the ball people are always going to look at it," Hodge said.
"If that's around the ball, there's no problem at all. You can hit him as hard as you want.
"I reckon if it's that far off the ball, then you should be penalised."
