HAWTHORN will ponder the question this week: should Finn Maginness play?

In terms of taggers, the Hawks stopper has done as well as anyone has managed yet in quelling the influence of Nick Daicos. So, will he earn a recall after more than two months out of the side?

Last year, Daicos was held to only five disposals and one clearance in just over a half against Maginness before a knee injury minutes into the third term cost the Collingwood superstar the latter part of his campaign.

Such was the job Maginness had managed on Daicos, it helped to inspire Hawthorn to a gritty 32-point win over the eventual premier – one of seven victories it managed all season – in one of the 2023 campaign's biggest upsets.

Daicos' tally of 4.7 AFL Player Ratings points against Hawthorn and Maginness were the lowest he mustered for all of last year, while they were the third lowest of his entire career. Albeit, they came in only 60 percent game time due to his injury.

It led Hawthorn to recall Maginness for this season's earlier encounter between the two sides, where Daicos finished with 26 disposals and three clearances in a thrilling Collingwood win.

Once again, though, Daicos' impact wasn't as significant as it has been. His 13.2 AFL Player Ratings points against the Hawks ranks as his 12th most influential game of the year from 17 played and was well below his season average of 18.0 points.

The job Maginness managed on Daicos helped Hawthorn claw back from 32 points down late in the third quarter, closing to within a kick in the game's final seconds before Collingwood ultimately managed to hold on.

But do the 9-8 Hawks repeat the trick against the 8-7-2 Magpies? In what is a crucial match, with significant finals implications, both sides are level on points and sit just one game and percentage from the top-eight.

Hawthorn has won six of its last seven games to find form and momentum and has discovered balance within its midfield mix, a period where Maginness has been stuck in the VFL.

So, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell will need to decide whether it's worth changing his onball group for the challenge and threat imposed by Daicos this weekend or whether he sticks with the familiar crew that has impressed recently.

Maginness' VFL numbers, albeit in more of a ball-winning role, certainly stack up for a recall. Over his last six reserves matches, the midfielder is averaging 28.3 disposals and 5.2 tackles per match.

In a VFL match against Essendon last month, which Box Hill won convincingly, Maginness was a clear best-on-ground and finished the clash with 39 disposals, eight clearances and a goal.

But will Mitchell turn to his tagger in an effort to solely thwart Daicos? Or will he trust the group that's brought him to the cusp of a spot in the top-eight? Thursday's match committee could be an important one.