HAWTHORN defender Grant Birchall is in doubt for Saturday's game against Gold Coast with an ankle injury, but full-back Brian Lake has escaped more damage to his knee and is expected to face the Suns at Aurora Stadium.
Birchall hobbled from the ground during the fourth quarter of the Hawks' gripping four-point loss to the Sydney Swans and could miss the trip to Tasmania.
"'Birch' is probably 50-50 to play, the ankle pulled up pretty sore," Hawks football manager Chris Fagan told the club's website.
"It's not a serious ankle injury, but it's a bit touch and go as to whether or not he'll be OK to play this weekend.
"We'll just have to wait and see if he can train on Thursday, that will tell us a lot."
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Birchall's injury could see a straight swap in the Hawks' defence for returning skipper Luke Hodge, who has served his three-game striking suspension.
Key defender Brian Lake is also likely to take his spot in the side.
The 33-year-old sent a shiver through the camp when he limped from the ground against the Swans, less than a quarter into his comeback game after four weeks on the sidelines with a medial ligament injury.
"He just got a knock on that knee that he hurt a few weeks back. It's sort of temporary though, more a knock than re-damaging the knee," Fagan said.
"After a little while it settled and he was able to come back on and play out the game. He's trained this week and he'll be fine for the game down in Tassie on Saturday afternoon."
Meanwhile, ruckman Ben McEvoy and premiership backman Matt Spangher are still 1-2 weeks away from returning from hamstring injuries.
Spangher joined back into skill work on Tuesday and is slowly building his fitness after an interrupted pre-season and more than five weeks on the sidelines since his latest setback.
The Hawks are overwhelming favourites to topple the depleted Suns at their Launceston fortress, where they are undefeated in their past 12 matches.
At 4-4 and without consecutive victories this season, the back-to-back premiers can ill-afford slip-ups against the Suns and St Kilda before the bye.
"It's a really important game for us ... Gold Coast are having their own trials and tribulations at the moment," Fagan said.
"But they're a massively talented team and we need to be making sure that we're in a good frame of mind to play that game to bounce back from what was a really good performance on Saturday night, but we're still disappointed that we didn't get the points."
