HAWTHORN’S scoring power could be boosted for Thursday night’s trip to face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval with the return of key forward Tim O’Brien to the side.

The 23-year-old was enjoying his best season with the Hawks before a hip complaint made him a late withdrawal from the Collingwood game a fortnight ago.

He didn't make it back for the win over the Sydney Swans last Friday, but the Hawks offered a more optimistic outlook in their injury report this week.

Match preview: Port Adelaide v Hawthorn

“The hip has settled down. It’s 100 per cent. He’s trained the whole week and he’ll be available to be selected,” elite performance manager Andrew Russell told hawthornfc,com.au.

O’Brien has provided a strong presence up forward and as a relief ruckman, although the issue now is what his return might mean for Tyrone Vickery, whose outing against the Swans last week was his best game so far for Hawthorn.

Defender Grant Birchall is expected to return against Gold Coast next week with his recovery from a knee injury almost complete, while fellow backman Teia Miles, who made his AFL debut at the start of the season, will resume in the VFL this week after recovering from a medial strain.

The Hawks still have a long injury list with senior players Cyril Rioli (PCL), James Frawley (turf toe) and Ben Stratton (knee) still several weeks away from resuming, while Jaeger O’Meara (knee) won’t be back until after the bye.