HAWTHORN speedster Isaac Smith has flown to Perth early as he races the clock to be fit for Friday night's qualifying final with West Coast at Domain Stadium.
Smith was one of six Hawks to arrive on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the rest of the Hawthorn squad travelling on Thursday. Skipper Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne and Jonathon Ceglar also arrived on Wednesday.
Ceglar has played just one match since round 14, against West Coast in round 19. The Hawks won by 14 points in wet conditions but the Eagles' first-choice ruckmen Nic Naitanui and Callum Sinclair were both missing.
Smith is injured his left knee against Carlton last weekend.
He did not participate in the Hawks' main training session on Tuesday and told Crocmedia on Tuesday night that he was still unsure about how his knee was progressing.
Channel Nine cameras spied Smith, his knee heavily bandaged, training at Hawthorn's Waverley training base earlier on Wednesday.
Earlier, young Hawk Billy Hartung confirmed he would travel to Perth in case Smith failed to overcome the knee injury in time.
"If the opportunity comes I'm ready to put my hand up," Hartung said during Wednesday's Rising Star event.
"I haven't heard too much (on Smith's fitness), he'll fly over with us and the docs will check him up. I'll fly over just in case.
"It can be difficult, but I guess I've been sub, so it's almost the same kind of build-up where you have to wait throughout the game until you come on.
"You can come on any time, so I've been put in situations like that where a player might be injured in the first quarter or I might come on at three-quarter time.
"So I'm ready for whatever comes."