PRIZED recruit Chad Wingard was forced to watch Hawthorn's bruising hit-out on Wednesday as he battles a calf injury.
AFL.com.au understands the midfielder is working through ongoing calf tightness that restricted him to the sidelines for the two-hour long session at Waverley Park.
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Wingard, who has trimmed down since arriving at the Hawks, only completed light handball drills with other members of the rehab group before departing the track.
While the setback isn't expected to rule Wingard out of pre-season matches, it comes as the Hawks had been hoping to increase his capacity to run through the midfield.
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With Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell expected to miss the bulk of 2019 with a badly broken leg, Wingard's ability to provide bursts at centre bounces will be a boost to the Hawks' thin onball brigade.
Mitchell was a notable observer on Wednesday, returning to the track for the first time since breaking his left leg 19 days ago.
Tom Scully ran for close to an hour away from the main group as he builds up his endurance base after a serious ankle injury sustained in round two last year.
The former Giant was joined by Grant Birchall, still on the comeback trail from the latest clean-up on his troublesome right knee prior to Christmas.
The veteran defender was also put through light change of direction work before heading for more laps and boxing as Scully departed.
Recruit Jack Scrimshaw trained under the watchful eye of club fitness staff, completing an intense running block before finishing with a boxing set.
On the park, veterans Jarryd Roughead and James Frawley trained strongly, showing no signs of injury concerns after their delayed starts to pre-season.
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Beanpole Ned Reeves, who is training with the Hawks in the hope of filling a list spot made vacant by Will Langford, was put through ruck drills by assistants Damian Monkhorst and Max Bailey alongside Marc Pittonet and Ben McEvoy.
Midfield bull James Worpel was one of the standouts in a physical match simulation, receiving strong praise from potential captain Isaac Smith.
Coach Alastair Clarkson was absent from training as he travels to Atlanta in the US for the NFL Super Bowl on Monday.
