SAM MITCHELL is unlikely to face the Brisbane Lions on Saturday in Launceston, with the Hawthorn midfielder battling illness.
Mitchell was a notable absentee when the Hawks gathered at Melbourne Airport on Friday, with coach Alastair Clarkson admitting the midfielder was unlikely to line up.
"He's a little bit crook and we're waiting for a phone call later this morning about whether he'll play or not," Clarkson said.
"He's not travelling down with us now but he only came down late yesterday afternoon with this illness and we're hoping he'll bounce out of it.
"But right at the moment he's not good enough to fly, so he'd be in more doubt than otherwise to play tomorrow.
"If he flies, he'll fly this evening if he plays, but we'll make that determination by lunchtime today.
"It's looking more unlikely than likely at this point in time."
Captain Luke Hodge did travel despite his two-match suspension, while assistant coach Brett Ratten has resumed his duties after the tragic passing of his son Cooper just less than two weeks ago. He boarded the flight, along with his son Tanner.
Meanwhile, Clarkson is still smarting over the Match Review Panel's decision to suspend Hodge for two weeks for the incident that saw Chad Wingard's head connect with a goal post last Friday night.
"We play a physical brand of footy and part of the rules of the game are that you're allowed to bump," he said.
"If you touch a player in the head, we know the consequence of that but it was pretty extraordinary circumstances, there's a goal post, a player in Wingard who's trying to dodge the goal post and his head ends up being at a region where there's going to be contact with 'Hodgey'.
"It's difficult but you've just got to deal with it.
"They've made a judgement that they thought it was untoward and I probably beg to differ on that but they make the ruling and we move on."
It's the second time Hodge has been suspended this season after he was handed a three-match ban for striking Andrew Swallow in round five.
Clarkson said they hoped the break wouldn't disrupt his preparation for finals.
"He had a little bit of rest earlier in the year so we're not sure he needs too much rest," he said.
"We don't really look at it in terms of rest.
"The Tribunal have given him an enforced rest in a sense and we've just got to deal with it.
"He's an experienced player and we'll just do what's required in terms of getting him well conditioned over the next couple of weeks, and hopefully he'll be available for us in the first week of finals."
