HAWTHORN key defender Sam Frost has fully recovered from the bone stress injury that ended his finals series last year, while former pick No.5 Nick Watson was the star of the show in the Hawks' longest match simulation block this summer. 

Frost missed the semi-final loss to Port Adelaide after injuring his foot in the elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs, before scans revealed the severity of the injury.

The 31-year-old is yet to return to full training but a scan this week confirmed his foot has fully healed, providing a green light for the veteran to build his running load ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Frost produced the best season of his 13-year career in 2024, but the former Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne backman will face stiff competition for a spot in Sam Mitchell's side following the acquisitions of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle. 

With 43 days between now and Hawthorn's Opening Round clash against Sydney at the SCG, Frost could be available for the season-opener but will need to bank a significant training block across February and March to catch up. 

The Hawks played 60 minutes of match simulation across three periods at Waverley Park on Thursday morning. Watson was one of the standouts, picking up from where he left off in September – he kicked 4.1 at the MCG, 3.1 at Adelaide Oval – plucking a massive one-handed hanger before calmly slotting the goal. 

The 19-year-old flaunted his pristine foot skills, game nous and clean ball handling across the scratch match, linking up with teammates on more than a handful of occasions that resulted in scores. 

After starting his AFL career with six behinds and reaching time-on in game No.10 with 6.19 on the board, before kicking the winner against Fremantle in Launceston, Watson finished his debut season with 25.27 next to his name, after kicking 13 goals in his final four games of 2024. 

Will Day also dazzled at times on Wednesday, proving he has fully recovered from the complex collarbone injury that prevented him from featuring in both finals and ultimately required surgery in October. 

The South Australian has arguably been Hawthorn's best performer across the pre-season to date, returning to full fitness in December and building towards the levels he set in 2023 when he won his first Peter Crimmins Medal.

Day swapped between midfield and deep forward in a potential sign of things to come in 2025, providing an extra target in a forward line that will start the season without Mitch Lewis and Calsher Dear. 

Former pick No.7 Josh Ward has made inroads across his fourth pre-season, finding plenty of the ball on Wednesday to put his hand up for more opportunities this year. The Victorian played as many VFL games as AFL games during the home and away season in 2024, but produced one his best games yet in the elimination final after replacing the injured Cam Mackenzie in the elimination final.

Changkuoth Jiath continues to bank session after session this summer in a major positive, given his long history of soft tissue injuries. The 25-year-old starred as an intercept defender behind the ball.

Blake Hardwick spent last pre-season training as a forward before returning to defence for much of 2024. This summer, the Eastern Ranges product has trained as a forward again and is expected to start the year in attack.

Jack Gunston hasn't missed a session across November, December and January and is in much better shape than last pre-season after dealing with a back issue, while Max Ramsden is pushing his case for a spot to start the year after another eye-catching display at training.

Ramsden has only played five senior games but kicked goals in nine VFL appearances for Box Hill last year to prove he can provide a target inside 50 to complement his ruckwork.

Reigning All-Australian half-forward Dylan Moore and Battle were both confined to running laps at Waverley Park due to quad soreness from a session earlier in the week. Both are expected to return to full training during the Hawks' pre-season camp in Torquay next week. 

Hawthorn captain James Sicily is closing in on a return to full contact training after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction in October. The All-Australian defender hasn't missed a training session this pre-season, but is yet to complete any match simulation.

Four-time premiership great Luke Hodge was an interested onlooker in the crowd at Waverley Park, sitting alongside former teammate and current player acquisition manager Jarryd Roughead, watching his 16-year-old son Cooper train with Hawthorn for the first time.

Some of the Hawks' father-son and NGA prospects have trained with Sam Mitchell's squad this week, including Ky Burgoyne, Kobe Williams and Goy Jiath. Hodge is also a member of Brisbane's Academy and will be eligible in the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft. 

Hawthorn will play Geelong in a scratch match at GMHBA Stadium on February 17 before hosting the Western Bulldogs during the AAMI Community Series in Launceston on February 27.