Hawthorn's selection committee are expected to pick between two in-form fringe defenders as they plan to replace the injured Sam Frost on their last line ahead of Friday's semi-final against Port Adelaide.
Frost will miss the rest of the Hawks' 2024 season, which could finish up as early as this week or as late as a grand final appearance as Sam Mitchell's side hope to continue their meteoric rise.
The Hawks are likely to look toward a similar replacement for Frost, and they won't be short on viable options as duo Ethan Phillips and Jai Serong come off VFL campaigns that netted them selections in the 40-man Team of the Year squad.
Phillips has continued his VFL dominance since switching from Port Melbourne to the Hawks, averaging 17.3 disposals, 10.2 marks and 7.9 intercepts per game in his first year in the brown and gold.
Serong, in his third year on Hawthorn's list, has matured into a damaging two-way defender out of Zane Littlejohn's rearguard, managing 20.8 disposals, 7.2 marks and 6.8 rebound 50s per game from his 14 matches for Box Hill in 2024.
Thankful he won't have to decide on who to pick in Frost's place, Hawks midfielder James Worpel back either of Phillips or Serong to step up for the occasion.
"I think they'll be the two that they pick from," Worpel said when questioned byย Zero Hanger.ย
"They're both in really good form. They're both in the VFL Team of the Year squad.
"They've had great years and they can both play an important role for us. I'm not sure who the coaches will pick, but I'm happy I'm not picking that's for sure.
"We've got a number of boys playing Box Hill this year that have played a lot of good footy and consistent footy, and probably should be playing the team.
"We've just been so lucky with the consistency in our lineup and you do feel for those boys playing in the twos."
Frost's replacement might be the only selection frustration for Sam Mitchell to mull over, with star onballer Will Day ruled out a return for Friday night from a collarbone injury.
Day has been sidelined since suffering some friendly fire from Jai Newcombe in Round 23, but the South Australian has continued to leave an impact come gameday as a new member of Mitchell's coaches box.
Unlike the harsh truths that get delivered over the phone mid-game from Mitchell and his assistants, Worpel has welcomed Day's "calming" and "gentle" feedback.
"He's obviously really disappointed, but he knows he's still got an important part to play in the team's success," Worpel said of his injured teammate.
"He was in the coaches box on the weekend. He was on the phone to us midfielders during the game giving us some tips and what he thought about the game.
"H's a nice calming voice. Sometimes you get a few coaches that are a bit frazzled and say some things that aren't as nice, but Daysy was a nice gentle voice over the phone.
"He's obviously really disappointed, but still hopeful. He's still got a big part."
The Hawks head to Adelaide on Thursday ahead of their semi-final against Port Adelaide, with team selection to be confirmed that evening.
The Power will host the Hawks at Adelaide Oval the following night, with a preliminary final spot against Sydney on the line.
