Hawthorn key forward Mitch Lewis is set to make his long-awaited return to football this weekend.

Lewis has spent the start of the 2023 season on the sidelines following a knee injury that he sustained in January during the pre-season.

The 24-year-old produced a break-out year in 2022, kicking 37 goals from 15 games. 

If named in the senior side it will mark Lewis' first game since Round 20 of last year.

Hawthorn is set to announce its side for Saturday’s game against the Western Bulldogs on Thursday at 6.20pm.

High Performance Manager Peter Burge said Lewis would be available for AFL selection, providing he completes the club's main training session on Thursday.

“He had a full week of training last week, he gets another full week this week and he’ll be available to play a full game of footy,” Burge said.

“He's been really strong on the track – he did a game-length session on Sunday while we were playing in Tassie.

“We’ve replicated game loads in terms of all the running metrics, he’s been doing full contact for the last two weeks.

“He’s ticked every box, every piece of information suggests he’s ready to play.”

Meanwhile, youngster Jai Serong has now been given a clearer timeline for his expected return following his diagnosis of pericarditis last month. 

“We’re aiming for a Round 10 return, so about three weeks away,” Burge said.

“Jai saw his specialist last week and was given the ‘all clear’ to resume conditioning and training.

“He’ll now go through a very short conditioning process before he resumes training with the group later next week.”

Earlier this week Hawthorn’s Head of Football Rob McCartney also provided an update on ruckman Max Lynch who suffered a concussion during Sunday's match against Adelaide.

Lynch was recalled for his first AFL game of the season following a strong run of form for Box Hill, before being ruled out with concussion at half-time.

"In the game against Adelaide Max was assessed for concussion and given his history, our doctors opted to take a conservative approach and rule him out of the game," McCartney told AFL.com.au on Tuesday.

"Max is now back in Melbourne and the club will support him throughout his recovery.

"He is a valued member of our club, but more than anything we just want to ensure his wellbeing and safety are front of mind."

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