Jarryd Roughead is set to make his highly anticipated return to football in Round 1 of the JLT Community Series, with the Hawks naming the new skipper in their extended 29-man squad to face Geelong.
The team will head to Launceston on Wednesday afternoon to complete their Australia Post AFL Community Camp, before meeting the Cats at UTAS Stadium on Friday night.
Another talking point is the inclusion of boom recruit Jaeger O’Meara. Following two years of ongoing knee injuries, O’Meara looks set to pull on the brown and gold guernsey for the first time since being traded from the Gold Coast Suns at the end of the 2016 season.
Ty Vickery is also likely to run out with his new teammates for the first time, with the Richmond free agent also named in the Hawk’s extended squad.
Dallas Willsmore and Teia Miles played two games apiece in the 2016 NAB Cup, though were unsuccessful in making their AFL debut during the home and away season. Both men will likely be giving an opportunity to further impress coaches on Friday night, having been named in the Hawks’ squad.
The squad will be cut to 26 on Friday.
JLT Community Series Rnd 1 Squad
Hawthorn vs Geelong
UTAS Stadium
Friday 17 February, 7.40pm
2 Jarryd Roughead
4 Billy Hartung
5 Ryan Burton
6 Josh Gibson
7 Ben McEvoy
8 Taylor Duryea
9 Shaun Burgoyne
10 Jaeger O’Meara
12 James Frawley
14 Grant Birchall
16 Isaac Smith
20 Dallas Willsmore
21 James Sicily
23 Tim O’Brien
24 Ben Stratton
25 Ryan Schoenmakers
26 Liam Shiels
27 Tyrone Vickery
28 Paul Puopolo
29 Will Langford
32 Jack Fitzpatrick
33 Cyril Rioli
34 Kurt Heatherley
36 Kieran Lovell
37 Blake Hardwick
40 Kade Stewart
42 Teia Miles
43 Marc Pittonet
46 James Cousins