With the equal shortest injury list across the league, the Hawthorn match committee has almost all of its players to choose from for this week's round one clash against Essendon.

Jonathan Ceglar (ACL) and Jonathan O'Rourke (hamstring) are the only unavailable Hawks to begin the season.

Throughout the JLT Series, the Hawks were able to play 33 of their 39 senior-listed players, with Kade Stewart and Teia Miles emerging as two of the younger players who look ready to take the next step this year. 

The 24-man team who took on Port Adelaide in JLT3 will need to be trimmed to 22 for the match. Given that youngsters Harry Morrison and Conor Nash only played a fraction of the final quarter, it looks unlikely that they will get the call up for Saturday night despite showing positive signs.

The match committee will also need to find room for star trio Liam Shiels, Grant Birchall and Josh Gibson who did not feature in JLT3, but have all been dubbed fit by Senior Coach Alistair Clarkson.

“Birch is fine, he could have played [in JLT3],” Clarkson wrote in AFL Media’s ‘Ask the Coach’.

 “We took a cautious approach with Shiels, Birch and Gibbo last week. [They’ll] be right for round one.”

Watch: Bupa recovery report pre-Round 1

Prized recruits Tyrone Vickery, Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O'Meara are all likely  to play their first home and away games as Hawks, with the latter ending a 937 day wait since his last game. Former Hawk Ricky Henderson was also impressive in his lone JLT appearance; his 21 disposal and one super-goal game could earn him his first Hawthorn call up.

Captain Jarryd Roughead will also make his long-awaited return to the field. Few inclusions look set to have as big an inspirational impact on both teammates and fans as the big No.2.