HAWTHORN is still no closer to knowing whether Lance Franklin will be fit for Friday night's knockout final against the Sydney Swans.

Hawks football operations general manager Mark Evans said doctors believe the Coleman medallist will be safe to play on the knee he hyper-extended during the 31-point loss to Geelong last week.

But Franklin's availability will hinge on whether he can regain enough function to run out a game of football.

"We've made sure that the joint structures are very sound, and that he's safe to play," Evans told hawthornfc.com.au on Tuesday night.

"But it's still yet to be determined whether he's got the functionality to play, and that's what we'll work out between now and game time.

"It's settled down OK.

"He's walking around no problems at all, but obviously there's still some way to go."

Evans dismissed comparisons between Franklin's injury and that suffered by Stephen Gilham two seasons ago.

The key defender missed nine weeks with knee bruising in 2009.

"That would be like me saying, 'Let's compare my bruised forearm to your bruised forearm'," Evans said.

"There's obviously different degrees of injury, and every injury and every person presents differently.

"The bone bruising isn't that significant, and we've said all along that it will be determined by whether the swelling in the knee dissipates, which it has so far, and then whether he's got good enough function to play."

Evans reiterated the club's earlier report that ruckman Max Bailey would be fit for his important duel with in-form Swan Shane Mumford.

Bailey was subbed from last Friday night's game with a sore calf, but pulled up well the following morning and joined in training with his teammates on Tuesday.

"We've said pretty consistently since the end of the game that there's no great issue there," Evans said.

"He just got a kick to the lower leg, and he was fine the next morning."

Veteran Cam Bruce was listed as having soreness when missing from last week's team, but Evans said he would be fit and available for selection to face the Swans.

But the year appears to be over for Clinton Young, whose niggling ankle, initially thought to be only a one or two week injury, has still not mended after more than a month.