Hawthorn midfielder Henry Hustwaite is progressing in his recovery from an ankle injury sustained during Box Hill's practice match earlier this month.
While Hustwaite won't be a part of Box Hill's first official match on Friday, draftee Matt LeRay could feature, with the first-year Hawk listed as a test with his respective ankle injury.
James Blanck's return to play timeline remains unconfirmed, however he is taking positive steps in his recovery from a groin injury.
Hawthorn High Performance Manager Peter Burge provided an update on the trio of Hawks below.
Matt LeRay - Ankle (Test)
"He participated in training today. The VFL squad have another training session on Thursday, so we've still got another 48 hours. But today, he was able to complete all the drills, and he'll do Captain's Run on Thursday, then we'll make a final decision. But at this stage, it's looking likely he'll play."
Henry Hustwaite - Ankle (2-3 weeks)
"Syndesmosis ankle injuries can be tricky. And although this one is on the lower end, it's just been a little slower to get going. But he was running on the AlterG treadmill today, so he turned the corner, and we expect now that to progress. I would say he's definitely not playing this week. Next week it's 50/50, but we'll have more information next week once we see how he trains over the weekend."
Short week, big game 🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/7F65iy4R2h
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) March 17, 2026
James Blanck - Groin (TBC)
"We've been able to start building some volume of running and a little bit of kicking. So he's now in a situation where we can start to progress him back into training, potentially in the next fortnight. And given there's a block of training coming up for the AFL group in particular, who have a 17-day break after the game Thursday night, Blanck will be able to get in with the group and knock out some really solid training, and we'll get a bit more specific with his return-to-play timelines in the next fortnight."
Watch Peter Burge's full Round 2 Injury Update below
Hawthorn AFL Injury List - Round 2
Last Updated:
