With the news of injuries to both Changkuoth Jiath and Jack Scrimshaw on the weekend, Hawthorn will be forced to re-shuffle an already depleted defensive line ahead of its clash with Melbourne on Saturday. 

The majority of the Hawks backline can currently be found in the medical room, with Jiath and Scrimshaw joining the likes of Blake Hardwick, James Sicily, Jarman Impey, Will Day and Harry Morrison in recovery.

So, who will enter the Hawks back six in light of all of this?

Lachlan Bramble was moved into defence mid-game against the Dockers, as the Hawks coaching staff were forced to find more line-breaking power on the back of the Jiath and Scrimshaw losses.

Looking for proof of Hawthorn's quality in youth?

That switch proved impressively successful, with the 23-year-old finishing with 27 touches in a break-out game.

At reserves level, Josh Morris has also shown promise moving from forward to back over the past fortnight. 

The 19-year-old has been a stand-out in each of the past two games, with his ability to impact contests both in the air and on the ground impressing the coaching staff.

Michael Hartley was brought to the club to shore up the club's key defensive depth and his inclusion this week against a tall Demon forwardline could certainly provide some stability in what would be the journeyman's 50th AFL game.

Hartley is a consistent contributor at Box Hill level, with his communication and penetrating right-foot kick among his key assets. 

A check-in with our list of little wins

Outside of the backline conundrum, Mitch Lewis made his first appearance on the weekend following a stint on the sidelines due to concussion.

Mitchell praised Lewis' workrate "between the arcs" in the reserves scratch match on the weekend.

The Hawthorn match committee has some interesting decisions to make ahead of the team's announcement on Thursday at 6.20pm AEST.