HOLDING Luke Hodge back from playing isn't easy, but Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is insisting the skipper completes a mini pre-season before he returns from a knee injury.
 
Hodge has been sidelined since round six and has managed just four appearances this year after also breaking his arm in round one.
 
The 31-year-old is nearly ready to return, but Clarkson said the Hawks have put the brakes on any thought of an early comeback.
 
"He's a bull, but it's really important because he has missed a bit of footy with two separate injuries - one to an arm obviously and one to a knee - we've just got to make sure he does a little bit of a mini pre-season and gets himself in the type of nick that will allow him to have a really, really good second half of the year," Clarkson said.
 
"That's hard for him and hard for us because he's nearly ready to play now, to be fair, he's up and running and he'll get back into ball work next week.
 
"But we just need to be a little bit patient with that, that we don't try to bring him back too quickly."
 
There has been ongoing speculation about Hodge's future in the game, led by retired Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd, but Clarkson declared the doubts would only drive the four-time premiership star.
 
"That's been going on for a long time. I can remember he had a PCL injury in about 2011 or 2012 and the competition thought perhaps that was the end of Luke Hodge and he's played some pretty good footy since then," Clarkson said.
 
"So I'd never write him off at any stage, I don't reckon.
 
"He's been determined since he was 18 years of age and first came into AFL footy. That's just his character and it probably just fuels it a little bit more when there's some doubters outside."
 
Hodge is just one of several key Hawks who have been sidelined for lengthy periods this year, with Jarryd Roughead's knee and cancer battle plus Ryan Schoenmakers' "grumbly groin" robbing the forward line of premiership talls.
 
Schoenmakers made his comeback two weeks ago for Box Hill, but pulled up sore and is back in rehabilitation "for another week or two", leaving Jack Gunston to lead the attack against Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.
 
Hawthorn's scoring has dipped by nearly two goals a game compared to last year, although Clarkson's side is still 7-3 and right in the hunt for a top-four spot.
 
"(Schoenmakers is) pretty important to our structure, having both he and Roughy out … when you've got no centre half-forward and full-forward from the previous year's campaign, it makes a pretty big difference to your side," Clarkson said.

"You couple that with not having Hodge for the best part of the 10 rounds as well, it does make an impact."
 
Despite Hawthorn dominating the Demons since 2006, winning 12 in a row, Saturday's clash shapes as a danger game against Paul Roos' improving outfit.
 
"(Ruckman Max) Gawn has given a lot of supply to the midfield group and they've played some pretty good footy," Clarkson said.
 
"We need to be on our guard tomorrow (Saturday) to make sure we win that midfield battle."
 
The Hawks will unveil their fourth debutant for the year with rookie Kade Stewart named to play.