Melbourne spearhead Jesse Hogan is in "good spirits" but no guarantee to play against Hawthorn following the death of his father.
The 22-year-old has returned to training, a week after his father Tony died following a long illness.
Teammate Jordan Lewis says coming back to the AFL club might be the best thing for Hogan but it will be up to him whether he plays against the Hawks at the MCG on Sunday.
"I think the football club environment is probably one of the best places to be in when you're dealing with something like the loss of someone or illness of someone," Lewis said on Wednesday.
"Whether he plays or not ... that's up to him and whether he feels comfortable enough, but from what I saw yesterday, he's in good spirits."
Hogan had spent time with his family in Perth during his recent AFL suspension and missed last week's clash with Essendon after learning of his father's passing.
Lewis said he was certain Hogan would have plenty of teammates looking out for him in his adopted hometown.
"You've got 44 guys, so everyone wants to help but you've sort of got to pick your mark," he said.
"You don't want all 44 guys smothering him so it really is probably the guys who are closest to him that can provide that support."
Sunday's clash will be the first time Lewis has faced Hawthorn since they traded him during the off-season, having already sent off another decorated veteran with Sam Mitchell's trade to West Coast.
The Hawks' shocking performance to start the season - they are 1-5 and have copped drubbings from Gold Coast, Geelong and St Kilda - has caught many off guard considering their recent dominance.
In retrospect, Lewis says it's not a huge surprise the Hawks have dropped off the pace.
"I'm not too sure whether it's come as a shock. If you look at last year's games, Hawthorn won 10 by under a goal, I think," he said.
"It's a very fickle industry and if you can't perform four quarters, you're going to lose more than you can win.
"Hindsight is wonderful but I suppose when you're involved in the club, you never can foresee anything like that happening."
Lewis returned from a three-game suspension to play a starring role in last week's win over Essendon as the Dees improved their record to 3-3.
The 31-year-old said he had felt fatigued at times but was ready to back it up after a week based around recovery.
Share
