Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has welcomed his side's high-stakes clash with Adelaide as a litmus test ahead of the AFL finals as he faces tough calls at selection.
Mabior Chol's pending return from a groin injury puts the squeeze on the Hawks' tall forward line for the Adelaide Oval blockbuster on Friday night.
Calsher Dear and Mitch Lewis both kicked multiple goals alongside evergreen veteran Jack Gunston last round and have claims to holding their spots.
Chol's return - either in place of Dear or Lewis, or alongside them - could provide a solution to Mitchell's "conundrum" around support for ruckman Lloyd Meek.
Mitchell said playing as a part-time ruckman had impacted Conor Nash more than he would like and Josh Weddle (back) is sidelined, at least for the rest of the home-and-away season.
"We've got some decisions to make about how we pick the team," Mitchell said on Wednesday.
"We've had a look at a lot of data and stuff.
"We play the three talls probably two-thirds of the time ... so we need to make an assessment whether that's the way we think that we'll kick the biggest score."
Adelaide present a huge challenge to Mitchell's men, sitting second after winning eight of their last nine games.
Their only loss in that period was a three-point defeat to Hawthorn in Launceston, in round 15.
The Crows have also lost just once in 11 games at Adelaide Oval this season, against Geelong in round five.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, have won six of their last seven games and sit fifth, just one win and percentage behind Adelaide.
"They're probably the in-form team of the competition and we feel like we're well placed," Mitchell said.
"We're the one and two (ranked) pressure teams in the competition, one and two contested possession post-clearance teams in the competition.
"So there's a lot of good things about this game and it's a real opportunity to test ourselves out.
"It's certainly an eight-point game for us. We've got high aspirations for our season and games like this is where it's all going to count."
Mitchell said Jai Newcombe had reaped benefits from being subbed out of last round's win over Carlton, having battled a sore calf and hip in recent weeks.
Newcombe will be critical to the midfield battle against Adelaide's high-powered engine room alongside Will Day, who made a successful return from a foot injury against the Blues.
The reigning Peter Crimmins medallist has signed a six-year contract extension, keeping him with the Hawks until at least 2032.
Newcombe was not due to come off-contract until the end of next year.
"Jai's rise from a mid-season draftee to one of the premier midfielders in the league has been a credit to his persistence, leadership and poise at the elite level," Hawthorn recruiting boss Mark McKenzie said.
