RD 17 TEAM: Hawks welcome back Breust and Lewis

Hawthorn has made two changes to its Round 17 team as it prepares for a trip down the highway to face the Cats in Geelong.

Key forward Mitch Lewis will make his return to the senior side after overcoming a knee complaint, with the 25-year-old spearhead set to play his first game since Easter Monday.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn’s forward line is set to receive a secondary boost, with veteran premiership Hawk Luke Breust back in the side after the 290-gamer was managed over the bye.

Captain James Sicily will be forced to watch from the sidelines following an injured shoulder suffered in last week’s win over the Eagles, while Calsher Dear (injured) will miss his first game since making his AFL debut in Round 9 earlier this year.

Executive General Manager of Football Rob McCartney said the side would be buoyed by the return of both Lewis and Breust.

“We are obviously excited about Mitch returning to AFL level after having a long stint on the sidelines then a couple of games at VFL level,” McCartney said.

“We have strong belief that Mitch makes us better, both today and into the future.

“Our plan was always to manage Luke around the bye, giving him a little bit of extra time to strongly attack the back half of the season.

“We will definitely benefit from both his experience and talent in our front end.”