Hunter Clark, Mason Wood and Ben Paton are all enticingly close to a return to football, following their participation in a scratch match over the weekend.

Max King and Matthew Allison are also both eyeing imminent returns, only requiring passing a fitness test at training this week to state their case for selection.

Meanwhile, Brad Crouch (knee) and Liam Henry (hamstring) both continue to make meaningful progress in their respective rehab programs.

“It’s pleasing to have a number of players nearing a return, both for them individually and us as a team,” EGM Football David Misson said.

Unfortunately, on the other end of the spectrum, Dan Butler is facing a sizeable recovery period after straining his hamstring in Thursday’s loss against the Bulldogs, while James Van Es has encountered another injury setback.

“James was ticking the final boxes to return to play when a scan revealed worsening damage to his ankle,” Misson said.

“It’s extremely disappointing, especially given the broader context of James’ injury history since joining the club.

“He’ll now require further surgery and it’s likely he’ll face another significant rehab period.

“We’ll support James as he tackles this next stint on the sidelines and will do all we can to get him back out on the field as soon as possible.”

Injury list