"I'm not sure when he's coming back, but it was pleasing to see him around the club a little bit more this week. So we'll see how that unfolds," Bolton said at Melbourne Airport before the Hawks left for Launceston and its game against Gold Coast.

"He's showing progress. He's been involved in some coaching meetings," he said, but added Clarkson would not travel to Tasmania.

After a near-hiccup in his first game in charge against GWS, Bolton has steered the Hawks to four consecutive victories, allaying any fears that the reigning premiers might fall off the pace in the absence of its senior coach and a host of key players.

In fact, far from scrambling for fit men, Hawthorn has now been afforded the luxury of leaving high-priced recruit Ben McEvoy out of its team to face the Suns despite McEvoy's best-on-ground showing for Box Hill last weekend, where he booted five goals, and tallied 25 hitouts, 16 disposals and seven tackles. The ruckman is on the comeback trail from a hamstring injury, having not played in the AFL since the round 10 match against Port Adelaide. The unheralded Jonathon Ceglar was again preferred at selection after strong showings in recent weeks.

Bolton believed McEvoy would rise to the challenge of his omission.

"He's an ultimate professional and determined to improve. It's really good to see we've got four ruckman all putting pressure on each other. It was a line-ball decision and Macca played a really good game but Cegs is doing his job. In elite teams, I think pressure's what you embrace and don't worry about."

Bolton flagged a return in the next fortnight for dynamic midfielder Sam Mitchell, who has been sidelined for nearly two months with a hamstring tendon injury.

‘‘He’s trained really well in the last few weeks. I’m hoping maybe next week, or the week after,’’ Bolton said.