Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is hopeful the dramas surrounding Travis Tuck won't be a distraction for his team ahead of Saturday's cut-throat elimination final against Fremantle at Subiaco.
Tuck, who on Tuesday became the first player to register three strikes under the AFL's Illicit Dugs code, trained with the senior squad at Waverley on Thursday despite a 12-week suspension handed down by the AFL Tribunal.
Clarkson said the affair had cast a new light on the club's immediate goals.
"I think what it's done is correct a couple of fallacies out there that this week's game is life and death for our footy club," said Clarkson.
"More importantly, Travis's illness is a genuine life and death situation."
"It does give us an opportunity as a club to take stock and just understand that while this game is critical in terms of our aspirations, compared to an actual life itself, it's not very important at all."
"We're going to do everything we possibly can to make sure he gets back to being the Travis Tuck that we know and part of that process is obviously getting him back amongst the players and back into routine again."
Clarkson threw his weight behind the push for AFL clubs to be advised of a player's indiscretions under the drug code before a third strike.
He said he now has a better understanding of why Tuck's career seemed to stall in 2010.
"It certainly would have helped me as the coach had I known," Clarkson said.
"I didn't know anything about his depression and ... if I'd known about his mental illness as well as his illicit dug taking I may have been more tolerant or treated him in a different manner in light of that."
"It's not to say that the treatment Travis was getting over the past 12 months was not first class, because it was but ... it's just whether or not his team-mates and us as a footy club could provide him with that support as well."
"I think we could."
"He hasn't been able to legitimately put himself up for senior selection at any stage throughout the course of this year and now some of the answers are coming out."
Clarkson said the club's football staff had done their best to keep things as normal as possible this week and he stressed the importance of sticking to routine.
"We're most concerned with the welfare of Travis and I think (CEO) Stuart Fox and (football manager) Mark Evans and (president) Jeff (Kennett) have handled that side of things well and certainly sheltered myself and the players from a lot of the goings on," he said.
"Our players have been reasonably sheltered from it which has been good so we can just channel our energies into beating Fremantle."
Clarkson confirmed that vice-captain Luke Hodge who was rested for last week's win over minor premiers Collingwood would return to the line-up at the expense of an 'unlucky' team-mate.
He said the Hawks' 116-point win over an understrength Dockers side in Launceston two weeks ago would count for nothing in the context of Saturday's clash.
"We haven't looked at that game in a great amount of depth," he said.
"It's more important to focus on their quality brand of footy that they were able to display on numerous occasions throughout the year."
"We'll be preparing for the very best Fremantle side that they can play."