HAWTHORN ruckman Ben McEvoy has welcomed partner-in-crime Jon Ceglar's return to form and fitness ahead of Sunday's date with West Coast's twin towers.
However, the former Saint stopped short of endorsing a two-pronged Hawks ruck combination on a weekly basis.
McEvoy, 28, has played arguably the best football of his career since going it largely alone last year in Ceglar's lengthy absence recovering from a knee reconstruction.
Ceglar and Eagles counterpart Nic Naitanui both ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments – in their right and left knee respectively – in the same round 22 match at Subiaco two years ago.
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Naitanui returned in the AFL in round one this season and has formed a lethal duo with Scott Lycett, whereas Ceglar came back three weeks ago through the VFL.
Ceglar, 27, played the best game of his comeback on Saturday, amassing 28 disposals, 28 hit-outs and six tackles, as well as kicking a goal, to put his hand up for an AFL recall.
"It is a bit of a daunting task looking at (West Coast's ruck) line-up on your own, but I'll leave that up to the match committee," McEvoy said at Waverley Park on Tuesday.
"(Ceglar) certainly played really well last week, so it's awesome for him. It's been a pretty tough 18 months, so it's great to see him back up and about.
"I'm open to whatever's going to be best for the team … it probably needs to be a week-by-week basis (whether we play two ruckmen), because there are so many different match-ups between teams.
"Some weeks maybe it works and some weeks maybe it wouldn't. I think we can certainly make two work, but we'll just see how it pans out."
McEvoy has averaged 12.7 disposals, 1.7 contested marks and 31.9 hit-outs since the start of the 2017 season, all above his performances in each category across the previous nine campaigns.
"I suppose it makes my role a little clearer," he said of being the one dominant ruckman in Hawthorn's side.
"It can be hard switching between forward and ruck, but it's certainly not easy by any stretch coming up against a quality player each week.
"A lot of them are bigger than I am, so it's certainly not easier, but, like I said, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all."
The Eagles are the only team in the competition to play two recognised ruckmen each week and have thrived in doing so.
McEvoy said taking on 2012 All Australian Naitanui and his "arsenal of weaponry" was a great challenge, but one he was looking forward to.
There is an army of quality big men these days, including Max Gawn, Brodie Grundy, Stefan Martin, Paddy Ryder and Matthew Kreuzer.
"With (almost) every team playing one ruckman, you're relying on that one bloke to be pretty consistent and competitive for you," McEvoy said.
"When most teams were playing two, you got a fair bit more variation, whereas I think (the best ruckmen are) just a bit more obvious now with each team playing one."
The Hawks have lost back to back matches and three of their past five to slide outside the top eight but are likely to regain Jaeger O'Meara (corked calf) for the West Coast clash.
"We haven't been playing anywhere near our best and the weekend was no exception," McEvoy said of the lopsided loss to previously winless Brisbane.
"We did some things right and started well, but it was a pretty poor performance in the end, so we're not at all happy with our form."
