Finn Maginness celebrates a goal during the R18 match between Hawthorn and Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Ju;y 12, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

AMID all the focus on Will Day's dislocated shoulder at Hawthorn this month, Finn Maginness has quietly returned to full contact training, five months after he lacerated his kidney against Port Adelaide at University of Tasmania Stadium. 

The 24-year-old didn't play again in 2025 following the serious injury in round 19, but after doing everything aside from contact across the first half of the pre-season, Maginness has built back into match simulation this year, playing more than 60 minutes on the final day of Hawks' pre-season camp on Thursday. 

Maginness has been one of the standouts on the track at the Kennedy Community Centre across November, December and January and will now get the chance to build his form in the practice matches ahead of the Opening Round trip to face Greater Western Sydney at Engie Stadium.

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Hawthorn concluded its three-day training camp in Torquay with a three-hour session at Deakin University ahead of a four-day break, where Nick Watson, Jack Ginnivan and Mabior Chol all starred in the most extensive match simulation block of the summer to date.

While Day's two bone stress injuries had the biggest impact on Hawthorn's 2025 campaign, Maginness' injury was the most shocking, given the severity and innocuous nature.

Finn Maginness (left) and Sam Mitchell celebrate a win during round 19, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Maginness played out the game against the Power last July, signed autographs after the 38-point win in the wet, sung the song, spoke to his parents and showered, before alert doctors realised something was amiss. 

Rather than fly home with the rest of the travelling party a few hours after the final siren, Maginness was sent to Launceston General Hospital for further investigation where a lacerated kidney was diagnosed. 

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The problem was there wasn't a doctor there to operate on that injury. Maginness was then flown overnight to Hobart via a Medevac flight with his mum Anna for surgery at the Royal Hobart Hospital. 

Maginness spent the next eight days recovering at Royal Hobart Hospital until he was allowed to travel back to Melbourne. Club doctor Liam West stayed with him, while GM Rob McCartney travelled back and forth from Tasmania.

After returning to running quicker than expected, Hawthorn's high performance team have had to hold the consummate professional back across the early stages of his rehabilitation but haven't been surprised by how quickly he has regained full fitness.

New Hawthorn co-captain Jai Newcombe has been in and out of the main group across the pre-season, but showed no signs on Thursday of the groin issue that has restricted him recently. 

The 2024 Peter Crimmins Medallist carried a lingering back injury across the second half of last season, with a disc issue discovered in the weeks after his brilliant finals series against Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide and Geelong. 

Newcombe was managed before Christmas but has returned back into the main group in January ahead of the match simulation against Geelong at the Kennedy Community Centre on February 16 and the AAMI Community Series clash fixture against the Western Bulldogs on February 27.