KUWARNA coach Matthew Nicks bemoaned a missed opportunity, after his side fell to Hawthorn by nine points on Thursday night, with the added pain of a calf injury to star Izak Rankine.

Following a powerful start to the game, Rankine pulled up sore at a contest and came from the ground, ultimately unable to return.

HAWKS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

"The fact that he wasn't able to come back out means there'll be something there on a scan, and we'll just have to have a look at that. We go into a longer break now, a bye, so takes a week off, but hopefully it's nothing major," Nicks said post-match.

The Crows kicked four first-quarter goals in a dominant showing, before Hawthorn took charge through the middle two quarters, kicking seven unanswered goals in the process. Such significant swings of momentum are beginning to concern Nicks, after the club gave up eight consecutive goals to Brisbane in round seven.

"We just weren't able to play our best for long enough again. We come out and play the footy we want to play and put a first quarter out there that you should be pretty proud of, and then we, for whatever reason, drop off," Nicks said.

"I think Brisbane piled on a number of goals in a row, that's the one game this year that we've seen that, Hawthorn today, seven in a row through that second and third quarter is not going to get it done. It's just not going to get it done. So, we'll take this opportunity to freshen up and hopefully have a little bit of a look at the first half of the season."

Nicks also confirmed that Callum Ah Chee suffered a thumb injury that will require further assessment, but managed to play out the game with a protective guard on the hand.

Club goals record holder Taylor Walker was left in Adelaide for the weekend, selected for SANFL duties on his way back from a hamstring injury, with his addition back to the senior side something Nicks will consider following the bye.

"We're reasonably pleased with the decision (to play Walker in the SANFL) in that we think it's going to be what's best for the team and for 'Tex' going forward into the second half of the year. Hopefully he has a good hitout this weekend, because he's going to play some footy, and then we'll just balance that as we go through the second half of the year," Nicks explained.

"The decision is not 'Tex' isn't playing because he's not good enough to be in our 23, it'll be a decision we make going forward, week by week, opposition, conditions, where we're playing, where the group's at. You know, we've still got some young guys that are playing some good footy. Toby Murray tonight didn't have his best game, but he's been playing well above where most would think at this time in his career, early part of his career. So, there'll be times as we go through the year where our forward line will look a little different."

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, although visibly frustrated in the coaches box in the first quarter, was pleased with how his side responded after a poor start.

"We made a couple of changes at quarter time, or just before that… there were a lot of really good aspects of the last three quarters, so I was pleased that we were able to turn it around because you can't lose the contest and tackles and clearance like we were early," Mitchell said.

The decision to flip defender Blake Hardwick into attacked proved to be a sound one, with four important goals coming off the vice-captain's boot.

"He's a phenomenal footballer, his contest is outstanding, he's a beautiful kick, and he'll get a lot of credit for tonight and so he should, but he should have (every week). Today he kicked four, but he's regularly stopping four or more," Mitchell said of Hardwick.

Injury-riddled midfielder Will Day will make his return from a shoulder injury via the VFL on Friday night, in an effort to prove his fitness for AFL selection in the coming weeks.

"I just want him to have fun, if I'm really honest," Mitchell said of Day.

"He's good at footy. He's going to get back to the AFL side as soon as the medical team think that's a good option for him. I just want him to go and have a great time playing the game that he loves. He wears his heart on his sleeve… the joy that he's going to bring to everyone that runs out with him and everyone that watches him, I think it's going to be a really good moment for him and for us."