Forman rules himself in for Cairns clash

Forman was a late withdrawal from the Hawks last-start victory over Perth after twinging his calf, but coach Rob Beveridge confirmed on Wednesday that the sharp-shooter will return against the Taipans.

“He’s ruled himself in,” Beveridge said,

“He pulled up sore two days before the the Perth game, he had a bit of a cramp so we sat him out the next day. He felt all right [on game day] and the physios said he was right to go.

“Then in our shoot around he felt it grab and a bit of a sharp pain. It always comes down to the player and he ruled himself out through maturity because he felt he’d be letting the team down.

“He had a few days off over Christmas, it’s felt better every single day and our physios have said he’s right to. He got through practice and he said ‘I feel confident’ and he’s ruled himself in.”

Ogilvy also missed the Perth game with an ongoing hip and groin complaint and is aiming for a return for the Hawks January 6 clash with Melbourne.

“He won’t play, he’s out,” Beveridge said.

“AJ’s still got a hip-groin issue and, at the end of the day, he’s 6 ft 11, he’s 120 kilos. Because he’s really mobile he’s been pounding up and down the floor for his whole career and he’s got bad hips now.

“It’s something he’s going to have to learn to manage. We’ve got him on a 10-day [rehab] plan and we’re aiming for him to be back for the Melbourne game.

“Physically it’s getting better but it’s sore and probably something he’ll need to carry for the rest of the season. We’ll steadily increase his workload and,when he’s got the mindset that he’s ready to go, it’s going to make our team a lot better.”