Tom Barrass lasted barely a quarter in Hawthorn’s clash with Fremantle in his home State, with a hamstring injury bringing an early finish to his evening.

Barrass had loomed large for a battle with the Dockers’ tall forwards for Thursday night’s top-four clash, with the backman spending time on Freo talisman Josh Treacy in the initial stages.

But the 30-year-old suffered a blow to his left hamstring in a marking contest early in the second term.

After spending time in the rooms, Barrass returned to the bench with his hamstring iced up, likely calling into question his availability for the coming weeks against a string of finals contenders. The Hawks face Melbourne, Adelaide, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs across the next month before their mid-season bye.

Barrass was playing his second game at Optus Stadium since departing West Coast at the end of 2024, with his accomplished career including a premiership in 2018 and an Eagles club champion award in 2022.

The key defender has been an important factor in Hawthorn’s strong start to the season, and has missed just one of the Hawks’ 34 matches since making the move east.