JUST IN: The injury is more serious than they initially believed….

Young defender Mackenzie Eardley will be sidelined for Hawthorn’s clash with Brisbane on Sunday. 

Eardley entered the league’s concussion protocol following a head knock during the Hawks’ Round 4 loss to Melbourne.

Hawthorn AFLW High Performance Manager Olivia Knowles said the club will keep a close eye on the 19-year-old in her recovery.

“This is her second concussion this year so we’ll manage her conservatively if we need to but at this stage, she’s tracking through nicely,” Knowles said.

In better news on the concussion front,ss is now available while Louise Stephenson is a test this week.

“Lou’s been progressing through the concussion protocol as expected so she’ll do some non-contact training today and progress through to full training on Thursday,” Knowles said.

Winger Akec Makur Chuot is also a test for Sunday’s match after being managed for Hawthorn’s hit-out against the Dees.

“She’s had some chronic knee soreness that she’s been managing, so we’ll test her at training this week to see if she’ll be available,” Knowles said.

Elsewhere, Sarah Perkins will start straight-line running this week in her bid to recover from a calf injury while Tegan Cunningham is beginning to integrate into some drills with the main training group as she aims to recover from a hamstring strain.