Barrett has been discharged from hospital but is still unwell after suffering a fractured skull and cheek in a nasty on-field accident at Gumly Oval last Saturday.

Full-time was called early in the game between EWK and Coleambally after an ambulance was called for both Barrett and Coleambally's Harry Tooth following an on-field collision.

The AFL looked into the incident but deemed there was no case to answer.

Barrett will be out of action for some time with Gerhard to step up from his assistant coach role to lead the Hawks for the next two weeks at least.

Gerhard said the Hawks were still coming to terms with what unfolded with Barrett last Saturday.

"It's a hard pill to swallow. To see him go down and see the way he is at the moment, it's hard," Gerhard said.

"It's hard to see him like that.

"The reaction he's got from the football community, the way everyone has got around him and showed support. There's been so many footy clubs and players messaging and calling, it probably just shows the respect that he has around the Riverina with the type of person he is.

"Yeah we're devastated but at the end of the day, we're only here to support him and his health is more important that football at the moment and that's why he's got me here. I obviously didn't expect to be (coaching) straight away but it's the way it goes."

EWK face Barellan at Barellan Sportsground on Saturday and then Marrar at Gumly Oval the following week.

Gerhard has been put in as coach for those two games as a minimum as the club lets Barrett purely focus on getting better.

Gerhard, who has played a lot of footy at Temora and Coolamon before joining EWK this season, understands the importance of stepping up at the moment.

"I suppose it gives me an opportunity to have a crack at it," he said.

"East Wagga have been fully supportive of me doing it and the boys have been unreal.

"On Tuesday night everyone was still a bit down in the dumps but we've got to move forward as a footy club to try and build our season."

While the Hawks were impressive in their 65-point win over Coleambally last Saturday, Barellan went goalless in a 78-point loss to Charles Sturt University.

Gerhard has been around long enough to know Barellan will come out with a point to prove on Saturday.

"They've always been a hard footy side, hard at the footy and we expect nothing less this weekend," he said.

"As we seen in the paper, they're pretty fired up to turn it around this weekend and we can't take that for granted, we've got to go over there and play our best footy to get the job done."

With Barrett to come out of the Hawks' team, they will look within reserve grade to promote someone to face Barellan.

It won't be key defender Trent Garner, after he re-injured his hamstring in reserve grade last Saturday.