East Wagga-Kooringal hope to welcome back Ben Cadzow and Jarrod Turner to face Coleambally

The Hawks enjoyed the bye last week and will kick off their five-week run into finals when they host Coleambally at Gumly Oval on Saturday.

Key forward Ben Cadzow and defender Tom Pocock will return for the clash against the Blues, with another five players expected to be eased back over the following fortnight.

EWK coach Matt Hard hopes the likes of Nick Hull, Brenton Roberts, Jarrod Turner, Tim Smith and Kieran McCarthy will get a month of football in before finals.

This comes after Jarrad Boumann and Dan McCarthy returned in their most recent win against Temora.

"We'll do it in dribs and drabs," Hard said.

"Not by purpose, but different guys are one week away, two weeks away.

"I'd love to get six back and give myself five weeks to get them used to each other but it's not going to happen."

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Hard is not overly concerned about getting enough football into his squad before finals after the disruptions of the first half of the season.

"Yes and no, I guess. It could have its advantages, it could not," Hard said.

"It's all about what they're doing with their rehab I suppose. The boys are all doing something. If I can get four games into them, I think it will give us a pretty good grounding I reckon."

Hard is looking forward to tackling the Hawks' run home, that starts with Coleambally and then is followed by games against Marrar (away), Barellan (home), Northern Jets (away) and Charles Sturt University (home).

"We've got five games to go so our aim moving forward is to consolidate a top three spot in the next five weeks," Hard said.

"Top spot, you'd think, would be out of the equation so we're aiming for a top three spot, which is a goal of ours, and then we'll take it from there."

Coleambally will go into Saturday's game on the back of a disappointing loss at home to Temora.

The Hawks have just lost two games for the season, despite their injuries, and sit in second spot on the table.

They are just one game, plus percentage, off ladder leaders Marrar but are now two games clear of North Wagga in third place.

Barellan 42

Northern Jets 38

Coleambally 36

Temora 34

CSU 33

East Wagga-Kooringal 33

The Rock-Yerong Creek 32

North Wagga 31

Marrar 29

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