Hadfield is preparing for one of the biggest days in the club's history with three-time Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin locked in for a special appearance at Martin Reserve on Saturday.
The 36-year-old, who claimed the 2012 Brownlow Medal and was a three-time Jack Dyer medallist, will feature at the club's sportsman's lunch before its clash against Westmeadows.
The Hawks are planning for Cotchin to take the field in what would be a boost to their hopes of taking down the Tigers, who are one of the leading flag fancies.
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However, Cotchin is under an injury cloud and rated a "50-50" chance of making his one-off appearance for the Community Bank Strathmore Division Two outfit.
Hadfield coach Andrew Beever said the presence of the former champion midfielder would be significant regardless of whether he plays.
"It's exciting, especially with our young group that is coming through," Beever said.
"To have him around, there's a fair buzz around the club. These young guys will learn a fair bit from him, and our experienced guys as well. We're looking forward to it.
"For our club to get a bit of exposure like this with someone like Trent Cotchin is a massive bonus for us.
"When I came on board at the end of 2024, the first thing that struck me was just how passionate our committee was about the club. We've got great people who are in charge at Hadfield. To have someone like Trent come and get involved is a huge positive. It's something the committee should be very proud of."
Beever said Cotchin's role - should he be fit to play - would be decided later this week.
But while the prospect of a key inclusion with 306 games of AFL experience provides plenty of reason for excitement, the coach is keen not to lose focus on the opportunity that awaits his side.
The Hawks have shown glimpses of their ability in the opening four rounds, but only have one win to their name, which came against East Sunbury.
Westmeadows, meanwhile, have a 2-2 record after finishing runner-up in the past two seasons.
"To be honest, I've got to look at this game as a really important game against Westmeadows," Beever said.
"We're playing really good footy - just can't get across the line.
"This game is pretty important for both clubs."
Hadfield tested ladder leader Glenroy on Saturday, falling to a 34-point defeat. That result followed the win over East Sunbury (23 points) and losses to Coburg Districts (39 points) and Roxburgh Park (17 points).
But while encouraged by the club's progress and adamant it is heading in the right direction, Beever said the Hawks needed to start getting the rewards on the board.
"We can't keep on being happy with good effort, pats on the back, well done - all that sort of stuff," he said.
"We want wins and hopefully we can get it done this Saturday.
"On the field, we've got some amazing young kids coming through and some amazing leaders. The older guys are really looking after the younger guys.
"We haven't had wins, but we're definitely heading in the right direction."
