IF HAWTHORN loses to Fremantle in Friday night's preliminary final, then Will Langford, Billy Hartung, Jonathan Ceglar, Matt Spangher and Ryan Schoenmakers will all be ineligible for Box Hill's VFL Grand Final against Williamstown.

The quartet would be deemed ineligible under a VFL rule that states players who have played one AFL match after July 1 and not played at least six VFL games in the same season cannot play in the VFL Grand Final if their AFL club is eliminated on the same weekend.

The rule only applies to the VFL Grand Final but not to the other finals, with players able to play for their VFL affiliate even if their AFL team is knocked out of the finals on the same weekend.

All four Hawthorn players remain chances to be selected in the AFL team for Friday night with both Schoenmakers and Hartung playing against Adelaide in last Friday's semi-final.

Langford kicked the winning goal in the preliminary final against Sandringham while Ceglar missed through illness.

2013 AFL premiership player Jonathan Simpkin is eligible having played 19 games.

Cyril Rioli played for the Box Hill Hawks in the 2014 VFL Grand Final as he returned from a long-term injury and then played in the AFL Grand Final a week later.

The uncertainty won't trouble Box Hill coach Marco Bello who said on Wednesday he had a plan B in place if he had to make late changes to the line-up.

Williamstown coach Andy Collins was not concerned either saying that the Hawks have such great systems that regardless of who played they would step into the role.

The VFL Grand Final between Box Hill Hawks and Williamstown will be played at Etihad Stadium on Sunday at 3pm.