HAWTHORN'S boom recruit Jaeger O'Meara won't be put on the shelf for the rest of the year after his latest knee setback, coach Alastair Clarkson says.

The Hawks are hopeful O'Meara can return later in the season once he recovers from bone stress in his kneecap.

O'Meara played four of the first six games for the Hawks this year after missing the past two seasons when he was with Gold Coast, with issues relating to his right knee.

With the Hawks (4-8) seemingly out of the running for the finals, the temptation could be there to allow their prized recruit to rest up for next season.

But Clarkson said the plan was for O'Meara to return to the park this year, even if it was in the VFL.

"We think it's good for him and us if he gets up, even if it's two or three games, and even if that's at Box Hill and not senior footy, we think it's important for him and his rehab," Clarkson told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday.

"He's played very little footy for the best part of two and a half years now.

"It's good for him and good for us if we can get him playing.

"We won't be putting him in cotton wool, because any footy that he plays at the back end of the year will be handy for him and us."

The Hawks were aiming for O'Meara to return after the bye before he pulled up sore when his training increased.

"It's a little bit of a hiccup for us because he was doing a mini pre-season to try and get back and in the process of putting some load in that knee he got a bit of bone stress," Clarkson said.

"He's had a period of time where he's rested that for the past two or three weeks and his knee has started to feel really good again.

"We're hopeful this bit of rest over the last three weeks, he'll be able to put together a little bit of a block and we'll see him later in the year."