Ross Lyon has floated the possibility of playing four small forwards against Hawthorn at Patersons Stadium on Sunday.

Hayden Ballantyne has been in superb form this season, and fellow goal sneak Michael Walters is ready to resume from a long injury layoff.

Youngsters Hayden Crozier and Max Duffy kicked five goals between them in last Saturday night’s two-point loss in Geelong.

Lyon has already suggested Crozier and Duffy were in line to keep their spots this week, and he said Walters was likely to return.

That would leave Freo with four small forwards against the reigning premiers, but Lyon said the club was considering the option.

“It’s exciting, we’re not the tallest, but we’d play them (all),” Lyon said.

“(They’re) real offensive threats, speed. We really like what we saw (against Geelong).”

Lyon was pleased with the efforts of Crozier (three goals) and Duffy, who kicked two majors after entering the match as the sub midway through the third term at Simonds Stadium.

He said it boded well for the future of the club’s forward line.

“We want to build a front half that’s capable against all opposition and clearly we’re playing a great team on the weekend,” he said.

“It will be a great experience for those kids.”

The Freo senior coach did not believe the Hawks would be an easier proposition without gun forward Jarryd Roughead.

“They’re very predictable in the way they play,” Lyon said.

“Roughead is obviously a very good player but they’ve shown a great capacity to score heavily regardless of what personnel goes into their roles.

“They’ve got a really strong system and it’s really hard to deal with. They are a smart footy team.”

Roughead, who leads the Coleman Medal race, will sit out with a one-week suspension.

Fellow forward star Jack Gunston also seemed likely to miss the game against Freo, but the latest medical report on the Hawks’ website has suggested he has a chance of lining up on Sunday.

“Jack was meant to miss two or three weeks but he’s improved more rapidly than we probably thought he actually would,” Hawthorn GM – Football Operations Chris Fagan told hawthornfc.com.au.

“He’s been able to move around quite well this week. We’ll see how he is later in the week.

“There is some chance he might be able to take the field on Sunday against Fremantle.”