HAWTHORN will keep the bulk of its senior players wrapped in cotton wool and unleash a batch of promising youngsters in the NAB Challenge opener against Collingwood.
The Hawks have a mostly healthy squad but coach Alastair Clarkson is keen to test out the younger brigade at Aurora Stadium on Thursday night.
“It’s a great opportunity for these young players, who have put in a great pre-season for us, to get a taste of what it’s like against a good opposition,” Clarkson told the club's website.
“There will still be some senior heads who’ll play but by and large, there’ll be a greater percentage of those who’ll be under 21-22 years of age.
“It’s probably more likely the bulk of our senior players will come in for games two and three of the NAB Challenge."
The Hawks boast a raft of talented players under 25 who have battled for senior exposure during the club's back-to-back premiership seasons.
Billy Hartung, Alex Woodward and Tim O'Brien have played fewer than 10 matches each, while James Sicily, Kaiden Brand, and upgraded rookies Dallas Willsmore and Zac Webster are among those yet to debut.
Former No.2 draft pick Jonathan O'Rourke could pull on the brown and gold for the first time against the Pies, while free agency recruit James Frawley and a raft of draftees could also be in the frame.
Clarkson is wary of pre-season games – which he called the most "treacherous" of the season for injuries – but the Hawks boast a relatively healthy list at present.
Veteran defender Grant Birchall (knee) is on the sidelines after a training incident and Matt Spangher (calf) has endured an interrupted pre-season.
The Hawks expect Birchall to feature during the NAB Challenge, with the club enjoying a lengthy break until its second match against North Melbourne in Shepparton on March 8.
Hawthorn will then use its clash with St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on March 19 to fine-tune before a showdown against Geelong in round one.
With a historic three-peat beckoning, Clarkson said the club's leaders ensured complacency hadn't set in.
“We’ve got a really strong and proud leadership group who have been around the block in terms of AFL footy – they’re very experienced campaigners,” Clarkson said.
“We’ve got another group of older players who have, either at this club or other clubs, are experienced leaders.
“There’s real depth through the club in terms of standards and what we need to set ourselves for throughout the course of the year.
“That has held us in really good stead over the last two-three years and we’ve had no reason to expect it’s not going to be exactly the same again in preparation for this season.”
