CYRIL Rioli says Hawthorn has to eradicate the fumbles and skill errors from its game to get its rollercoaster season on track.

The Hawks slipped to their fourth loss for the season in an epic Grand Final rematch against the Sydney Swans on Saturday night, when unusual mistakes in the dying stages by normally reliable stars came back to bite.

Perhaps the biggest shock was when the mercurial Rioli spilled a handball from Jack Gunston just as he was running into an open goal with the chance to put the Hawks up by two points with only 37 seconds remaining.

"I saw it (the replay) once and I wasn't too happy with that, but I guess you've got to move on pretty quickly," Rioli said on Tuesday.

"I don't want to think about it too much – we've got Gold Coast this week, so I'm just wanting to move forward and try to forget about that."

Rioli, who sparked the Hawks to life in the second term after their slow start, said skill errors had also littered the back-to-back premiers' losses to Essendon (two points), Port Adelaide (eight) and Greater Western Sydney (10).

But he didn't think the Hawks had lost their hunger for success.

"I think other teams are just pretty hungry for that success. We're doing the best we can and teams are just a bit more hungry," he said.

"It's just the little things that are biting us in the end, missing goals and we're fumbling balls, and I think that's costing us.

"We feel we're giving effort and we're still halfway through the year so we want to finish off the year strong."

While Rioli said "the boys are a bit down" after another tight loss, the Hawks will be boosted by the return of skipper Luke Hodge following his three-week suspension against Gold Coast in Launceston on Saturday.

"Definitely, we need our general back there," he said, adding Hodge would feel he owed his teammates.

"I think he would. I think sitting on the sidelines and us going down a few games it would make him pretty hungry."

Hodge trained with the main group on Tuesday, although key defender Brian Lake was a notable absentee after he hurt his knee against the Swans.

Also on Tuesday, the Hawks announced the expansion of their indigenous program.

The program – underwritten by founders of Epic Pharmacy, Cathie Reid and Stuart Giles – includes employing a new indigenous programs officer at Waverley, funding and supporting the Eastern Eaglehawks under-18s team and an annual community camp with indigenous activity in Tasmania.

The Hawks will also extend their support of the Big River Hawks under-18s team and other initiatives in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.

"It would mean a lot, getting some of the AFL boys up there in the communities where not many people would go," Rioli said.

"It's very exciting for us players to go up there and help young indigenous kids about healthy eating and lifestyle choices.

"The boys are very excited over the next five years that we have the deal for."