AFL premiers Hawthorn have warned there's much better to come as they build on their first win of the season.

After opening the season with back-to-back losses, the Hawks broke through when they beat the Kangaroos by 54 points on Sunday.

And, according to forward Jarryd Roughead, the combination of a confidence boost from the win and players returning from injury means the side should soon return to its 2008 form.

"It was good to get the first win on the board," Roughead said. "The boys were a bit slow the first two weeks but to get that first win was always good, and to get it against the Kangaroos was even better.

"Now we'll have blokes coming back in over the next few weeks that will strengthen and straighten us up a bit more, so we'll be good for the games to come.

"We've been playing pretty good footy the last few weeks. We've kicked 100 points the last three weeks in a row so it wasn't like we were playing bad footy - just at times, we were playing bad patches.

"To put four quarters on the board yesterday was good," he told afl.com.au.

Hawthorn could also regain Jordan Lewis (shoulder) and Brad Sewell (groin) back for the round four clash against Port Adelaide at the MCG next Saturday.

Meanwhile, midfielder Xavier Ellis has been cleared of serious damage to his foot which forced him from the ground late in the first quarter of the game at Etihad Stadium.

Ellis has sustained a medium-grade foot strain and has been cleared of any fracture.

The club will further assess the injury later this week.

A shortage of big men meant Roughead had to take on some of the ruck work against the Kangaroos.

With Robert Campbell out injured and Simon Taylor suspended Brent Renouf did most of the work on his own before he was helped out by Roughead in the second half.

"It was a long, taxing game and to go in the ruck in the last quarter - I'm probably not the fittest bloke going around," he said.

Taylor will be available for this Saturday's clash while Campbell faces another fitness test.

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