Hawthorn will draw on every bit of their 2008 premiership experience in an ambitious bid to progress past Fremantle and have a serious crack at landing the AFL's holy grail this season.

The Hawks are rated as this year's premiership dark horses but face a tough battle to even progress past week one of the finals after their seventh-place finish thrust them into a cut-throat elimination final against the Dockers in Perth on Saturday.

But a run of games in Melbourne awaits the Hawks should they dispose of the Dockers, starting with a blockbuster at the MCG next Friday night.

The top four sides will hold little fear for the giant-killing Hawks.

During the club's dominant second half of the season, Hawthorn beat both Collingwood and the Bulldogs, drew with St Kilda and came within a kick of defeating Geelong.

"The genuine belief is there," Hawks assistant coach Adam Simpson said on Friday.

"I have noticed they're ready to go.

"They've had the experience before.

"They're a young group still but they have had finals experience and I'm sure they'll draw on that tomorrow.

"I suppose you look at it two ways, where we've come from ... (after) round seven (when) we had won one game.

"So to come back and make the finals is a great achievement.

"But how far we can go - we've got the cattle, it's just how we perform on the day."

Hawthorn have been buoyed by the return of inspirational midfielder Luke Hodge, who missed last weekend's win over the Pies with a knee injury.

"Hodgey does have that presence on-field and people talk about it, a bit like Glenn Archer I suppose," Simpson said.

Hawthorn were rocked this week by the news of midfielder Travis Tuck's third strike under the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

But Simpson said the playing group had coped well with the controversy.

"Obviously it's been in the media a fair bit but I really haven't noticed the players any different with the attitude towards the week.

"Just to see Travis out there on Thursday was a good sign that we were moving forward with that.

Hawthorn's players looked refreshed during a light training run at Subiaco Oval on Friday, with their business class trip to Perth no doubt helping ease the travel burden.

Dockers ruckman Aaron Sandilands looms as a potential match-winner for the home side but Simpson said the Hawks couldn't afford to focus too much attention on the 211cm giant.

"Everyone knows his assets. It hasn't been our main issue of the week to how we are going to stop Sandilands," he said.

"There's a wider range of things we've got to deal with ... so he hasn't been the number one priority."

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