The stars and the big selections demand the pre-game attention but newcomers could be pivotal in the titanic Geelong-Hawthorn AFL qualifying final.

As Hawthorn recalled eight top players for the Friday night clash with their fierce rivals, the Cats dropped Darren Milburn and again did not name Joel Corey and Cameron Mooney.

This clash, more than most, will bear out the importance of team depth.

While Hawthorn have not beaten Geelong since the 2008 grand final, the biggest margin in the six games since has been only 19 points.

They will play two days after the Rising Star award, where Geelong's Allen Christensen, Mitch Duncan and Daniel Menzel and Hawks youngsters Luke Breust and Shane Savage were nominees.

All except Savage will make their AFL finals debuts on Friday night.

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said the contribution of their younger players had been crucial this year as they finished third, a significant improvement of ninth in 2009 and seventh last year.

He mentioned Breust, Savage, Jordan Lisle, Ryan Schoenmakers and Liam Shiels - all either in Friday night's team or pushing for senior selection.

Paul Puopolo and Isaac Smith were also drafted for this season as more mature player options.

"(There is) the emergence of some young players who have been sitting in our system for two or three years and learning their craft at (VFL) level," Clarkson said.

"They were ready in terms of their progression, to step up and play senior footy this year.

"Perhaps in '09, '10, while we still had an emerging group of players who had been for some time ... they hadn't had that continuity of playing week-to-week.

"They'd had some injury concerns or form concerns - it meant that when they did step up to play senior footy, they couldn't do it with the same sort of consistency that some of these lads have done this year."

Now the youngsters in the two line-ups face the biggest test yet of their AFL careers.

"We've been able to cover some pretty significant losses for us quite well ... but we know that won't count for much (against Geelong), we've just got to get out there and have a genuine crack with the 22 we have," Clarkson said.

"We know we're going to have 22 formidable opponents ... it's going to be a brutal battle."

Clarkson is unconcerned about Geelong's winning run against the Hawks, or whether outgoing Hawks president Jeff Kennett gave the Cats too much ammunition when he once questioned their mental strength.

"Sometimes you just have to tell your president to keep his mouth shut," Clarkson joked.

Clarkson is also unfussed about the weather, with forecast for wintry conditions on Friday night.

"We feel our game style can adjust well to wet conditions and our players are resilient enough to withstand those tougher types of conditions," he said.

"I don't think our side and the way we select it will change on the basis of whether it's going to be wet or dry.

"Both sides are experienced and (have) strong bodies ... I wouldn't know one way or the other."

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