Three changes were assured with Brian Lake and David Hale retiring and Matthew Suckling moving to the Bulldogs. But the injuries to Hill, Jarryd Roughead and Liam Shiels mean the Hawks will be a very different outfit.

While the departures and injuries mean youth will be brought into the side, one of those players is already a proven player in Will Langford who was in the 2014 premiership side before losing his place in the team last year due to injuries and poor form.

He has done well this pre-season and the coaches feel he is playing with a hunger to reclaim his place in the side.

Billy Hartung is a like-for-like replacement for Hill, who injured his hand smothering a ball in training this week. Hartung has struggled for consistent games but Hill’s injury will give him the chance to play a run of games.

Brendan Whitecross has played 88 games between two knee reconstructions but could only manage four games last year. He is a capable midfielder who will be considered with Shiels out, as will Jono O’Rourke – the former No.2 draft pick who was recruited from GWS a year ago but managed only two games in his first season.

Jon Ceglar had been earmarked to take Hale’s role as the ruck forward, having been unlucky to miss last year’s grand final after injury and illness hampered him late in the year after impressing for much of the season.

LIkewise, James Sicily has had a taste of senior football and is expected to be used forward in Roughead’s absence.

Then the Hawks will really start exploring their depth and taking a closer look at players such as running defender Dan Howe who impressed the coaches with his four games last year.

With so many changes thrust upon them the Hawks appear unlikely to bring in a player to debut in the opening round, but Blake Hardwick did well in two pre-season games and short midfielder Kieran Lovell also impressed in the pre-season.