3 minute read

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is playing down his team's AFL finals chances this season ahead of their clash with North Melbourne.

Alastair Clarkson insists Hawthorn are playing a long game that extends beyond this AFL season, but there's no denying the Hawks will move closer to the finals with a win over North Melbourne.

It's hard to tell whether the master coach is trying to play down his side's premiership chances in a bid to keep them flying under the radar, or if he really doesn't believe they are a legitimate flag chance.

But, depending on other results, the Hawks (8-10) could find themselves outside the eight on percentage only with a win over the Kangaroos (7-11) at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

"We haven't really been geared that way at all ... it's just about trying to win every week and that doesn't change from round one to round 23," Clarkson said of the prospect of edging closer to a finals berth with a win over the Roos.

"All that time we're trying to put together the personnel and methodology that will give us enough confidence that the steps we're taking are the ones in the right direction for us, in terms of building our next premiership side.

"If in that process of doing that you get enough wins and that has you qualifying for finals then great, but right at this point it's not so much about the importance of this game to win it because we have to give ourselves a (finals) chance."

Clarkson made one change to the line-up that fell to Brisbane, preferring Tim O'Brien over Jon Ceglar.

The Roos regained Scott Thompson and Kayne Turner, with Shaun Atley (knee) and Jed Anderson (omitted) departing the side that lost to West Coast.

The match will be the first since Rhyce Shaw's confirmation as a permanent replacement for coach Brad Scott.

"They're not doing too dissimilar things to what we're doing ... they're trying some younger players," Clarkson said of North Melbourne.

"Both sides are exploring with some personnel and a little bit with method.

"They've changed a little bit from Brad, that's going to be obvious, no two coaches will do things exactly the same.

"(But) whether Brad's been coaching the side or Shawry's coaching the side, we know when we play North Melbourne it's going to be pretty fierce."