Coach Sam Mitchell has praised the improvement of Mitch Lewis as the youngster looks to cement himself as Hawthorn's key forward.

Lewis was pivotal during the Hawks win over North Melbourne on Sunday, in what marked his first Round 1 selection in six seasons at the club.

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The 23-year-old finished with a game-high three goals and six contested marks, along with seven score involvements, and 13 disposals.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mitchell said he was pleased that Lewis was able to reap the rewards off the back of a strong pre-season.

"I think it was reward for effort, he had a really strong summer," Mitchell said.

"He worked really hard through the pre-season, even in our last practice game he didn't get on the end of it a lot, but I thought his effort and contest work throughout the game was really strong.

"It was great that on the weekend he was able to take a few contested marks and hit the scoreboard.

"His consistency of effort has improved every year, and now we think we've got a big strong key forward who can hold down that post for a long time."

Watch the full press conference from today below.