HAWTHORN assistant coach Damian Carroll says that the Hawks expect a fierce contest against the Western Bulldogs in their Round 3 clash at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Carroll said the Bulldogs’ ability to start well is an aspect of their game which the Hawks would have to keep a close eye on.

‘Their ability to put pressure on the opposition defensively, their strong work around the stoppages and their ability to play the game in their front half has been pretty impressive so far (this season),’ he said.

‘The way they get numbers around the ball, the way they support each other and move the ball quickly has certainly been an asset for them over the first two weeks, so we’re going to have to try and deny them those options.’

‘We’ve got to come to play, win enough of the ball and get enough inside 50’s to give ourselves a chance of winning the game.’

Carroll said the Bulldogs’ impressive record at Etihad Stadium in recent times held no fear for the reigning premiers, saying that the Hawks’ record at Docklands was arguably just as good, having only lost two games at the venue since 2011.

‘The boys have traditionally played well at Etihad. We know the Dogs have a good record there but ours is comparable to theirs in the last 15 games or so,’ he said.

‘It’s obviously their home ground and they play it well but the boys enjoy going to Etihad and playing on that track.

‘The main aspect of Sunday’s game is it’s against an opposition who’s in good form and no doubt we’ll come ready to play. It should be a wonderful contest.’

Taking over as the midfield coach this season, Carroll said that the club was continually looking to improve, regardless of the result on the scoreboard.

‘We took a few lessons out of Round 1, hopefully even more out of last week’s game against West Coast which will continue to improve us as a team going forward.

After some impressive individual displays against the Eagles, Carroll said the challenge for the Hawks’ younger players this week was to back up with another good performance.

‘Young players get rated on their ability to consistently perform to a good standard at AFL level, so that’s their challenge for this week - back up the performance from last weekend and get some real momentum in their footy and their senior careers,’ he said.

‘The ability (for young players) to play well against good opposition is really important.’