With just one week remaining until the Hawks will resume their 2020 campaign, Hawthorn Coach Alastair Clarkson says you can sense the excitement in the air.
The Hawks will face Geelong at GMHBA Stadium next Friday night after nearly three months of season postponement.
Clarkson said footy's return was not only a good thing for the players and coaches, but for everyone across the country.
"You just sensed, walking into the place today, that there is this vibe and this excitement that footy is about to start again," Clarkson said.
"That's exciting for everyone involved in the game, certainly at clubland, but also for the media and those in the wider footy community.
"Everyone should be looking forward to some live professional sport being on the tele again."
Golden Years podcast: The day the Hawks waved goodbye to Waverley
Continuing with the theme of optimism, the four-time premiership coach explained there was little cause for apprehension upon the restart and the potentially greater likelihood of injuries and lack of form.
"It's all systems go," Clarkson rebutted.
"Preparation-wise, we've had four weeks to lead into this phase, we've had 10 weeks in isolation which, whilst it was slightly implicated in terms of being able to do things in groups, the players have been able to do a fair amount of work to maintain their fitness levels in readiness to play."
The Hawks have one of the tougher draws of any club in the competition in the upcoming four-week block, but Clarkson refused to buy into the idea that the club was concerned about the difficulty of its fixture.
"We're really excited about the journey and challenges in front of us.
"It's not an easy restart for us, having the Cats in Geelong and then a six-day break and having to face the Tigers.
"But, we're just really excited and ready to go."