HAWTHORN forward Jack Gunston says the Hawks have done their homework on the Bombers and are ready for the blockbuster at Etihad Stadium tonight.

In one of the biggest games of the season, first will play second for the third time this season, but as the end of the home and away season edges closer, this game is of particular importance.

A win for Hawthorn will put it two games clear of Essendon and keep its buffer of one match between itself and Geelong, assuming the Cats defeat St Kilda at Simmonds Stadium on Saturday night.

If that wasn’t enough to make tonight’s game a big one, there’s the rivalry between Hawthorn and Essendon that adds extra spice to an already massive game on a Friday night.

The game has already been declared by the AFL as a sell-out, with no tickets to be sold at the gates, with over 50,000 people expected to pack into Etihad Stadium to create a cauldron with the roof closed.

That doesn’t worry the Hawks though, with Gunston declaring the team has done their homework and are ready for whatever the Bombers throw at them.

“It’s a good rivalry with Essendon we have, they’re playing some great footy at the moment so it’s going to be a really tough game,” he told hawthornfc.com.au ahead of tonight’s match.

“It’s going to be a full house at Etihad and that’s what you love playing footy in front of, the big crowds.

“The boys are ready to go, we’ve done our homework on Essendon and we’re just now looking forward to getting out there for a good contest.”

The Hawks forward, whose father, Ray is the current interim CEO of Essendon Football Club says the Bombers have a number of weapons that will need to be stopped.

He says their depth has enabled it to more than cover for injured skipper, Jobe Watson who won’t play, still sidelined with a broken collarbone.

“They’ve got great depth and have some good young players that have shown their wares over the last few weeks, they’ve really filled the gap of Jobe who’s obviously a great player,” he said.

“There are a lot of other players we need to look out for.

“They’ve got a lot of good runners through the midfield and half back and they’ve obviously got some great key position players as well who are good both up forward and down in defence.”

But the Hawks won’t be pre-occupied with what the Bombers can do, but rather focus on its own strengths that has allowed it to reach top spot on the ladder with 14 wins and two losses – not to mention also the best percentage of any side this season.

“There are a lot of things we need to look out for but we also need to play our own game and run and carry to get the ball going forward,” he said.

“Hopefully we can go out there and produce the good footy we have this year.”