RESTING Shane Crawford and Simon Taylor from this weekend's match against Carlton isn't arrogance, Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson says.

Crawford has played just 11 matches this season as he fights knee tendonitis, while Taylor missed three games in June with a gashed knee.

Hawthorn plays the Western Bulldogs in week one of the finals whatever the result of this match, and Clarkson said it was caution that was driving his match committee.

"Our focus is all about making sure we're in the best possible nick we can be, to go as deep as we can in September," he said before the Hawks training session at Waverley Park on Friday.

"We've worked all year on trying to make sure we'd have as good a list as possible to select for round 22 leading into the finals, and probably apart from Timmy Boyle and Benny McGlynn, we've got a really strong group to select from.

"Crawf and Simon Taylor both probably could have played at a stretch, but it was best if we just got both their bodies absolutely right so that we've got 25 to 30 players to select from throughout the finals series.

"At any given day, any different opposition you play against, you can go to any one of those 30 players and be happy that you can put together a side that can win a game of footy for you."

A couple of short breaks either side of round 22 helped make the decision, Clarkson said.

"It was probably based on the fact that it looked likely that our first final may be on a Friday night, and that we would have played a Sunday game, then a Saturday game, then a Friday night game.

"That would be three games in 12-13 days for Crawf, and we just thought it was a perfect opportunity for him to have a rest.

"The rest will do him the world of good – he's played four on end, he's fresh, he's got through those games really well, and he's played well enough to convince us that he can have an impact in the finals.

"A fresh Shane Crawford in the first week of the finals would be really good for our club."