HAWTHORN defender Ben Stratton says his team's difficult run to the finals is the perfect preparation for September.

The Hawks face fourth-placed West Coast on Friday night, six days after their stunning seven-point win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

"It was definitely one of the most intense [games of the season]," Stratton said of Saturday's come-from-behind victory.

"There was a lot of running, and a lot of contested footy.

"It's good to have those tough, hard, close games leading into the finals. They're good practice."

With Josh Kennedy back from injury, the Eagles have the option of playing four tall targets in front of goal against Hawthorn.

Quinten Lynch was a late omission last week, but West Coast coach John Worsfold didn't rule out bringing him back to play alongside Kennedy, Jack Darling and a resting Nic Naitanui/Dean Cox.

Whether Lynch plays or not, the Hawks will rely on Stratton to play tall, alongside fellow backmen Ryan Schoenmakers and Josh Gibson.

"They've got some big boys up there, and I think it's going to come down to the midfield pressure as well," Stratton said.

"If they can pressure the ball coming down, it will make our job a bit easier.

"They'll be pretty hard to stop if there's a lot of free ball coming out of the centre.

"So I think it's going to be won in the midfield."

The 23-year-old played on Darling last time the teams met, in round four, giving away only two centimetres in height but nine kilograms in weight.

Not that the size difference bothers him.

"I don't mind playing on the bigger guys," he said.

"It's good practice having 'Bud' (Lance Franklin) and 'Roughy' (Jarryd Roughead) to play on over pre-season."

Stratton has played all 21 games this season, one of only three Hawks, along with Matt Suckling and Schoenmakers, to do so.

It's an even more impressive achievement given the West Australian played only six games in 2011 due to a knee injury.

"If you'd said at the start of the year that I'd play every game, I'd have been pretty stoked," Stratton said.

"It's definitely been good, coming off the knee injury last year."

Due to play his 50th career match in the first week of the finals, Stratton said his body had held up well through the season's heavy workload.

"It is a long season, but I had a sub game against GWS [in round 15], which freshened me up a little bit," he said.

"That was good."