YOUNG Hawthorn defender Matt Suckling has put his hand up to help fill the void in the Hawks' back half after a string of serious injuries.

The probable loss for the season of key defender Stephen Gilham to a serious right knee injury sustained in the win over St Kilda, with the earlier season-ending injury to Ben Stratton, has left the backline desperately short of manpower.

The Hawks turned a 32-point quarter-time deficit into a 30-point victory after restricting the Saints to just five goals after the first break, and Suckling says the whole defence now has to step up.

"We will just try and help out each other as much as we can and roll onto as many opponents as much as we can," he told hawthornfc.com.au.

After overcoming the loss of Gilham and ruckman David Hale to injury, and recovering from a first-quarter shellacking in which the Hawks managed just a behind to St Kilda's 5.3, Suckling agreed with coach Alastair Clarkson that the victory was one of the club's finest.

"They got the jump on us. The Saints got a couple of quick ones out the back to Riewoldt. We just could not apply pressure and weren't able to get out of our back half," he said.

"Out first quarter we were under the pump, and then with all the injuries I think it was a pretty gutsy effort by our boys."

This season has been a breakthrough for Suckling after making his debut in 2009, with his penetrating kick and link-up play from defence a key to Hawthorn's success in 2011.

He is averaging 24 disposals this season - against the Saints he managed 28 disposals including five rebounds from the defensive 50.

"I'm starting to play a few more games in a row now, so that definitely helps the confidence," Suckling said.

He said the limited rotations forced on the team because of injury might have an impact on players' recovery during the week, but he was confident they could record their first win in Sydney since 2003 next Sunday.

"I didn't get a spell in the last quarter and maybe one in the third quarter. I was starting to cramp up. It was pretty tough work out there," Suckling said.

"We knew we would have to stay on the ground longer. We knew we all had to dig in a little bit and just work through it."