HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says backline instability is hurting his side in the wake of the Hawks’ humbling 44-point loss to Essendon.

Ranked 13th in defence going into Friday night’s clash, the Hawks conceded 17 goals to a Bomber forward line containing only one recognised tall forward in Matthew Lloyd, who kicked three goals but was not a dominant factor.

Hawthorn was without premiership defenders Trent Croad, Stephen Gilham, Brent Guerra and Rick Ladson, and again was forced to push ruckman Robert Campbell into defence late in the game.

“From halfway through the second quarter, we were trying to rob different areas of the ground to patch up other areas,” Clarkson said.

“We just found ourselves in a vicious cycle of not being able to settle our side too well.

“We had two-thirds of the side that played in the back half and if you go through any sides that consistently win games of footy, you don’t have a lot of rotations through your back six or seven players.

“Last year the key fact of our success was a lot of the back six hardly missed any games of football.

“We’re looking forward to our defenders getting back on the park and playing some consistent footy together.”

Compounding the loss was a calf injury to playmaker Chance Bateman, while star defender Luke Hodge is in doubt for next week’s clash against Fremantle with an adductor strain.

Hodge started in defence but was well beaten by Angus Monfries and had to be moved forward. He ended with just 11 touches.

“We’re going to have to make a decision over the course of next week whether we keep him going or give him a rest,” Clarkson said.

“He’s tried over the best part of the month to carry the injury but he’s just been below his best.

“If Hodge didn’t play over the last two or three weeks we wouldn’t have had one of our premiership defenders playing in the side.

“He’s such a leader and he doesn’t want to miss games of footy.”

Clarkson cited 23 personnel changes in four weeks as a key to the side’s 3-4 start, but said the reigning premier was not about to panic.

“We know we are nowhere near our best, both with personnel and the way that we’re playing,” he said.

“We are certainly not going to throw away a season and we’re a much better side than we showed tonight.

“Having said that, if we don’t play anywhere near our best then we can become quite an ordinary, middle-of-the-road side.”

“When you’ve got a lot of unsettling issues like that (injury) it’s hard to play your best footy, and that’s what we've got to search for over the next few weeks.”

Clarkson paid tribute to Essendon, whom he labelled “impressive”, but said early missed chances hindered the Hawks’ quest for a fast start.

“To kick 1.8 in the first quarter just wasn’t a good enough return and as a result of that Essendon lifted a little bit,” he said.

“If we were able to nail some of those goals early it sows a couple of seeds of doubt in the minds of the opposition players but we weren’t able to do that.”