HAWTHORN midfielder Brad Sewell has dismissed any suggestion his side is suffering a premiership hangover after losing its third game of the season on the weekend.

Sewell admitted Sunday’s loss to Port Adelaide was disappointing but said it was too early in the season to write off the Hawks.

“I haven’t thought about it in that regard. We’re only one game off fifth. It’s still early in the year and an even competition. Sides are settling themselves to a certain extent,” Sewell said.

The Hawks have been beset by injury and have played plenty of players with limited AFL experience. But Sewell refused to attribute the blame to the young players that have been playing in the back half.

”I don’t think it is an issue. It’s been a great chance for those guys to get some exposure and experience. Those guys may be playing in defence but across the board the defence is up to the midfielders and forwards as well. We certainly haven’t been helping them out at all,” he said.

“That’s the midfielders’ fault and the forwards’ fault. We certainly can’t lump that area of the game in the defenders’ lap and say that it’s their issue. It’s across the board.”

Sewell said there was no major reason for the Hawks’ poor start to 2009.

“It’s probably a variety of things. It is the players not doing the things we do well that we’ve done well in the past,” Sewell said.

“It is not an issue of who is playing and who isn’t. It is just our intensity, particularly on the weekend and we have certainly shown we can play at that standard against North Melbourne,” he said.

The Hawks play West Coast at Aurora Stadium this week and Sewell said he was looking forward to getting down to the Apple Isle.

“The timing is always right to play down in Tasmania. We love getting down there, we get great support and it is a great ground. We do play the ground well so we are looking forward to getting down there again.”