HAWTHORN veteran Shaun Burgoyne is hoping a big match experience against the AFL's top team will stand his young teammates in good stead come finals time.

The Hawks took to the MCG against Collingwood on Sunday in front of more than 83,000 fans, with a team containing eight players with less than 20 games' experience, and were thrashed by 41 points.

"We're disappointed with the loss but the positive we'll take out of it is that our young players got exposed to playing in front of a big crowd against a great team, and really exposed to that intensity, so they're going to be better for that in the future," Burgoyne said.

The former Port Adelaide star hoped the up-close view of the impressive Magpies would help show Hawthorn's youngsters the consistent effort required to be a top team.

"You play against Collingwood and they've got quality players all over the field," he said.

"No matter what position you're playing in, you're playing against a quality player.

"When you're exposed to that intensity that they're able to create, you can't play in bits and pieces during the match.

"You've got to play a full four quarters."

One inexperienced player to stand up under the pressure was young key defender Jordan Lisle.

In just his fourth AFL game, Lisle had completely shut Collingwood man-mountain Chris Dawes out of the match in the first three quarters, restricting him to one mark and five disposals.

However, the Hawks' big man curse struck yet again approaching time on in the third term when the 20 year-old suffered suspected facial fractures after clashing heads with Magpie Leon Davis.

Should the fractures be confirmed, Lisle will join other key defenders Stephen Gilham, Ben Stratton and Ryan Schoenmakers on the sidelines.

The continual depletion of Hawthorn's big man stocks is beginning to frustrate Burgoyne.

"Lisle has been in very good touch, and he's another one of our talls," the 2006 All Australian said.

"We've got an abundance of small players around the club, but we don't have many talls, and it's our talls that seem to be getting hurt."

Mark Macgugan writes for hawthornfc.com.au and covers Hawthorn news for afl.com.au Follow him on Twitter: @mmacgugan