IN-FORM Hawthorn defender Grant Birchall is confident the Hawks can overcome Geelong on Saturday night, despite the club's lack of recent success against the AFL's ladder leaders.

Hawthorn is yet to defeat Geelong in the five matches since the Hawks won the 2008 Grand Final, but all of those losses have been close.

The 19-point margin when the two teams clashed just six weeks ago has been the largest in that period.

Birchall believes the Hawks have learned their lessons from that loss and know what's required to win this time around.

"Even though we've been beaten against them the last five or six times, we've been very, very competitive against them," Birchall told hawthornfc.com.au on Thursday.

"I think it's very important that we make the most of our opportunities going forward, and just the frontal pressure with the press this weekend is going to be very important.

"Hopefully we can control the game through the midfield and put some scoreboard pressure on."

The Hawks had that scoreboard pressure in round five, when they jumped out to a 26-point lead during the first quarter.

But they were gradually reeled in as Cats defenders Matthew Scarlett, Harry Taylor and Corey Enright took advantage of some poor kicking inside 50 by Hawthorn's midfielders to shut the Hawks' key forwards out of aerial contests and set Geelong up off half-back.

"With guys like Scarlett and Enright and Taylor, they're such a well structured defence down there, we can't afford to just blaze away and kick in some high balls, which they love," Birchall said.

"We're going to have to be smart with our ball use going forward."

Hawthorn hasn't lost a game since the Easter Tuesday defeat to Geelong, with Birchall's form one of many bright points in his team's rise to third on the ladder.

The 23-year-old premiership player said he's been conscious of the need to perform in the absence of injured backmen Stephen Gilham and Ben Stratton.

"Obviously with the omission of 'Stratts' and 'Gilly' the senior guys in 'Gibbo' (Josh Gibson) and myself and Brent Guerra and these type of fellas have really had to step up, and things are going okay," he said.

"It's good to find a bit of the footy and hopefully it can continue."

Hawthorn has injected several new faces into its senior line-up in 2011, including four first-gamers since the round five loss.

Birchall praised the efforts of the band of new players, suggesting their presence might help lift a team that has continually stumbled against the Cats in the past two years.

"We've got some new guys in the side that haven't really played against the Cats, so I guess the demons aren't really there from the last few games we've played against them," the Tasmanian said.

"Guys like [Matt] Suckling, [Liam] Shiels, [Paul] Puopolo and those sort of guys have fitted in beautifully.

"They all had terrific pre-seasons, which has really helped, and they know the structures and the game-plan.

"Hopefully they can continue playing their role, because they've become really important players for us."

Geelong star Paul Chapman revealed before the last clash between the teams that several senior Cats players had made a pact never to lose to Hawthorn again after the 2008 Grand Final.

That pledge has been upheld so far, but Birchall believes it's now time for the Hawks to get one back for themselves.

"We're really confident about this weekend's game," he said.

"Hopefully we can get the four points, because it's fair to say that we owe one back on them."

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