HAWTHORN skipper Luke Hodge is still battling the Achilles injury that has dogged him for the past two months, but is poised to test the troublesome tendon against Melbourne on Sunday.

Hodge will likely be named in the line-up, but his ability to adequately recover from the Hawks' main training session on Thursday afternoon will determine whether he leads the side out onto the MCG.

"I've gotten through two Box Hill games now and got through the majority of the training sessions over the last couple of weeks," Hodge said from Waverley on Thursday.

"We've got our main training session [to go] and if I get through that and pull up okay then hopefully I can put my hand up.

"[But] we'll have to wait and see. Achilles injuries are funny things - they're a bit different. One day you wake up and you're ready to go and you feel fine and the next day you feel terrible.

"I've been lucky in the last couple of [VFL] games. On game day I've done the warm up and felt good, so hopefully I can do the same this week and be right for Sunday."

Hodge's inclusion would be a huge shot in the arm to the team that was overrun by the Crows in Adelaide in the season opener.

The skipper watched the game on television in Melbourne after playing for Box Hill and saw plenty of positives the side can draw upon as it looks to notch its first win of the campaign.

"I thought the intent and the attitude of the guys early was good," he said.

"We were a bit disappointed with a few turnovers and goals that we gave away and then Adelaide just ran over the top of us.

"I think it was just our decision making and a few goals that we missed that was the big issue. We've got to make sure that we hit targets and finish off when we get the chance to kick goals.

"If we show up with the same intent and attitude that we started with last week then hopefully things will go all right."

Luke Hodge is a $428,300 midfielder in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition