HAWTHORN will enter the finals with a fresh and fit playing list, with coach Alastair Clarkson praising the club's depth after its 46-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday.

The Hawks did what they had to do against the Bulldogs. They controlled the game and whenever the Bulldogs challenged, the Hawks were good enough to hit back.

They had 33 more inside 50s, almost 100 more disposals and won the clearances and contested possessions. Ultimately, Hawthorn did what was expected.

But what appeared to enthuse Clarkson most after the win was the depth of his squad heading into this finals campaign.

After another season of injury woes, Hawthorn will hit its first final - likely to be against Geelong - with options all over the field.

"We've got a philosophy that you try to have 28-32 players available to you come finals time, and at any given stage you're happy for those guys to come in and fulfill a role for you," Clarkson said.

"It will be good to have a more comprehensive list to select from with the Gold Coast game next week and then get ourselves ready for what's likely to be the Cats in the first week of the finals."

Though Jarryd Roughead and defender Stephen Gilham have been ruled out for the rest of the season, key defender Ben Stratton, who ruptured his PCL against Richmond in round three, made his return in the VFL on Saturday.

Clarkson said it was pleasing to be gaining players rather than losing them at this stage of the year, with Stratton a potential wildcard ahead of the finals.

"He's an unbelievably competitive beast and he has an unbelievable fitness base. He's been able to do a fair amount of running in the last six-to-eight weeks to put himself in the position to play," he said.

"Whatever level he plays, he'll slot in somewhere in the next couple of weeks hopefully. He's pretty important to our back end, and [Brent] Renouf getting back as well gives us some depth through the middle of the ground and our ruck division.

"[David] Hale and [Max] Bailey have been terrific in the last six to eight weeks since Renouf and Roughead went down in the same game."

Cyril Rioli, who was subbed out of the game at three-quarter time with a knock to his calf, will be fit to take on the Suns, while Sam Mitchell will also return next week after being a late withdrawal with some swelling on his knee.

"Sam's had an enormous year in the game time he's played so we just thought it best to try to make sure the swelling dissipates," Clarkson said.

"He trained this morning and he wanted to play, but it was probably best to give him a spell knowing full well he's going to have to carry a fair load for us over the next month or so."

Follow Callum Twomey on Twitter at @Cal_Twomey.