BEST 22
FB: Ben Stratton, Stephen Gilham, Tom Murphy
HB: Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Brent Guerra
C: Chance Bateman, Luke Hodge, Clinton Young
HF: Xavier Ellis, Lance Franklin, Shaun Burgoyne
FF:  Michael Osborne, Jarryd Roughead, Cyril Rioli
FOLL: Brent Renouf, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis
I/C: David Hale, Brad Sewell, Cameron Bruce
SUB: Isaac Smith

Injury list
Sam Menegola - wrist (5-6 weeks)

Most valuable player
Luke Hodge has long been the spiritual leader at Hawthorn and he will lead the side in an official capacity in 2011 after taking over from premiership skipper Sam Mitchell. The Hawks walk taller when Hodgey's on the park and his fitness is the key factor in the club's quest to push deep into September.

Track specialist
Cameron Bruce impressed his new teammates right from the outset after his off-season move from Melbourne. At 31, he could have been forgiven for easing into life in brown and gold, but his scorching time trials and near-perfect attendance record are evidence of his desire to make this next chapter of his career a successful one.

Dream Team special
Former Demon Kyle Cheney ($159,900) and mature-aged recruit Paul Puopolo  ($92,500) are battling to claim Campbell Brown's spot in defence. Regardless of which player gets the nod for round one, both are likely to see some senior action in 2011 and at those prices they'll prove sound Dream Team investments. 

Pivotal match
Hawthorn opens the season against the Crows in Adelaide, but then plays three non-finalists from 2010 in succession and that should set up the round five clash against Geelong beautifully. They played two ripping matches last year, both Hawks losses, but if Alastair Clarkson's men can turn the tables here they could go into their first bye at 4-1 or better.

Draftee watch
The Hawks picked up last year's draft bolter, Isaac Smith, in the hope he'll continue his meteoric rise and become an AFL star. That would be too much to ask of a teenager but at 22, Smith has the pace, skill and desire to thrill fans right from the start of his career.

The Hawks will have a good year if…
… Lance Franklin spends more time inside attacking 50. If we see Buddy terrorising defenders and kicking goals rather than picking up meaningless stats up the field then Clarkson's remodelled game plan will be working. We all know he's capable of playing just about anywhere, but it's his work closer to goal that gives opposition coaches sleepless nights.   

The big issues
Can Hawthorn translate a stellar summer into a stunning winter? Few clubs have had as good a pre-season as the Hawks have. They have the cattle, but has Clarkson pulled the right rein on the tactical front?

Can the likes of Matt Suckling, Shane Savage and Liam Shiels exert some real pressure on the best 22? They've been bit-part players to this point but need to take the next step if the Hawks are to be a contender.

Can Max Bailey finally string some AFL games together? After three knee reconstructions he certainly deserves a change of luck.

How does David Hale fit in? Hybrid big men are all the rage and Clarkson must figure out how to best utilise the former Roo in attack and around the ground.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL