HERE WE GO

Arch rivals Geelong and Hawthorn will face off in their annual Easter Monday blockbuster today and skippers Joel Selwood and Ben Stratton will both be hoping their men can rise to the occasion.

ALASTAIR Clarkson says his youthful Hawthorn midfield will have to be “tougher for longer” to overcome a superstar Geelong engine room.

The Hawks have turned to a makeshift midfield brigade to cover injuries to star ball winners Liam Shiels, Shaun Burgoyne and Tom Mitchell this season.

While the Hawks have remained competitive in each of their first four games, Geelong stars Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Tim Kelly will pose a big challenge in the MCG blockbuster today.

Clarkson said the Hawks’ younger players had found it “hard to get through four quarters of sustained footy” in fadeouts to the Dogs and Saints.

“We are going along OK without being brilliant, but we have got to be a little bit better than OK (against Geelong), though,” Clarkson said.

“It’s going to be a tough contest, but part of it is actually digging in when you are a little bit tired and understanding the demands of the game.

“We haven’t been tough enough for long enough in key moments of games.’’

The Hawks have regained Jaeger O’Meara for the Easter Monday clash, but remain reliant on youngsters James Worpel, 20, James Cousins, 21 and Daniel Howe, 23, to shoulder the centre clearance load.

The Hawks are ranked last in the league for total clearances over the first four rounds, but Clarkson said they can meet the challenge today.

“We are learning all the time and they (young players) are getting great exposure,” he said.

Emerging fullback Kaiden Brand, 25, will replace James Frawley (hamstring) for the match-up on in-form spearhead Tom Hawkins, while big man Mitchell Lewis, 20, was called-up to play his third game in attack.

Clarkson said Lewis could provide a strong marking target in the absence of omitted back-up ruckman Jon Ceglar.

“He was a really talented young golfer, so he didn’t spent a lot of time playing footy when he was a kid,” he said.

“He’s progressed in our Box Hill side over the course of the last two years and he gets another opportunity.’’

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