FORMER teammates James Frawley and Mitch Clark are a chance of competing directly against each other in round one, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says.
The ex-Demons will make their debuts for their respective new clubs when Hawthorn and Geelong meet in the traditional Easter Monday clash at the MCG.
Clarkson said it appeared increasingly likely Frawley and Clark would play on each other at various stages of the match.
"This is a chance at some point in time," Clarkson told reporters at the Ricoh Centre on Easter Sunday.
"We don't usually lock just one particular defender against a forward for the whole of the game, so they might roll around different opponents at different stages.
"But I'm sure at some point in time it's going to be Clark versus Frawley."
Clarkson said the Hawks would take a "trial and error" approach in limiting the Cats' new-look forward line.
"We've only really seen three samples of it across the summer; Mitch has only just come to their club," he said.
"They've looked at their side over the course of the last 12 months and thought that there was too much of a focus on Tom (Hawkins), so they've brought in Mitch as another tall option.
"That's going to make it more difficult for us, but we've brought in another key defender in Frawley, who we think will help us in our back end.
"That'll be a really intriguing part of the game, I'm sure."
In a further boost, promising midfielder Jed Anderson will return to the Hawks' line-up after missing all of last year due to a shoulder injury he sustained in the VFL in March.
Clarkson praised the 21-year-old's perseverance after a prolonged absence on the sidelines.
"It's given him a chance to mature physically and in the mind, and develop some resilience of how tough this game is," he said.
"He's looking forward to the game and the opportunity, and we're excited with what he can bring to our side."
Clarkson said experienced trio Grant Birchall, David Hale and Matt Spangher were all available for round one selection but were overlooked due to a lack of match conditioning.
"We just elected not to play them because they're just a little bit underdone compared to the match fitness of some of the other guys," he said.
"I'd reckon over the next week or two, they'll come back into consideration."
The 2014 premiership flag – the club’s 12th – will be unfurled before the large crowd that is expected at the MCG, adding to the excitement ahead of the game.
The Hawks are vying for three consecutive premierships and in doing so would become the first team to win three straight since the Brisbane Lions of 2001-03.
But Clarkson said despite last year’s heroic Grand Final performance, the group’s mindset quickly changed once they began pre-season training.
"All we know going into round one is we don't get any credits for season 2014 ... we know we start from scratch," Clarkson said.
"The attitude and application of our players throughout the course of the summer has been first class.
"They know full well that we've got a clear set of goals that we stick by every year, and that's to try to make the top four, and we ignore all the noise out there about premiership aspirations and three-peats."
