HAWTHORN'S Paul Puopolo is in doubt to face North Melbourne on Saturday night, as the small forward battles a corked thigh.

In an injury unrelated to Puopolo's unfortunate run-in with an umpire earlier this season, the two-time premiership player will face a fitness test on Friday afternoon ahead of the club's clash with the Roos.

He was absent from the Hawks' light training session on Friday morning at their Waverley base, and coach Alastair Clarkson concedes the 27-year-old is in doubt after suffering the injury in last week's loss to Port Adelaide.

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"He's got a corkie right at the front of his thigh and we need to run him through a session this afternoon," Clarkson said.

"The strange thing about some of these injuries is we've got to select the side by Thursday night, yet that's probably about 70 per cent [into] the week. But you've got to name your side.

"He's going to be touch-and-go, and he needs to be able to kick well. It's on his right leg, so we'll make that call either later on this afternoon or tomorrow. He's in doubt, but he's not ruled out right at this point in time." 

Brendan Whitecross, who was dropped for the clash after making his return from serious knee injuries two weeks ago, is on standby for Puopolo. 

A player who is a certainty to line-up for his first game of 2014 is defender Ryan Schoenmakers, who will replace the injured Brian Lake (knee). 

Schoenmakers resisted the urge to ask for a trade at the end of last season, despite more opportunities elsewhere, and Clarkson said the 24-year-old had probably deserved an earlier call-up after showing good form at VFL level.

"He's a big part of the fabric of this footy club and he knows he's at a good club right in the middle of a period of success and he wants to be part of it, with all the mates he got drafted with and is really good friends with at this footy club," Clarkson said.

"He sees that this is where his future is and we did too. We were delighted he was going to stay because it means he is confident in the system and confident in himself that he was going to be able to contribute when the chance comes for him."

As the Hawks sit 2-2 for the first time since 2012 (when they made the Grand Final but lost to the Sydney Swans), Clarkson said he had been able to turn his full focus to the Kangaroos after finding himself in the spotlight at the start of the week.

The Hawks coach was involved in a physical incident with an aggressive fan after last week's defeat to the Power, with Clarkson saying he should have walked away from the men instead of shoving the instigator.

The incident was caught on tape and circulated quickly last weekend, but the three-time premiership coach said it was important to move on quickly.

"It's the swings and roundabouts of footy, if you're involved in this game there's going to be times where you have significant highs and there's also going to be times where it's not so good like it was this week," he said.

"You just roll with the punches and get on with the game."