THERE'S always an intrigue about what Alastair Clarkson's up to at Hawthorn – and that's especially so right now.

The challenge of rebuilding his Hawks without 'bottoming out' requires him to prioritise reinventing a forward line that boasted two All Australians in Jack Gunston and Luke Breust last year.

The process is years in the making and suddenly has a greater urgency – not only if they are to contend for finals in 2019, but also if the ageing core of this list is to win another flag.

"We're regularly kicking 12 or 13 goals a game and we think to win consistently, we need to be kicking 15, 16 goals a game, so we're searching for how we can do that better," Clarkson said after Monday's loss to Geelong.

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"We're a work-in-progress with our forward structure, and some of that's got to do with the forwards themselves and some of it's got to do with the way we're moving the footy."

Cyril Rioli's premature retirement last year was the first major spanner in the works, although swingman Tim O'Brien's inability (so far) to go on with his promising patch in 2017 was a setback, too.

Premiership forward Ryan Schoenmakers is an injury-prone depth option at age 28, while Jon Ceglar is a back-up ruckman first and an at-times capable marking target second.

Paul Puopolo, who became an integral piece in Hawthorn's flag three-peat out of the SANFL at age 22, is now 31, out of contract at year's end and not quite the same player he once was.

And, of course, former captain Jarryd Roughead's playing future ramped up as a major source of discussion last year, including internally, and this seems almost certain to be his final season.

Chad Wingard's arrival at Waverley Park as Cyril Rioli 2.0 – a destiny yet to play out, as the former Power star comes to terms with his new digs – resulted in some pain.

Out went another first-round draft pick, a familiar experience Hawks fans have come to understand, but they weren't so forgiving about 22-year-old Ryan Burton's exit in the same package.

If there's one thing Hawthorn has a shortage of, it's genuinely promising young talent.

So it was with great interest the Hawks called up Mitch Lewis, the 199cm, 100kg forward, for his third AFL match on Easter Monday.

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It wasn't as simple as Clarkson just bringing his 20-year-old spearhead in, because the master coach knows Lewis's importance to the bigger picture.

Out went Ceglar, Roughead then backed up Ben McEvoy in the ruck, and Gunston was sent down back – and not just to make up for defenders Ben Stratton and James Frawley being out.

"We needed an opportunity for Lewis to be able to try and draw the footy," Clarkson explained.

"If Gunston was down there, it doesn't give him as much of an opportunity to fly at the footy and go for his catches and present as a target."

Lewis responded with easily his best AFL game: 14 disposals (10 contested), four marks, one goal and 10 score involvements, and he impressed both aerially and at ground level.

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He's a tremendous athlete for his size and considers himself "as good a ground level player as anyone", which was put into practice in his performance at the Cats' expense.

It was also the sustained performance Clarkson was waiting for from his kid forward, after an exciting glimpse in the club's JLT Community Series finale against the Tigers.

However, there are big decisions still to make.

Gunston, who has booted more than 50 goals in a season four times, was ineffective at half-back against the Cats before being shifted forward in the second half.

Can Roughead, Gunston and Lewis co-exist as a tall forward trio?

"I'm open to anything – anything to keep me in the side, I'll be happy to take – but that will be up to Clarko," Lewis told AFL.com.au.

"I need to hold my spot in the side first of all, but I've played that (No.1) role in the VFL for the last couple of years, so hopefully I'll just keep my spot in the side and we'll see what happens.

"But I don't feel that pressure (to be Roughead's successor)."

There must also be serious doubt about Irishman Conor Nash's place in the team after a slow start to 2019, encapsulated in him being statless through three quarters in round five.

Nash is 197cm and an athletic specimen, but he isn't an overhead marking threat and his set-shot goalkicking is a work-in-progress, so he's effectively a pressure forward at this stage.

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Players such as rangy 193cm forward/winger Jackson Ross, who kicked eight goals in the opening fortnight of the VFL season, and Dylan Moore are others to watch.

Ross cheekily spoke only weeks ago of his ambition to "one day kick (Gunston) out of the team", so he doesn't lack any confidence.

St Kilda discard and new Hawk Darren Minchington, now recovered from a hamstring setback, will also have his eyes on a small forward slot.

"You've got guys coming in, coming out. It's really good for our footy club that we have depth," Lewis said.

"'Rossy' kicking goals down in the VFL just shows if he needs to be called upon, or someone else, like a Dylan Moore, who got a game, that they can come up."

Watch this space, because Hawthorn's future depends on whatever eventuates working.

Hawthorn's forward line

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