The 31-year-old joined the Hawks on the track this week after being given permission to train with his prospective new teammates following his shock decision to walk out on the Demons over a contract dispute.
Hodge has been impressed with what he's seen of Bruce so far and is confident the 224-game veteran, along with trade week additions David Hale and Kyle Cheney, will thrive in the brown and gold.
"Brucie's leading the running; he's very fit, and Haley and Cheney have both fitted in very well," Hodge said from Melbourne Airport on Thursday shortly before the team flew out for a training camp in New Zealand.
"We've had a few changes since last year and we've brought in a few younger guys, so hopefully we'll be bringing in another mature head in Brucie and he can help guide the younger guys the right way."
While the camp has been billed as high-altitude training similar to that undertaken by Collingwood and North Melbourne in the United States, Hodge said team bonding and not fitness was the more likely focus of the five-day trip.
"I think it will be a bit of a short-term [fitness] gain. I don't think they're looking at it long-term [fitness-wise]," he said.
"It's more of a team building [exercise]. There will be a few hard tasks over there, a few mountain bike rides and a lot of hiking, so I would still say it's going to be a tiring few days.
"[But] we picked up some young kids in the draft and then there were a couple of trades in the off-season as well so it's good that we get to know them and they get to know us."
Hodge replaced premiership captain Sam Mitchell in the top job at the end of the 2010 season and he said it had been a seamless transition.
"[Things] haven't really changed that much from last year," he said.
"The way the guys have attacked training has been great so I haven't had to do anything at this stage."
The pre-season draft takes place in Melbourne on Tuesday, December 7.
