THE ONLY ceiling at Hawthorn in 2017 is the roof of the Sir Kenneth Luke Stand at the club's Waverley Park base.

Talk to Luke Hodge and the feeling ahead of the new season is bullish. The former captain paints a picture that suggests the talk of a Hawthorn decline might be a touch premature.

"The Geelong game (the qualifying final) we had the opportunity to win," he told AFL.com.au from the club's community camp in Tasmania when asked about the club's straight-sets finals exit last year.

"The Bulldogs game (the semi-final), we were 20 points up in the second quarter and missed a couple of easy shots in front. We could have been six goals up at half-time of a final and then we would have been able to shut it out."

The converse is the five games the Hawks won by less than a goal in the lead-up to the finals. Those results go the other way and they would have missed the finals entirely.

"If you look at our form over the whole year, it wasn't up to scratch. But I still have confidence in the list that if you put us under pressure, we would normally respond," Hodge said.

The optimism for this year is based on some fresh blood and new opportunities and responsibilities for players who have been with the club for a while.

Hodge has heard the ripples of excitement from Hawthorn supporters about Jaeger O'Meara, the injury-prone midfielder who joined the club from Gold Coast and whose first hit-out will be in Friday's JLT Community Series game against Geelong at UTAS Stadium.

So he chooses his words carefully.

"Jaeger is ticking the boxes. He's been very impressive from the first time I've met him. He's gone through a lot with his setbacks, but to be as mature as he is, you struggle to find a fault with him," he said.

Hodge drops a few stories about how well O'Meara has fitted into the club and his professionalism with his rehabilitation. At training, his teammates have seen first hand what a beast he is to match up on.

But it is a touch awkward for Hodge when conversation turns to what O'Meara might bring on match days. The fact is that fully fit, O'Meara offers Hawthorn what his two great mates, departed pair Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis, no longer quite could.

"It's well known that our spread from the contest hasn't been great. We've had Isaac Smith and Liam Shiels in there, but when you have a rotation of Mitchell, Hodge and Lewis, who when they're fresh might be able to get out in some space, but naturally are more defensive runners," Hodge said.

"Jaeger definitely adds to that. He has the ability to win his own ball but what I've seen at training is that he wins the ball, kicks it long then works towards the next contest and that's something we have lacked consistently over the last few years."

Tom Mitchell has arrived from Sydney and in Hodge's estimation, he plays like his namesake did earlier in his career.

"Tom Mitchell knows how to win the ball. I guess Sammy's ability early on was to be able to win the ball and get a clearance away, but in the last few years he got away from that a little bit and was known for his left foot, right foot and his vision," Hodge said.

"Tommy will develop that over the years, but in and under at the coalface, right now he's as good as 'Mitch' was. His ability to know and find the ball and dispose it under pressure was something I thought he was good at, but he's taken the next step and has shown a lot of our midfielders how to go about it which has been really good."

And then there's Jarryd Roughead's return. It is the feel-good story of the year but what excites Hodge is what Roughead's return means during games.

"He brings a number of things. He has lots of versatility for someone his size, he can play in a number of positions, can go down back, has impact on the ball and he kicks goals," Hodge said.

Hodge cites the selflessness and the passion that Roughead will bring to the team. 

"He's like an 18-year-old kid. I can only imagine the energy he's going to bring this year after missing 18 months. We lacked a bit of that last year," he said.

"Jack Gunston and a few others tried to fill his role with the leadership side of things but it detracted from their games, but Roughy can do all that."

Hodge holds out high hopes for ex-Tiger Ty Vickery, not as a 60-goal key forward but someone who will play his role.

"All he has to do is fit in with the other forwards who have done pretty well in the last few years. If he kicks one goal a game that's great; we haven't had a leading goalkicker for a number of years because it's all about sharing the goals," he said.

Which brings the conversation back to that ceiling.

"I think a lot of people had doubt on us because we've lost three ripping players – Mitch, Lewis and Brad Hill. But it's not as if we're replacing them with draftees," he said.

"The thing with Mitch and 'Lewy' is they were great leaders, but that put a limit on what the other guys could do," he said, citing new vice-captains Shiels and Isaac Smith, as well as Jack Gunston and others.

Generational change is taking place at Hawthorn.

"Now they've got no ceiling on how good they can be because they'll have more time through the middle. Add Jaeger who will be in our leadership group before long and Tommy who will have an impact, so as far as a ceiling, there is none this year."

Like everyone in footy, Hodge was impressed and inspired by the Western Bulldogs. "No doubt you need a little luck, but look at the Doggies last year. If there was no pre-finals bye last year would they have even won one final because of all those injured blokes?"

And while the mantra at Hawthorn has long been to make the top four and then reset and reload, Hodge believes the pre-finals bye changes things.

"I'm not sure finishing top four is the be-all end-all," he said. "As long as you get in and play some really good footy in the last four weeks, anything could happen."