THERE IS no such thing as scoreboard pressure at Hawthorn - it’s all about maintaining momentum, according to general manager, football operations Mark Evans.

After a week of rising expectations and excitement about the big-game emergence of Lance Franklin, the Hawks are trying to keep the lid firmly on its youngsters.

“For the moment it’s nothing to do with the scoreboard or the ladder. They are irrelevant. It’s about maintaining momentum,” Evans told hawthornfc.com.au.

“It’s about the development phase of this group.

“They are maturing as a group and the next stage of maturity is to put more complete games together, to beat the better-rated teams and to beat them on the road.

“One of the signs of maturity is to get the victories when you don’t have your best side out there.

“If we can show these signs along the way, Hawthorn supporters will know where we are.”

The Hawks travel to Subiaco this weekend to play Fremantle. Recent road trips west against the Dockers have been reasonably rewarding. The Hawks enjoy a 4-3 win-loss advantage against Fremantle, including an upset victory in 2005.

The Hawks uncompromising running game will trouble Fremantle, which has managed just two wins for the season.

“We don’t hold any fears of travelling to Subiaco,” Evans said.

“If we play the style of game we have over the past three or four weeks, we should be okay.”

At his regular Friday media conference at Waverley, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said it would be speed of mind and hand rather than the feet that would be crucial in this Sunday’s contest.

"We went across to Subiaco two years ago to play Fremantle and had a really solid six- or eight-goal victory," Clarkson said.

"What it does offer us the opportunity to do is to run hard and we'll pick a side that can run this week."

"If we can prevent that from Fremantle it will give us enormous chance of winning the game, but if we can't and they get their guys up and going it's going to be enormously tough to beat Fremantle at Subi Oval.

"I'm a little bit surprised they've only won two games to date, I think they're a much better side than what the scoreboard says at the moment … but good sides have a happy knack of getting their season on a roll."

Captain Richard Vandenberg is being rested for the round seven match after receiving a knee in the back against Essendon last Saturday.

Vandenberg is expected to be fit for next Saturday night’s game against St Kilda at the MCG.

Veteran defender Joel Smith will continue gaining valuable match practice in the VFL with Box Hill Hawks.

"When these guys come back into the side we want them to stay there so he'll be a handy acquisition for us in the second half of the season," he said.