HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has intimated veteran Brad Sewell will be a key part of the Hawks' plans this September, branding the veteran midfielder a big-game player who performs when it matters most.

Sewell has long been an automatic selection for the Hawks but, at 29, his claims to a spot in their best 22 were suddenly questioned when he was dropped after having just 12 possessions in their round 15 loss to Geelong.

Sewell spent a game in the VFL before getting a late call-up into the Hawks' team that took on the Western Bulldogs in round 17.

Clarkson was not asked directly whether Sewell would be part of the Hawks' finals campaign when he spoke with Melbourne radio station 3AW on Saturday. But his comments strongly suggested that would be the case.

"I think he's a very, very proud man and I think if you go back over the journey with his career he's a real warrior when it comes to big games," Clarkson said of Sewell. 

"And he's performed really, really well and indeed last night (against Collingwood) he was very good again. 

"There are some players out there – and I think Sewelly's one of them – who seem to get [themselves] up for the really big contests and will sometimes struggle when there's not as much on the game. 

"I don't particularly like that too much because I'd like players to be hard at it every time that they play, but I suppose the one great feature of it is that you can rely on him when it's the big game."

Clarkson said he had spoken with Sewell about his form slump and told him he needed to lift.

"We gave him a bit of a wake-up about a month ago, saying 'Listen, mate, you've got to perform a bit better than you are'," Clarkson said. 

"I've got an enormous amount of faith that he's going to produce when it matters most." 

Clarkson said he had played no part in Sewell's recent decision to stop his weekly appearances on Fox Footy's AFL 360 program.

"I haven't spoken to him about anything about his life outside of footy so whatever has happened outside has been Sewelly's choice and not mine or the club's," he said.