HAWTHORN and Sydney will get a better idea of where they sit in the pecking order when they open round two on Thursday night at the MCG.
The Hawks (1-1) bounced back from a listless start to the season to crush Essendon last week, but they still need to show they belong among the leading contenders and a clash with Sydney could do just that.
Hawthorn has questions hanging over the depth of its midfield, but the Swans suddenly also find themselves undermanned in that department with injuries to Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney.
Sydney (2-0) continued its electrifying start to the season as it piled on the first seven goals of the game against reigning premier Brisbane on the way to earning its early place on top of the ladder.
The Swans are showing signs that they are back to their best form of recent years, even as questions begin to resurface over their depth with fresh injuries to crucial cogs in their machine.
The Hawks head into the clash with an unchanged lineup from the round one side that comfortably accounted for the Bombers.
Unfortunately for Sydney it wasn’t afforded such a luxury, with its superstar midfield duo Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney unavailable.
Corey Warner and Caiden Cleary have been handed a chance to impress as they try to claim a regular spot in the senior team.
