The Hawks are in Tasmania for a preseason camp and midfielder Brendan Whitecross said they had moved on from the three-point defeat inflicted by Luke Ball's dramatic late winner.

``I don't think it hurts as much as it did in the week or two after the game,'' he said.

``You never like to lose any game like that, let alone a preliminary final. I dare say it will still be burning in some players' hearts when the season starts but we're certainly not using it as any motivation or anything like that.''

Six months - but only one game - later the same two teams will square off again at the MCG on March 30 but Whitecross said the previous encounter would have no bearing on the match.

``This is a new season and we'll all start level. Some teams improve and others drop off. We're just expecting to come up against a typical Collingwood side.

``They are still the benchmark of the competition along with Geelong, they showed that last year. So playing both sides so early in the season will give us a good taste of where we're at.''

With reigning premiers Geelong following in round 2, Alastair Clarkson's men have the toughest of starts but the squad is said to be injury free and excited by the prospect.

Whitecross, a Queenslander with 50 senior games to his name, said the team could only benefit from several key players returning to action, primarily key tall Jarryd Roughead, who has completely recovered from a torn achilles.

``Every player will say this at this time of year but we've had a great preseason, probably one of our best,'' he said.

``A few of the boys are still on modified training programs but basically we've got a clean bill of health. Roughy is 100 per cent with fitness, just not game skills yet, so he's still being worked into it. But his achilles is right to go.

``Until his injury last year he was a key part of our side and always has been so it'll be great to have him back.''

The players have been split into five groups this week with two each in Launceston and Hobart and one in Burnie. They have a full program of activities lined up before reuniting for an intraclub game at Aurora Stadium on Friday.

Among yesterday's commitments was a laser gunfight at Waverley's Zone3.

``It's good to be back in Tassie. We get to come down four or five times a year for games but then it's pretty much fly in, fly out so it's good to spend time on the ground here with the Tassie members,'' Whitecross said.