But the club great, who retired at the end of last year, knows things will step up another gear against the 2013 and 2014 champs Hawthorn, despite the Dogs' status as the league's number one tackling side.

"The way we are playing if we can bring enough pressure and force them to turn the ball over, and we make the most of our opportunities, we are confident we can have a positive result," he told The Examiner.

"They are the best at using the ball in the competition, but if you put any player under pressure, you can force a turnover, and we are going to have to make sure we capitalise on those opportunities."

Giansiracusa, who is the forwards coach at the kennel, said the "inside" knowledge that senior coach Luke Beveridge has of the two-time reigning premiers, having been an assistant at Hawthorn the past three seasons, could come in handy.

"We will sit down pre-game and I'm sure he will have a lot to say (about the Hawks), and I will definitely utilise him as forwards coach, as he has intimate knowledge about their defenders," Giansiracusa said.

"He knows what they do well, what has given them trouble on what type of players have given them that trouble, he has seen that first-hand.

"But all you can do is give the players that information, but they are the ones that have to go out and put that into practice."

Meanwhile, Hawthorn midfielder Brendan Whitecross will play his first game since rupturing his ACL in the 2013 preliminary final, with Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson also returning from injury this weekend.

Defender James Frawley is out for about six weeks with his pectoral injury, while Jono O'Rourke and James Sicily have been omitted.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Lukas Webb will make his AFL debut on Sunday, replacing the hamstrung Easton Wood.

The Hawks will hold an open training session at Aurora Stadium between 3pm and 4pm on Saturday.

Tickets for the match are available through Ticketmaster.