In the last 10 games he played against Essendon, Lance Franklin kicked 50 goals. The last time the two teams played, he had 19 touches and kicked 8.3. It wasn't a one-off, for he has also kicked nine against the Dons.

This year the absence of Franklin is one thing, the presence of the emerging Joe Daniher is another. The shoe is not yet completely on the other foot, for Daniher is just a tall boy becoming a man, but the Florsheims are starting to slip over the Hawks' toes.

Daniher is already edging closer to the time that he compiles Franklin-like match-turning performances. Against North on Friday night he again tantalised with how good he could be one day.

For now what Daniher does is magnify the absences Hawthorn has in defence. Brian Lake, Ryan Schoenmakers, Ben Stratton are all still out and will be for some time: Lake until round four; Schoenmakers for another fortnight and he will play VFL before AFL; and Stratton who admittedly is undersized for a Daniher-type role anyway but who did his hamstring in the last practice match.

On Saturday, Hawthorn had Kyle Cheney and Josh Gibson in the key defensive roles. Cheney, who played on Jonathan Brown on Saturday, is 187 centimetres. Gibson is 189 centimetres. Daniher is 201 centimetres. Jake Carlisle 198 centimetres.

Gibson plays well above his height but would plainly need to if he was to stand Daniher. Being out-sized in defence is not a new issue for Hawthorn as it has often played and won with relatively titchy talls in defence for it plays a clever game. The case for the defence is led there by Trent Croad and Luke Hodge in the 2008 grand final.

Now, as then, Hodge will be critical to how Hawthorn handles its back six and how effective Gibson and Cheney are. In tandem with Shaun Burgoyne, Hodge could be expected to ensure the Bombers' tall forwards are double and triple-teamed in the air. The reigning premier is also as effective as any team, Fremantle included, in stifling opposition midfields and slowing their ball movement.

What can be expected is that Hawthorn will not allow Jobe Watson the freedom to roam that North did. Watson had 13 touches in the first quarter and 25 to half-time. He ended up with 14 contested possessions, seven clearances (six from centre bounces), six inside 50s, one score assist and two goals. As for opponents, the statisticians could only identify three meaningful match-ups but it would seem they worked hard to even detect those. Watson seemed to have a bachelor's night out.

The other new dynamic to this contest is the arrival in red and black of Paul Chapman. The former Norm Smith medallist, like his old club, has enjoyed playing Hawthorn (it requires no reminding that it was Chapman who promised the Cats not lose again to Hawthorn after the 2008 grand final loss and was, notably, suspended from the Geelong side that did eventually lose to Hawthorn in last year's preliminary final). Since 2003 Chapman has averaged 21 touches, 1.5 goals and another goal assist per game in matches against Hawthorn.

How Hawthorn operates at the other end of the ground without Franklin will be of season-long interest, but how it goes against a side with which Franklin regularly had his way is of more immediate appeal.

The first brush of the Buddy-less Hawks was promising. They took 22 marks inside 50 against Brisbane and as impressively converted 53 forward-50 entries into 34 shots at goal. What the game illustrated was the idea that when teams play Hawthorn now they have less idea of the forward pecking order and so less idea of who it is they need to double-team – Jarryd Roughead, David Hale or Jack Gunston.

They also have Luke Breust who is not only one of the most effective small forwards, as well as one of the most under-rated, but is also the player who allows coach Alastair Clarkson the liberty of considering Cyril Rioli behind the ball when he returns to the team this week.

Without Franklin to counter, Essendon's match committee meeting will no doubt be a little more comfortable – but not much. With Daniher, Carlisle and Chapman Hawthorn's a little less so.