Hawthorn learned nothing from their loss to West Coast a fortnight ago. At least nothing they didn't know already, according to premiership player Brad Sewell.

It wasn't so much what West Coast did to Hawthorn in that game as what Hawthorn did - or didn't - do, Sewell reckoned.

"I don't think they learned anything new  out of that game. If they bring that level of effort and intensity then no amount of structure or game plan is going to get them over the line," said the midfielder who won two premierships with the Hawks.

"I think [Hawthorn] will almost take confidence out of that loss. They could not have played any worse and they were still in it late in the game against West Coast playing at home and playing as well as they did.

"The 'G is not as narrow as Subiaco, it is a different game there and West Coast have not played [at the MCG] much [one game this year], so I think it will be played differently to the qualifying final."

And yet Hawthorn will be advised not to ignore the loss either. They will, as Sewell observed, have understood that they would beat no one working as hard as they did in the first final, but the Eagles' tactical approach to them in that game demands the Hawks redouble that effort.

The Eagles' defensive set up, their web, was built around pressing up hard on Hawthorn players and  not allowing the short release kicks that Hawthorn enjoy. The Hawks normally win the uncontested mark differential in their games by 16 but against West Coast they lost it by 10.

James Clement, former Collingwood and Fremantle player and part-time ABC radio commentator in Perth, said the Hawks needed to be more patient compared to a fortnight ago.

"The West Coast web forced Hawthorn to kick long down the line to contests because the Eagles would not give them that lateral kick, those dinky kicks they use to bring the ball inside and maintain possession," Clement said.

"Hawthorn cannot let the opposition dictate where they move the ball. The MCG will suit them, being a lot wider than Subiaco and Hawthorn will use every bit of that width to stretch West Coast."

The patience Clement speaks of in being prepared to wait for the right option to kick to rather than kicking in frustration to contests along the boundary.  Patience only works if the player with the ball can hold on to it to reward someone running and working into space. They didn't do that two weeks ago, they need to be prepared to do it on Saturday.

Clement said that how the Eagles play Sam Mitchell will be critical to that. Mitchell's influence was limited in the first final but against Fremantle on Friday night he was allowed far more space and easy possessions.

"He had 35 touches against Freo and only 13 were contested. At times he was literally standing still when he got the ball. West Coast will not give Sam Mitchell that much room and that is important in shutting down those 25-metre release kicks," Clement said.

Another difference this week is that Matt Priddis and Chris Masten, both missed the first final, are back. They are significant ins for the Eagles with Masten's run and Priddis' clean touch.

The Hawks will have reflected on Luke Shuey's game against them and then the contrasting influence he had with a hard tag against North. He is unlikely to be given the same freedom again.

Hawthorn have already revealed they learned from some of their first-week errors. James Frawley, for instance, has not been forward again since the first final. Whether he takes Josh Kennedy or Jack Darling and which one Brian Lake takes is another matter.

"Frawley is a very reactionary backman to me - he is left trailing his opponent to contests," Clement said. "If you give Josh Kennedy that amount of space he is good at running and leading in strange angles and if Frawley does not work that out he will be cut to pieces."

The unknown is the impact the week's break will have had  on the Eagles and the unyielding impact of consecutive finals and two flights to Perth will have on the Hawks.

"Until those late errors [against Fremantle] and those two goals Hawthorn looked dead on their feet and those quick goals gave them a spark. If it is close in the last quarter that extra week off might be the difference," Clement said.