Yesterday the Hawks unveiled their "Beardvember" campaign - a month-long pledge to avoid shaving in a bid to throw the spotlight on prostate cancer and depression.

"Men need to talk about things like prostate cancer and depression, we need to know it's okay to talk about any serious health issues," assistant coach Kevin Brooks said.

"When you look at breast cancer and what women have done to raise awareness on breast cancer, they've done an outstanding job, and without taking any focus away from that, we need to add a bit more awareness about prostate cancer and depression.

"Prostate cancer is a little bit more prevalent in African-American men, which is why it's so close to home for me.

"Our percentages of prostate cancer are a little higher than white men or Asian men or anyone else. We need to get behind it because we need to get that awareness up and get it out there more."

Brooks believes the majority of men still keep health problems to themselves rather than seek medical advice.

"Men don't like to go to doctors in the first place, and most of them certainly don't want to have someone poking around those areas," he said.

"That makes it even tougher for us to talk about things like that and actually go and get the help we need. We don't have the same social support women have. Men apparently suffer more from divorce, simply because women have more avenues to talk about things and they're more in touch with their emotions than men. We're more reserved, we don't like talking about stuff which isn't manly."

As for the Hawks' beard-growing contest, Glen Saville is a whisker or two ahead of Lindsay Tait and Anthony 'Peach' Petrie.

"Sav's got a good one going, Peach's is coming along, mine's growing out a bit, and Dusty (Rychart) only has a little peach fuzz going on," Brooks said.

The Hawks are also right behind the fight against breast cancer, with the club hosting a pink-themed night for tomorrow's home clash with the Gold Coast Blaze.

National Breast Cancer Foundation representatives will be selling pink merchandise and holding a raffle.