This has been said a million times, but their clash against Adelaide tonight truly is massive.

It’s also huge for every other premiership contender, for if the Hawks lose I can’t see them making the top four. Their run home is brutal and, not that they need reminding, the current finals system is yet to produce a premier from outside those coveted top-four positions.

The Hawks are powerful and admired. They’ve played in three grand finals in the last six years, but all of a sudden they’re looking vulnerable.

It was only a 20-point loss to the Kangaroos last Friday night, but it was the first time that I’ve seen cracks - no matter how small - in the Hawks’ armour. They were genuinely rattled against North and I’ve never witnessed that from this group. At times, they simply didn’t have answers. Never before had they needed so much from their veteran leaders in Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell and Jarryd Roughead.

All of those players have stood up when called upon this year and asking them to lift further is almost embarrassing. After all, how can you ask for more from a group that just puts in week-in, week-out? There are rarely passengers at Hawthorn, but I fear that if they don’t squeeze even more out of themselves, they could be in real trouble.

While much of the focus over the past week has been on Brian Lake’s choke-hold and resulting four-week ban, injuries remain the Hawks’ greatest enemy.
Josh Gibson and Sam Mitchell have been missing for most of the year, Cyril Rioli’s body just won’t hold up, while Brad Sewell had just returned but is now back on the sidelines.

Throw into the mix, the illness that sidelined their coach and the fact that they lost Lance Franklin for 2014, the world has really seemed against them.

Clarko and his temporary replacement Brendon Bolton have done an extraordinary job in managing the team and retaining a consistent level of performance.

Clarko always says "lose a soldier, replace him with a soldier" and it has been this approach that has stood the Hawks in good stead. They have somehow still managed to remain number one or two in all of the key indicators of the game.

The way they go about their business won’t change, but unless everything goes right for them from here on in, they’re at serious risk. To lose Brad Hill before last week’s game, Sewell during the match and then Lake for a month, afterwards, must have been gut-wrenching for Hawks supporters.

Lake’s act was just silly. Those days are long gone. Good players exert their physical strength in different ways. Just look at the way Hodge and Geelong’s skipper Joel Selwood go about it. Even Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfield. They are tough, hard footballers. They prove that you can be super-tough without risking a trip to the tribunal.

Without Lake, the already-stretched Hawthorn defence appears at breaking point. Kyle Cheney has been thrown in the deep end playing against guys a foot taller and 10 kilograms heavier, but has been able to be competitive. Matt Spangher too has been remarkable in the absence of Gibson and Stratton. Which leads me to Ryan Schoenmakers.

He came back into this side when they were going well, but the Hawks need him to play in defence and stand up on a big forward. He needs to play the way he is built - strong and hard in the body - and not get beaten in one-on-one contests. I understand he has come back from a knee, but it’s time for Schoenmakers to make his mark.

Then there’s the Hawks’ other leaders. While the first names to spring to mind are David Hale (who has been dropped), Luke Breust, Grant Birchall, Jack Gunston and Isaac Smith, there are others who need to take greater responsibility.

Bradley Hill has had an unbelievable year and even though he’s only 20, he’s another guy who has to continue his form if they are to finish in the top four.

Smith has enjoyed a really good season, but has started to wane. He’s getting more attention, but the run that he and Hill provide is one of the reasons the Hawks play such good footy. Then there’s Paul Puopolo, Liam Shiels, Matt Suckling, Ben McEvoy, and even Ben Ross and Jonathon Ceglar, who have got their opportunities this year.

If every one of these players isn’t at their best, it’s going to be a tough road ahead. The Hawks are not only at risk of missing the top four, but they could even finish towards the bottom of the eight.

They face Adelaide and Sydney, have a minor reprieve against the Bulldogs and Melbourne – but even they are no longer pushovers – and then face Fremantle, Geelong and Collingwood. It’s daunting whichever way you look at it and I can’t see them beating the Swans, Dockers or Cats.

I’d rate the Hawks a 50-50 chance on Friday against the Crows. That’s not just because of their situation, but also a reflection of the way Adelaide is travelling. The Crows are really starting to find their rhythm and have shown that their best footy is up there with the best teams in the competition.
Adelaide's forward line should be a major concern for the Hawks. Tex Walker is finding his mojo, then you have James Podsiadly and Eddie Betts, and they’ve really found a player in Jenkins.

If Adelaide don’t win, they are out of finals contention. For both sides, this is a game of desperate stakes.