Hawks set to rest injured Lance Franklin for fourth game in a row

HAWTHORN will try to break Geelong's four-year stranglehold without superstar Lance Franklin in Friday night's MCG blockbuster.

HAWTHORN will try to break Geelong's four-year stranglehold without superstar Lance Franklin in Friday night's MCG blockbuster.

After demolishing Essendon, the red-hot Hawks are set to rest Franklin for a fourth consecutive match as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

Franklin, 25, hopes to return to the training track this week, but he did not train with teammates yesterday.

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Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said last night: "It will definitely be a wait and see thing with Buddy.

"He's progressing well with his rehab so far, but I guess it'll depend on (how he goes) once he tries to get up to full tilt by midweek before we make a definitive call."

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Franklin has been out since injuring his hamstring against Greater Western Sydney on July 8.

A Round 21 return against Gold Coast at the MCG would give the Coleman Medal leader three matches to regain any lost touch before the Hawks' finals assault begins.

Evans said captain Luke Hodge had recovered well from his first outing in nearly three months.

Hodge starred in the 94-point demolition of Essendon, kicking five goals before being substituted at three-quarter time.

"He's pretty good," Evans said. "We had plans for him to play 80-100 minutes and I think he pulled up just under the 80-minute mark, just before three-quarter time.

"We thought that given how well he'd gone and given the state of the game, that that was probably enough for him."

The Hawks are $2.75 premiership favourites leading into the clash against Geelong, the side they haven't beaten since the 2008 Grand Final.

But midfielder Brad Sewell said the Hawks weren't scared by the Cats.

"Past results in matches and games gone by mean nothing," Sewell said.

"That's the case for every game, week on week, regardless of what's happened in the past."