It will be a slightly different looking Hawthorn facing the Cats on Easter Monday, at least in comparison to the last time the two sides met.

The Hawks look set for no fewer than five personnel changes from their 36-point victory over Geelong in round 20 last year – some by design but others through injury and retirement.

That match saw the Hawks lead from beginning to end and move closer to a top-two finish whilst the Cats would go on to lose to Collingwood the next week and ultimately miss finals for the first time in nearly a decade.

This is how the Hawks lined up on that day:

The retirement of key defender Brian Lake clearly leaves a gaping hole at full back and Tom Hawkins for one – like many big forwards around the league – will be breathing a sigh of relief. Not only would Lake blanket the opposition’s best goal kicker time and time again, he was an intercept mark king and enjoyed being the point where defence turned attack.

But as is the Hawthorn way, his absence may well go almost unnoticed. The contingency plan of James Frawley slots straight into the key position post left by Lake whilst Josh Gibson is more than capable of playing on the second tall forward and providing his fair share of rebound in the process.

David Hale has also hung up the boots, and as a three-time premiership player no less. The ruck-forward always seemed to lift for Geelong – who could forget his eight-goal haul for North Melbourne in round 21, 2008 at Simonds Stadium – and his versatility as a player means he is not one easily replaced.

Ben McEvoy will no doubt continue to impose himself as the number one ruckman at the Hawks, but Jonathon Ceglar will be called upon to fill the void left by Hale. An accomplished tap ruckman in his own right, the question of Ceglar’s ability to be as effective as Hale up forward remains to be seen.

More scrutiny falls on shoulders of both McEvoy and Ceglar given they will be asked to spend time in a forward line without Jarryd Roughead. The two-time Hawthorn leading goal kicker succumbed to a lingering posterior cruciate injury in recent months and has gone under the knife to miss the first half of the season.

It appears his immediate replacement is a two horse race between James Sicily and Tim O’Brien. The 21-year-old Sicily has managed three senior games in the brown and gold so far but looks likely to build on that tally after doing enough through the NAB Challenge. Sicily booted a goal in each of Hawthorn’s first two pre-season fixtures and kicked two in their third against North Melbourne – the same match Tim O’Brien missed.

Ryan Schoenmakers could be another option up forward for Hawthorn after enjoying his first taste of premiership success in 2015. The 25-year-old kicked 15 goals in 16 home and away games last season and may be deployed in attack or defence depending on what the Hawks need.

Down back, Taylor Duryea returns to the side after a stellar 2015 finals campaign but Matthew Suckling has made his exit to the Western Bulldogs via free agency. His precision kicking saw the two-time premiership player work through half back, half forward and the midfield but the skill of emerging youngster Daniel Howe could go most of the way to replacing that. Howe was outstanding in the NAB Challenge averaging 12 kicks amongst 17 disposals across the three games.

The final change stems from a recent wrist injury to midfielder Liam Shiels. Already a three-time premiership player at the age of 24 and touted as a future leader of the Hawks, his experience in and around the contest will certainly be missed.

If Shaun Burgoyne is to be believed, it will be former Giant Jonathan O’Rourke who steps up in Shiels’ absence. Pick 2 in the 2012 national draft, O’Rourke made a strong case across the NAB Challenge with 20 disposals against North Melbourne and 17 against Carlton.

With five changes across the board, here is how the Hawks are predicted to line up on Easter Monday: