HAWTHORN is chasing its fourth premiership in as many years, but star defender Josh Gibson says the things that have made the team successful in years gone by may not be the keys to success in 2016.

It’s a new-look Hawks outfit this year, the dual Peter Crimmins Medallist believes, with a number of young players being given opportunities and establishing themselves at AFL level.

With the departure of a number of experienced players at the end of 2015 – plus injuries to skipper Luke Hodge, Ryan Schoenmakers and the unavailability of Jarryd Roughead – the Hawks have needed to find different ways to win games of football.

“There’s obviously been some doubters early on in the year,” Gibson told 3AW this week.

“There were times when we weren’t playing our best footy but we still managed to get those wins.

“I think people have become accustomed to us winning by big margins.

“When we only win by a little bit, they think we’re off. But as it sits now, we’re 10 and three and in a really strong position.”

Emerging forwards James Sicily and Tim O’Brien have grown as players with consistent senior opportunities, while four other young players – Marc Pittonet, Kieran Lovell, Kaiden Brand and Kade Stewart – have made their respective AFL debuts in 2016.

Incorporating new players into a side that has been relatively settled over the past couple of years has no doubt been a challenge.

But Gibson believes the Hawks are starting to click – with their experienced core and younger brigade gaining more cohesion by the week.

“We are a different looking side and I think that people are going to have to realise that we’re going to do things different ways,” the 202-game veteran said.

“There’s still areas of our game that haven’t been as polished as previous years… But we’ve also got to deal with having new personnel in the side.

“We haven’t always played the most amazing footy this year (but) we’ve been able to blood young guys and get games into them. As you saw on the weekend, when the pressure was on, Sicily stood up and managed to kick five goals.”