HAWTHORN will reduce its training load in a bid to have all players recovered ahead of Sunday's clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Midfielder Chance Bateman said the Hawks would have a light week on the track given their six-day break after the physical loss to Geelong on Monday.

"It was such a bruising game yesterday. We will take it pretty easy early on the week," Bateman said on Tuesday.

"We'll have our main session later in the week and then we'll play the Dogs on Sunday."

Recruit Rhan Hooper is expected to miss at least one week with a hamstring injury, while Jordan Lewis will have scans on his injured ankle later on Tuesday.

Bateman said he and Cyril Rioli had pulled up well from their first games of the season and would benefit from the run.

"I'm not too bad. I'm probably a bit sorer than normal because it was my first hit-out but coming up against Geelong, we expect that," he said.

"They're a great side and they've got a lot of big, strong bodies and it's always a fierce contest between the two sides and it's always a really bruising encounter.

"It was flat out from the start to the finish for myself, Buddy and Junior (Rioli). It was good to get back into a game like that because you have to pick up the pace straight away. All three of us will be better for the run.

"Cyril has pulled up really well. We managed his game time yesterday so he got through unscathed and was pretty exciting at times."

The Hawks resorted to using Luke Hodge and Jarryd Roughead in the ruck late in Monday's game when Brent Renouf dislocated a finger and tired.

Bateman said he didn't believe the Hawks' use of non-traditional ruckmen was detrimental to the team's structure.

"The position we're in with our ruck stocks, it's just something we have to do and something we've worked on a bit," he said.

"That's just going to be a part of our game until we get another ruck back."

Ruckman Max Bailey is going well in his bid to return from his third knee reconstruction in four years and is on track for a mid-season return, however Simon Taylor (ankle) remains four months away.

Rookie Wayde Skipper is also unavailable after having surgery last month to repair a hamstring tendon and isn't expected to be ready until May.

Bateman said recent draftee Sam Grimley could be looked at by the match committee as a back-up option but conceded the 19-year-old was still physically raw.