MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 20: Hawks head coach Sam Mitchell hugs Changkuoth Jiath of the Hawks after winning the round one AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 20, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Hawthorn senior coach Sam Mitchell has instilled the belief among his young band of Hawks to celebrate the little wins and thrive under the pressure of unfavoured circumstances.

Having stepped into the senior coaching role to lead his beloved club through a list rebuild, the odds are against the four-time premiership Hawk to lift the brown and gold from the bottom four of the competition in 2022.

Still, Mitchell's place at the helm of the club's coaches box began with a win over North Melbourne last week, with the club now facing a more arduous task as they travel to South Australia to face Port Adelaide in Round 2.

Between the two matches, Mitchell has given his side the opportunity to enjoy their Round 1 win more than they would with most victories, with scenes post-game showcasing this mantra as all club figures were tied into the team circle as they sang the club song at the MCG last Sunday.

Speaking to Zero Hanger, Hawks forward Dylan Moore revealed the club has begun to celebrate the "little milestones" as they continue to embark on their new era under Mitchell.

"We got our first win as a club, that new wave coming in and we had time to celebrate that," Moore said.

"We'll show some highs, we'll show the good things, but as soon as the review starts where we're back into it, we're not trying to get too ahead of ourselves.

"We're back into game mode now and we're looking at how we can get better."

Despite the crafty forward having just 31 games to his name, Mitchell has set a standard for Moore to be among the Hawks that step into a more defined leadership role this season.

The reliance on their emerging crop is set to accelerate any finals ambitions Mitchell has for the coming years, with Moore also relying on the five-time Peter Crimmins Medal winner to share his heralded leadership credentials.

"Sam's pretty big on flattening the leadership a bit so that we've got more voices around the club and we can all get better," Moore added.

"He's given me a little bit of extra responsibility this year in the forward line to help those younger than me to be the catalyst for the next premiership push and try to get there quicker.

"I've leant on him a bit just to see how I can help the club progress."

An 'underdog' status has lit the fire under the Hawks for the year ahead, with Mitchell's side touted to land toward the foot of the ladder come the end of this season.

Although having begun construction on their list revamp, those at Hawthorn remain adamant their place in the league isn't tied to the cellar of the standings.

"We want it to be perceived that we have genuine depth and that we've got talent across all lines, even in the VFL," Moore said.

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"We want to show everyone that we are gonna make finals this year, we've got the belief that we can.

"We've got depth, we've got that ruthless streak. I feel like we've got that talent on our list, we just need to show it."

For that perception to come to fruition, the Hawks will be needing to upset those clubs more favoured to reach the September action.

An away outing to Adelaide Oval against the Power on Saturday night frames as the perfect opportunity for Mitchell's side to shake the norm and claim an upset victory interstate against a premiership contender.

The Hawks understand the expectations that lay ahead of them for their Round 2 bout with Ken Hinkley's men, however, the internal belief has been amplified having already opened their account in Round 1.

"We've already spoken about it a little bit around the club," Moore said. "No one's really expecting us to win... well, why shouldn't we win?

"They've obviously got a few injuries and it's their first home game for the year, their crowd's gonna be up and about.

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"We're excited to go out there and play at Adelaide Oval. Everyone here's pretty pumped to just get out there and show the football world what we can really do under a bit more pressure."

Saturday night's match will commence at 7:40pm AEDT, with the Power chasing their first win of the season after falling to Brisbane in their season opener.