VENUE & TIME: Telstra Dome, Saturday 30 August, 7.10pm AEST.

HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 154, Carlton 102, Hawthorn 52.

LAST TIME: Hawthorn 27.18 (180) def. Carlton 12.8 (80), Round 12, 2007 at Telstra Dome.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Blues may regain Simon Wiggins (calf) but the season is over for defender Michael Jamison (shoulder) and forward Eddie Betts. The Hawks will welcome back ruckman Robert Campbell and midfielder Xavier Ellis after both missed last week's win against West Coast.

FORM: The Blues bounced back from a 51-point hiding against North Melbourne by coming from behind to end Brisbane's finals hopes last week. Trailing by 32 points at the final change, the Blues kicked six unanswered goals to sneak home. But St Kilda's victory on Sunday snuffed out Carlton's finals hopes. The Hawks trounced the Eagles by 71 points for their third win from the past four rounds. They have one week left to regain the imposing form they had at the start of the season.

WHO'S HOT: Nick Stevens' grand finish to the season continued last week with a 35-possession game against the Lions. Along with Chris Judd, Stevens lifted the Blues over the line in the final term. Jordan Lewis relished the open spaces of Subiaco to help himself to 33 touches. Lewis was one of five Hawks to find the ball more than 30 times.

WE THINK: With Carlton out of the finals race and Hawthorn guaranteed a top-four berth, the major talking point in this game will be whether Lance Franklin and Brendan Fevola can post their tons. Franklin needs only two more but Fevola, with eight required, needs to have a night out. Should both reach triple figures - and the fans run on each time like they always have - this could be one of the longest games played. Irreverence aside, the Hawks can't afford to drop this one on the eve of the finals. They obliterated the Blues in Round 12 last year but Carlton is now a far more accomplished team. The arrival of Judd and the return of Stevens combined with the continued development of Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy has turned the Blues' midfield into a potent force. But the Hawks are strong in this area, as shown last week, and have more than just the one option in attack. A Carlton victory would not be a shock but the Hawks are the safer bet. Hawthorn by 17 points.