Along with the Giants' injuries, the Hawks are coming off a pre-season belting from the Western Bulldogs and coach Sam Mitchell said before Thursday training that they will find out exactly where they stand this Saturday at ENGIE Stadium.
But he already expects to have Barrass available after he pulled up sore from playing for WA in the State of Origin game and was to undergo a fitness test.
Also, new co-captain Jai Newcombe will be available after his rough conduct charge was downgraded at the tribunal from a one-game ban to a fine.
"I expect him (Barrass) to get up. He'll do a couple of extra things to make sure he's OK, but we were conservative (to) make sure he's ready to go," Mitchell said of the key defender.
"He's not a guy who has to play every minute of the pre-season to get himself right, he's an experienced campaigner."
Mitchell said they had reviewed last weekend's poor hit-out against the Dogs with level heads.
"I don't know, it's hard to read into pre-season. Sometimes you fly through pre-season and struggle early," he said.
"I'm yet to find anyone who's very confident in how they think their team is placed at this time of year. So we don't have long to find out, which is a blessing for all of us.
"We reviewed it (Bulldogs) pragmatically ... 'if we improve these things and do these things well, we're likely to get a better response. If we continue to do these things, then we're going to struggle against any team, let alone the Bulldogs or Giants'."
GWS will field a team missing several key players, with star onballer Tom Green to miss the season because of a knee reconstruction.
But Mitchell noted that recruit Clayton Oliver is an obvious replacement for Green and Finn Callaghan could return.
"They bat really deep. We looked at their (team) this morning, we were chatting through their possible line-up, there's no-one out there who's not more than capable," Mitchell said.
Last September's elimination final win against the Giants was Hawthorn's first win at ENGIE Stadium.
"Hopefully that is the start of something," Mitchell said.
Also on Thursday, it was reported that Adelaide are trying to lure Hawks official and Mitchell's former premiership teammate Jarryd Roughead to head their list management.
"There's a part of me that's like 'Rough, you're talking to Adelaide - come on, man'," Mitchell said.
"But I know his career aspirations, he wants to work his way up the ladder and he's done a great job for us.
"I'm torn a bit both ways."
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