Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says silencing the parochial Perth crowd will be key in defeating Fremantle and reaching a fourth-straight AFL grand final.

Experienced midfielder Jordan Lewis spoke of the fear factor that confronts visiting teams on their visits to Domain Stadium on Wednesday, saying the environment got to the Hawks in their qualifying final loss to West Coast.

As he flew out on Thursday morning, Clarkson admitted the “pretty confronting” atmosphere was a factor and needed to be addressed.

“What helps is if you’re playing good strong footy and kicking goals, you’re silencing the crowd, that’s going to help you get over the line,” he said.