It's a case of short term pain for long term gain this year as Drouin keenly awaits the completion of their new recreation reserve upgrades.
For years the Hawks' home has lagged behind the other surfaces in the Gippsland League, often being susceptible to damage under heavy use and wet weather.
It hasn't been an uncommon sight to see matches at the oval devolve into a real mud fight as players from both sides become borderline unrecognisable.
That's without even going into the footy itself, which hasn't exactly been the most watchable in these conditions.
It got to the point last year where the league had to make the call to move a final from the venue to another ground as the oval was unfit to host it.
With surface works currently ongoing, the hope is that after the chaos of Drouin's year on the road they can return to their traditional nest in triumph with a ground that is the envy of the league.
Some Hawks officials are even eyeing off a game there towards the end of this season, should the ground be ready in time.
While that remains some ways away, the patient approach will hopefully pay dividends as the club navigates a year that's thrown up more than its share of challenges to date.