HAWTHORN Captain Luke Hodge says the Club has prepared as it would any other game as the blockbuster against the Cats on Saturday night draws closer.  

The Hawks haven’t beaten the Cats in 10 attempts, but that has played no role in the lead up to the game, the Hawks skipper says.

Hawthorn have won 12 matches in a row, equalling the Club’s best ever winning streak and have overcome a number of challenges along the way.

There have been blockbusters against West Coast, Collingwood, Sydney and a challenge laid down by the Suns in Round 9. More recently, the Hawks responded well to the challenge laid down by Carlton in Round 12 and in its second battle against the Eagles for the season in Round 13.

Hodge says the team’s ability to respond to and overcome the challenges it has faced in each game this season has left it with an unwavering belief in one another.

And that won’t change on Saturday night.

“No doubt Geelong is a fantastic opponent and we haven’t beaten them for a while, but that doesn’t change the process we go through leading into the game – and it doesn’t change the belief we’ve got in each other,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“It’s the same as most other games, we’ve gone through them during the week just like we do every other week and look at areas we think we can pick them off I guess. That’s the same thing we’ve done for every other game this year.”

The belief the Hawthorn players have in each other stems too from the fact the players have been playing together for a number of seasons.

There has been a steady influx of young talent into the Hawthorn side this year, but the nucleus, the core group of players like Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell, Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin, Hodge – the list goes on have all played together for years.

Hodge says team stability is an important factor in building trust, belief and confidence in one another.

He says that is the reason the side has been able to respond to questions posed by opposition teams.

“This group has been together for a long time now, we know our strengths and weaknesses and we know how to push each other,” he said.

“We have been challenged a number of times this year and even when we haven’t played our best football, we’ve still come out and got the wins.”

The Captain knows his team will be test again against the Cats on Saturday night, but believes the Hawks are up for the challenge.

He knows the key to defeating Geelong isn’t locking down on one player, given it has a number of experienced and elite AFL players in the line-up.

From Joel Selwood, Andrew Mackie and Corey Enright to players like Allen Christensen and Matthew Stokes, the Hawks will need to keep a close eye on each and every player in order to win.

“It’s about us as a whole team playing well and doing what one another expects of one another to shut them down,” Hodge said.

“It’s proved in other games that if you shut down their key players, someone else is going to stand up. You need to work as a group and defend them as a team to make sure that we keep them all under control.

“You don’t just identify one of their players, they’ve got an outstanding defence with guys like Enright, Mackie, Corey, Hunt, Taylor. Their whole side if you go through it, they’ve got Selwood in the middle and Bartel, there’s not one person you’ve got to shut down.”