FRESH from his side’s 53-point win against Gold Coast in Launceston on Saturday, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson admitted snapping the side’s yoyo-like 2015 record was high on his list of priorities as the Hawks seek a top-four berth for the finals.
The reigning premier has failed to win consecutive matches this season, and while they were never troubled by the Suns at Aurora Stadium, the Hawks must back-up against St Kilda in Round 10 to get their tilt at a third-straight flag back on the right track.
“We’ve been a little bit like a yoyo throughout the course of the year, winning one and then losing the next one,” Clarkson said.
“We’ve got a really important game against the Saints next week and we need to start putting some wins together to give ourselves any chance of finishing top four.”
“That’s a clear goal at our footy club at the start of each season and we think it’s a realistic chance for us to get there, but we need to start working on some wins, and consecutive wins, to be able to give ourselves a chance in the latter part of the year.”
In what Clarkson described as a ‘pretty hard old battle’, the Hawks were forced to contend with trying weather conditions and a dogged Gold Coast side during a tight first half before breezing to a comfortable lead in a six-goal third quarter.
Luke Breust and David Hale both kicked three goals for the Hawks, equalling the Suns’ goal tally between them, and Clarkson was clearly pleased with the way his defensive unit had maintained their grip on the Gold Coast forwards throughout the match.
“It won’t got into the archives as a high quality game that we’ll all be watching the replay, I’m sure,” he said. “In terms of what we set out to achieve, to come down here and get the points, I’m really pleased we kept them to a really low score.”
“To keep them to six goals is really important for us and consolidates our percentage a little bit.”
With the game well and truly in the bag going into the final quarter, Clarkson was able to blood debutant half-back Daniel Howe, the club’s top draft pick from 2014 collecting 11 disposals and five marks in his first quarter of AFL football.
“It’s great to get another first gamer into our footy club,” Clarkson said.
“He’s only first year at our club and we’re really pleased with the progress he’s made. He’s a quality young lad and hopefully he can do some really good things for us and keep adding to the depth of our footy club.”
In a less positive outcome for the Hawks, and just minutes after Howe had replaced Cyril Rioli early in the final quarter, livewire small forward Paul Puopolo was forced from the field with a lower-leg injury that Clarkson said had yet to be properly assessed.
“He’s done something to either an ankle or foot,” he said. “He went to lay a tackle, or got tackled, and felt the weight of a body over his.”
“He’s a little bit sore at the moment, just hobbling around, but that can settle really quickly or it might be more serious. We’ll just cross our fingers and get it scanned early in the week.”
