AFTER an injury-interrupted start to the season, Hawthorn midfielder Liam Shiels is back to full fitness and believes his best football is just around the corner.
The uncompromising on-baller starred at the weekend, collecting 28 disposals and laying a game-high 14 tackles as the Hawks accounted for the Gold Coast Suns by 53 points at Aurora Stadium.
Shiels, who signed a new four-year contract before Round 1, said he was hopeful his and Hawthorn’s inconsistency in the early stages of 2015 was behind them.
“My form’s been a little bit up and down this year – a bit like the team – so it was good to get a little bit of the footy on the weekend and hopefully I can take that into this week,” he said.
“I missed three games with the hammy and since I came back in, my form’s been a little bit up and down.
“But I feel like I’m fit again and game fit. The body’s been pulling up well after games and hopefully I can string a few good games back-to-back.”
Now five games back from injury, Shiels’ form has been on the rise.
He was prominent in the Hawks’ Round 7 win against Melbourne, picking up 26 possessions and 13 tackles – and over the last five weeks has averaged 21.8 disposals and 9.6 tackles per game.
But if anything, Shiels’ interrupted start to the season sums up the Hawks’ first nine rounds.
The 24-year old is one of seven 2014 premiership players – a group which also includes Captain Luke Hodge, Vice-captain Jordan Lewis, Brian Lake, David Hale, Ben McEvoy and Matt Spangher – who have missed at least a third of the season to date through either injury of suspension.
With a number of those players returning to the side in recent weeks – and the rest not far away – Shiels is confident the Hawks are starting to come good.
“I suppose we haven’t had that much continuity with the side,” he said.
“The list is pretty healthy now – we haven’t got a great deal of blokes on the injury list, so heading into the bye we’ll be looking to put another good performance in, then reassess and come out strong after that.
“Early on we weren’t playing bad games, it was just a few bad quarters.
“We’re looking to string a few good games together now.”
Recording consecutive wins for the first time this season will be the Hawks’ aim when they take on St Kilda on Sunday.
Shiels was absent when the Hawks played the Saints last season – a match his side won by a whopping 145 points – and said there would be no room for complacency on Sunday.
“I think they’ve developed a fair bit since last year, they’ve been playing some good footy and had a good win on the weekend,” he said.
“They’re going to be a tough opponent.
“The competition’s so even now – any side can beat any other side on any given day if that team doesn’t show up with intensity, so it’s going to be a tough game.”
