Key players
Hawthorn
Hawthorn stars Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge have led the way in the midfield in recent weeks, but it has been an even spread of contributors which has helped win seven games in a row.
Jarryd Roughead and Cyril Rioli were dangerous around goal against Sydney at the weekend, with five and three goals respectively, while Luke Breust is now on a 13-goal hot streak.
Defensively, veterans Brian Lake and Josh Gibson have been in strong form, while Grant Birchall has racked up 58 disposals over the past two weeks.
Ruckman Ben McEvoy has been in superb form since his return to the senior side a fortnight ago, not just through the middle of the ground, but also pushing forward to create another goal-kicking option.
Carlton
Carlton skipper Marc Murphy is undoubtedly one of his side’s most important players, and he’s been in strong form over the past month.
Murphy will play his 200th game against the Hawks on Friday night, and is averaging 26.4 disposals per game this year.
He will look for support from up-and-coming on-ballers such as Patrick Cripps and Tom Bell, who have both shown promise this season.
The likes of Sam Docherty, Kade Simpson and Chris Yarran provide crucial rebound out of defence, while Levi Casboult has been a focal point up forward and has 20 majors for the season.
Key factors
Can the Blues restrict the Hawks’ scoring?
It’s a big ask for the developing Blues side.
The Hawks lead the competition for points per game, inside 50s and marks inside 50 – and have a forward line which doesn’t reply on any particular player.
Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Jarryd Roughead and Cyril Rioli have all kicked more than 20 goals this season, while the Hawks have had 10 or more individual goalkickers over the past fortnight.
Besides from full back Michael Jamison, the Blues have a relatively inexperienced back-line and will face a challenge trying to stop the Hawks.
Winning the centre clearances
Centre clearances are an area in which the Blues are among the best sides in the competition.
The Blues are ranked equal fourth for centre clearances – with an average of 13.3 per game – and are narrowly ahead of Hawthorn, who are ranked sixth with 12.5 per game.
Second-year Blues midfielder Patrick Cripps is the leading centre clearance player from either side in 2015, with 30 from 13 matches.
The Hawks narrowly trailed the Sydney Swans last week in centre clearances, setting up an intriguing contest in the middle with the Blues on Friday night.
Can the Hawks shut down the Blues’ rebound?
Pivotal to the Blues’ competitive performances under interim coach John Barker has been their rebound out of defence.
Kade Simpson, Sam Docherty and Chris Yarran have all played important rebounding roles in recent weeks.
Simpson is averaging almost 24 disposals per game this season and ranks in the top ten players in the competition for rebound 50s – alongside Docherty.
The Hawks forward pressure has been a feature of recent weeks, and the likes of Paul Puopolo, Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and Liam Shiels will be important in preventing the Blues’ rebound.
