The Changes
Hawthorn
Out – Luke Hodge (arm), Marc Pittonet (omitted)
In – Daniel Howe, Jonathon Ceglar
West Coast
Out – Xavier Ellis (Achilles)
In – Lewis Jetta
The Form
The Hawks suffered a five-goal defeat at the hands of Geelong on Easter Monday, not an ideal way to start the season.
To make matters worse, Luke Hodge suffered a broken arm and is expected to miss up to six weeks after having surgery during the week.
What will hearten Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is the fact that the Hawks were able to kick five goals to none in the third term against the Cats to get themselves back in the game.
WATCH: Last time we met - West Coast Eagles
A more sustained effort of that standard could get them over the line this week against the Eagles.
The Eagles on the other hand enjoyed a big win over Brisbane Lions in their first game of the season, bagging 26 goals, which included a haul of eight to Coleman Medallist Josh Kennedy.
Matt Priddis and Nic Naitanui led the way in the midfield, with Naitanui dominant in the air and Priddis showing why he is one of the best inside midfielders in the competition, collecting 43 disposals.
OPPOSITION: Former Hawk out, but star recruit comes in
The only concern Eagles coach Adam Simpson may have is they also allowed the Lions to kick over 100 points themselves – not an ideal way to prepare for a match against the highest scoring team in the competition last season.
Stats That Matter
Across the board, the Hawks' disposal efficiency was well down on their 2015 average in Round 1, with key players including Sam Mitchell (61.1%), Jordan Lewis (56.7%), Cyril Rioli (55.6%), Will Langford (55%) and Luke Breust (53.8%) below their best.
Moving the ball cleanly against West Coast will be key in ensuring the Hawks give themselves enough opportunities to kick a winning score - it's something the Hawks will be looking to improve this week.
Key Player
James Frawley played extremely well last week on Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, keeping him to just two goals and winning five free kicks, mainly in one-on-one contests.
After keeping Josh Kennedy quiet in the 2015 Grand Final, the Hawks will be hoping for another impressive performance from the big defender on Sunday.
It’s A Big Week For…
Hawthorn’s ruckmen.
Coming up against one of the most dynamic ruckmen in the game in Nic Naitanui, they will need to be at their absolute best not only in the middle of the ground but all over the field to ensure that they can counter the influence of one of West Coast’s most important players.
Odd Fact
Liam Shiels recorded the largest tackle tally of his career against the Eagles with a remarkable 17 tackles in Round 19 last year. While Shiels has not overcome a wrist injury in time to play, the Hawks will be hoping someone can emulate those efforts on Sunday.
Final Thoughts
Injuries to key Hawthorn players don’t make the job any easier against the Eagles, but the fact the game is at the MCG could be an important factor, with the Hawks unfurling their premiership flag in front of their home crowd.
