Hawthorn put up a brave fight against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at Kinetic Stadium, narrowly going down in a 3.8.26 – 5.1.31 match simulation hit-out.

The game consisted of three 18-minute quarters with the final term seeing the teams swap ends at the nine-minute mark.

The Hawks came out of the blocks firing, winning plenty of the footy while applying strong pressure.

The class of Emily Bates immediately stood out in the midfield, thanks to her leadership, ball-winning ability and composure.

In defence, it was Jenna Richardson who picked up where she left off last season.

The young defender was calm and did well to repel a lot of the Dogs’ forward 50 entries.

Up forward, Mattea Breed showed extreme promise with her liveliness, marking ability and running power, providing a great target for the team overall.

After a positive first term, the only downside was the team’s inaccuracy, leading by five points at quarter-time.

In the second quarter, Greta Bodey began to really start creating opportunities for the team inside 50.

It paid dividends as Sarah Perkins and Tamara Luke both got on the board.

Perkins did well to crumb a long ball and snap it in front of goal while Luke won a 50-metre penalty and snapped through her first major in her return game from an ACL injury.

At the main break, the Hawks extended their lead to 11 points.

The third quarter saw Aine McDonagh shine with her aerial ability and endurance in an impressive display.

Tilly Lucas-Rodd was consistent as ever, capping off their day with a goal in the third term.

Speaking of being consistent, Tamara Smith was just that as well, winning plenty of the ball and applying her signature strong tackling pressure.

In the end, a last-minute goal before the final siren saw the Dogs narrowly run over the top of the Hawks by five points.

Post-game, the spirit among the playing group was high as the Hawks dominated general play and a number of players showed great signs for the season ahead.

Forwards Coach Lou Wotton said the clash was a great opportunity for the Hawks to test themselves against strong opposition.

“It was a really positive contest for us today,” Wotton said.

“Firstly, it was really exciting to get out and play opposition, we’ve been training for a long time against ourselves.

“We’ve made a big improvement on last season.

“We’re really happy to see the team put the game plan into practice and build on last year.”

Up next, the Hawks travel to Casey Fields on Saturday afternoon to face reigning premiers, Melbourne.

The match commences at 2.05pm and will be streamed live and free on hawthornfc.com.au.

For Hawks fans wanting to support the team in person, entry is free.

Goals: Perkins, Luke, Lucas-Rodd