Where and When: Southern Saints, June 22nd, 11:50am at Box Hill City Oval.
These two sides met twice last season, with Hawthorn defeating the Saints on both occasions.
After a solid 33-point victory in their first encounter, the Hawks had to fight for the win in their Round 12 clash. Having not kicked a goal in the first half, Hawthorn had a resilient last quarter to get over the line by just nine points.
On Saturday, Hawthorn will be making a return to its home ground to hopefully bring their season ledger to four wins and two losses. However, St Kilda will be a tough team to beat having only lost one game and sitting fourth on the ladder.
This season the Southern Saints have picked up a few recruits including Poppy Kelly, a player who is fairly new to the game but is making an impact in the side already. With a basketball background, the 21-year-old has an athleticism in the ruck and is averaging 24.3 hit-outs, with a season high of 29.
Cat Phillips, also a new recruit for the Saints, will be one to watch on Saturday with experience in the AFLW. Phillips came across to the club after playing for Melbourne in 2018. Previously an Australian Ultimate Frisbee player, the 27-year-old has speed and agility on her side, currently averaging 19.5 disposals.
The Southern Saints will need to keep an eye on Hawk Pip Peschke, who was named best on ground in the side’s win against Essendon last week, with a season-high 24 disposals. Having spent majority of last season on the sidelines with injury, Peschke is cementing her spot in the side’s midfield in 2019.
Another Hawk who is continuing to prove herself is Claire Dyett. The 22-year-old was also named in the best last week with 13 disposals and seven tackles. With each game Dyett is improving and demonstrating herself as an integral player in the Hawthorn side.
As both teams look for four straight wins, Saturday’s game is set to be a big one, with Hawks supporters expected to come out for the doubleheader, Box Hill playing after the VFLW at 2:10pm.
