FRIDAY night’s blockbuster at the MCG has been billed as one of the biggest clashes ever between Hawthorn and Richmond.
There is plenty on the line for both the Hawks and Tigers.
A win for the third-placed Hawks will help them maintain their push for a top-two finish, while a win for the Tigers will keep alive their top four hopes.
The form
Hawthorn – WWW (most recent first)
The Hawks will enter Friday night’s clash on the back of eight consecutive wins, and big wins in the past three weeks.
Alastair Clarkson’s men defeated ladder-leader Fremantle by 72 points in Round 15, then followed that up with an 89-point win over Sydney Swans and a 138-point win against Carlton.
There will be no shortage of confidence among the Hawks ahead of another big challenge.
Richmond – LWW (most recent first)
The Tigers have been in exceptional form over the past month.
Damien Hardwick’s team has won four of its past five matches – against Sydney Swans, GWS Giants, Carlton and St Kilda – and fell to Fremantle by just four points at the weekend.
The Tigers arguably should have won that match against the Dockers, and will be desperate to bounce back against the Hawks.
Recent history
Clashes between the Hawks and Tigers over the past four years have been a tad one-sided.
However, the ledger stands at two-all in that period.
The Hawks celebrated Sam Mitchell and Shaun Burgoyne’s 250th AFL matches with a 66-point win in Round 6 last year, with the Tigers winning the clubs’ 2012 and 2013 meetings by 62 and 41 points respectively.
Prior to that, the Hawks had won three in a row against the Tigers – by 42, three and 63 points respectively.
In last year’s clash between the Hawks and Tigers, Luke Hodge collected three Brownlow votes for his 30-disposal, two-goal game.
Ins and outs
Hawthorn
The Hawks look set to welcome back a number of key players.
Midfielder Liam Shiels and defenders Ben Stratton and Taylor Duryea are expected to return from injury, while James Frawley looms as a potential replacement for Matt Spangher (hamstring).
Who the Hawks leave out though is another question – there’s bound to be some tough decisions at the selection table this week.
Richmond
Key forward Ty Vickery should return against the Hawks, after serving a two-week suspension.
He will likely come in for Ben Griffiths – who will miss with a finger injury – while Corey Ellis (foot) will also miss through injury.
Ruckman Shaun Hampson (ankle) will need to complete a fitness test.
Young tall Liam McBean could be in the frame for an AFL recall if Hampson is also ruled out, while Reece Conca and Matthew Arnot could be in line after strong performances at VFL level.
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