Key players
Hawthorn
The key to Hawthorn’s streak of eight consecutive wins has been a spread of contributors across the board.
Key forward Jack Gunston will enter the match with 10 goals from his past two matches, while Luke Breust, Cyril Rioli, Paul Puopolo and Jarryd Roughead have all hit the scoreboard to great effect over the past fortnight.
In defence, Josh Gibson is arguably in career-best form, while Grant Birchall has been finding the ball at will – and midfield trio Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis average just under 90 disposals per game between them.
Richmond
The Tigers have had no shortage of star performers in 2015.
Captain Trent Cotchin has been a standout performer in the midfield, averaging 26 disposals per game, with the likes of Brandon Ellis, Dustin Martin and Anthony Miles also contributing to a strong on-ball brigade for the Tigers.
Key defender Alex Rance has been in All-Australian form, while at the other end of the ground, Jack Riewoldt has kicked 42 goals to be an ominous presence for opposition sides.
Key factors
Who can make best use of the ball?
The Hawks rank first in the competition for disposal efficiency (75.7%), while the Tigers rank equal eighth (72.9%).
Whoever can make best use of the ball will go a long way to winning this contest.
Gibson and Birchall’s effectiveness coming out of defence has been pivotal for the Hawks this season, while for the Tigers, Bachar Houli and Rance are just as important playing similar roles.
Putting pressure on the opposition’s key ball movers will no doubt be a focus for both sides.
Which team can give their forwards most opportunity?
Both the Hawks and Tigers boast an array of options inside 50.
The Hawks have gone inside-50 more than any other team in the competition this season, averaging 59.2 entries per game, while the Tigers rank 13th with an average of 49.7 entries per game.
Jack Riewoldt will look to be a big presence for the Tigers – he averages 2.6 goals per game – while midfielder Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin all like to push forward an impact the scoreboard.
The Hawks have had 10-or-more goal-kickers the past three weeks, with numerous players getting on the end of hard work up the ground.
Converting opportunities in front of goal
It’s an area that arguably cost the Tigers a win against Fremantle last week – and one they will have undoubtedly working on this week.
The Tigers were able to create plenty of scoring opportunities against the Dockers, but managed 10.18 and suffering a heart-breaking four-point defeat.
They rank 16th in the competition for goalkicking accuracy (46.8%) and will be looking to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal against the Hawks.
