Hawthorn has made one change to the side that defeated Western Bulldogs last week, bringing in speedster Bradley Hill for the match against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Anzac Day.
Hill will replace youngster Jed Anderson who has been omitted from the side after a fourth quarter role as substitute for small forward Paul Puopolo in Round 3.
Still experiencing effects from a slight concussion he sustained in the final minutes of the Hawks’ Round 2 match, Hill did not travel to Launceston with the team for its clash against Western Bulldogs at Aurora Stadium.
Puopolo will take his place in the side having trained solidly throughout the week after sustaining a corked leg from a pre-game collision with an umpire in Round 3.
Apart from the Hill inclusion, the Hawks’ side that defeated an injury-depleted Western Bulldogs by 70 points on Sunday will remained unchanged.
Hawks’ skipper Luke Hodge put in a masterful performance, with 44 possessions and two goals, while Jarryd Roughead was a key contributor up forward with seven goals.
Jordan Lewis (41 possessions) and Isaac Smith (36) were also prominent.
The Hawks’ upcoming fixture is one of five AFL matches being played on the centenary of Anzac day, and both sides are coming off wins in Round 3.
This will be the first time the two teams have matched up again since the Hawks’ dramatic three-point victory in last season’s preliminary final.
Prior to that, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide met in a top-of-the-table clash at the Adelaide Oval in Round 10 last season with the undermanned Hawks going down to the Power by 14 points.
The Hawks went into the game without stars including Roughead, Mitchell, Gibson, Lake and Rioli and facing a Port Adelaide team that had lost just one game.
Round 4
Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
Saturday 25 April
Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm
B: Burgoyne Lake Duryea
HB: Birchall Gibson Stratton
C: Smith Mitchell Suckling
HF: Langford Gunston Hill
F: Breust Roughead Rioli
Foll: Ceglar Hodge Lewis
I/C: Whitecross McEvoy Puopolo Hartung
Emergencies: Schoenmakers, Simpkin, Anderson
In: Hill
Out: Anderson (Omitted)
Find out all you need to know about Round 4 match-day.
