A young Hawks side acquitted themselves very well against a much more experienced Brisbane Lions outfit on Sunday.
With Round 1 spots up for grabs, there were numerous examples of players pushing their case for consideration.
A lot of the boys' effort was evident from the stat sheet - so, here's a closer look!
● Looking comfortable and composed on the defensive line, Tim O’Brien was the game’s greatest aerial force on Sunday. O’Brien took three contested marks against the Lions, with no other player on the ground registering more than two. Interestingly no Lion took multiple contested grabs, but Mathew Walker, Jon Ceglar, David Mirra and Kaiden Brand all recorded two each.
● James Worpel laid a game-high nine tackles on the weekend, as the midfielder made his presence felt. No other Hawk laid more than five, as Worpel complemented his defensive intent with 18 disposals and a team-high nine clearances.
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● 24 of James Cousins’ 29 disposals against the Lions were uncontested. One of the stand-outs for the Hawks this pre-season, Cousins showed an improved endurance base as his spread from the contest proved too strong for the opposition on numerous occasions.
● Despite not enjoying the best possible return for his work, James Sicily’s seven shots at goal on Sunday was a career-high. Having spent the majority of his time in defence for the past season-and-a-half, Sicily returned to the forward line with little sign of rust.
● Although the Hawks recorded 23 less inside 50s than the Lions, the boys in the brown and gold were impressively able to take more marks inside 50 than their opposition. The Hawks took 13 marks upon their forward 50 entries compared to the Lions’ 12 and, considering this massive discrepancy in opportunity, this is a very promising sign. James Sicily led the way for the Hawks in this regard with five.
● Jon Ceglar’s 14 contested possessions on Sunday were a career-high. Ceglar hadn’t previously had more than 12 contested touches on an AFL stage. With over 82 per cent of his disposals contested, it exemplifies the hard-working nature of the ruckman’s game.
● Across his 12 senior appearances in the last two seasons, Teia Miles has maintained an 84 per cent disposal efficiency. Miles extended this reputation again against the Lions, operating at 88 per cent. His 16 possessions were of great value, also considering that he recorded four rebound 50s and three inside 50s.
