After a quiet 2017 campaign by his lofty standards, Luke Breust appears back to his best following a game-high goal haul in the season opener.
The three-time premiership player brought finesse and fancy footwork to the ‘G, as he notched up 17 disposals, four tackles and four majors in an impressive outing.
Ever modest, Breust attributed his strong performance to the Hawks’ well-functioning forward set up.
“It was an opportunistic game for me,” he said.
“It was nice to bob up each quarter and get on the end of one.
“I thought our forward line operated as best as it has in 12-18 months. We had multiple options up there, good tall forwards that can bring the ball to ground, so it feels like it’s going to be a good year for us.
“It’s good to have everyone back, and then throwing Jars [Jarman Impey] and Shauny Burgoyne up there as well just adds more depth to the mix.”
Heading into his 10th season at the club, the 2014 All Australian says he is feeling in good shape as he kicks off his 2018 campaign.
“My body is feeling the best it has in a number of years.
“I worked hard in the off-season to get that right, and I think that just allows you to do the things you want to do on the field.
“When I start being able to move pain-free again, and being able to move the way I want to move, it makes a huge difference.”
Read: Match report - Hawthorn v Collingwood
The Hawks dominated much of Saturday night’s contest against the Magies, finishing 34-point victors in what the 27-year-old describes as a “good, strong footy” performance.
“A lot of hard work goes into Round 1, and it is built up so much,” Breust said.
“I thought the boys as a collective hunted well together, tackled well, and our pressure was really good.”
Tom Mitchell was the story of the night, as the Hawks’ number three notched up 54 touches, on his way to breaking the all-time AFL record for the most disposals in a match (previously held by Greg Williams and Gary Ablett with 53).
“It’s amazing how he goes about it,” Breust said of his ball-magnet teammate.
“His work rate is probably the best I’ve seen in terms of his ability to get from contest to contest.
“Full credit to him, he’s an outstanding player and will be for a long time.”
