Luke Hodge

Luke Hodge will enter Hawthorn’s top five for all-time games played when he runs out this weekend against North Melbourne.

The Hawks will welcome back Hodge’s experience this week after being without him in last week’s loss to Richmond. 

Hodge will be looking to mark his 46th and final game in Tasmania with a win over the Kangaroos. 

If the Hawks superstar needs any more motivation, North Melbourne are one of only three sides (the others being Geelong and Port Adelaide) that he does not hold a winning record over (12-0-12). 

If the Hawks can record a win this weekend, it will ensure Hodge a favourable record against 15 of the 17 opposition clubs upon his retirement.

Read: Hodge enters top 5 games list

 

Tom Mitchell

A picture of consistency this year, Mitchell is set to notch up another testament to his durability this weekend when he plays his 50th consecutive AFL game. 

Mitchell is one of only seven Hawks to have played all 19 games this season, a number that illustrates the difficulty of playing 50 games in a row. 

Mitchell will be a key player for the Hawks this week if they are to return their name to the winners list.

 

Luke Breust

If Luke Breust can kick a goal against North Melbourne this Sunday, he will enter his name into an illustrious group of Hawthorn legends.

That one major would register as Breust’s 300th career goal for the Hawks, with only 10 Hawthorn players having reached this milestone.

Breust has averaged two goals a game over his eight encounters with the Kangaroos in his career, suggesting that the record is set to be broken this weekend.

 

Ben Cunnington

Ben Cunnington is one of the competition’s premiere contested ball-winners with only Patrick Dangerfield and Clayton Oliver averaging more than Cunnington’s 14.8 per game.

The 26-year old Roo is also averaging more clearances than any other player in the competition this year, with 7.6 per outing. 

One of North’s most important players this season, Cunnington has set new career-highs in disposals, clearances and contested possessions this season and will be one the Hawks will have to keep a close eye on if they want to stop the Kangaroos at the source.

Read: Opposition analysis - a closer look at the Kangas 

Jack Ziebell

Jack Ziebell will head down to Tasmania this weekend brimming with confidence after kicking a career-high five goals against Collingwood last Saturday night.

The Roos skipper received high praise from coach Brad Scott after his performance, with Ziebell kicking his five majors in a second half while nursing sore ribs after an earlier collision.

"Ziebell is a class act, we'd love to have him forward more often, but it also meant we were very thin in the midfield and we got badly beaten there in the second half,” Scott said post game.

The Hawks will have to be aware of the threat Ziebell poses, not just in his familiar role in the midfield, but also when the 26-year old sneaks forward too.