With the Hawks ready to take on Geelong on Saturday night, hawthornfc.com.au looks at the five key players who could impact the result.

1.Josh Gibson (Hawthorn)
While teammate Brian Lake will most likely get the Tom Hawkins match-up, Gibson’s role for the Hawks is just as crucial.

One of the game’s best readers of the footy, Gibson’s strength lies in his ability to leave his man and help his teammates by being third-man up and killing the contest.

Gibson will need to fulfil that role on Saturday night if the Hawks are to win because the stats show if Hawkins gets one out with his man, the big Cat will take the mark and kick the goal nine times out of 10.

But Gibson’s importance is also in the balance he achieves in attack and defence and his ability to rebound from defensive 50 is an important part of his and his team’s game.

He is one of the best users of the footy and his ability to hit targets out of defence and avoid the Geelong pressure will be crucial (the Cats average 72.4 tackles per game).

2. Jordan Murdoch (Geelong)
He might be unknown to those who don’t follow the Cats but Murdoch is that player who wears number 21 who always seems to bob up against the Hawks.

Back in the side this week after being out injured, Murdoch is a key inclusion for the Cats with his outside run and ability to get into dangerous positions a genuine game-breaker for his side.

He is a goal kicking midfielder who reads the play well and for some reason, like most of his teammates, produces his best footy against Hawthorn.

With games between the Cats and Hawks usually going down to the wire, Murdoch has impacted each of the four matches he’s played against the Hawks by making his presence felt on the scoreboard.

The young Cat has booted six goals against the Hawks, including three in the Round 15 victory last year, each of which came in the final term to sink the Hawks and two in Round 5 this year.

Jordan Murdoch celebrates a goal for the Cats.

3. Isaac Smith (Hawthorn)
Normally we highlight Smith for his running power and ability to take the game on through the middle but this time we’re acknowledging his importance for a different reason.

Achieving a good spread of goal kickers is important against sides like Geelong, whose strength lies in their at time impenetrable defence and that’s where Smith comes in.

The energetic wingman has taken on a different role at times this year and spent time inside 50 and playing exclusively as a forward.

He has thrived in the challenge and moved up Hawthorn’s goal kicking leaderboard with 21 for the year to be ranked behind the top three – Jarryd Roughead, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston.

Smith is a smart player who reads the play well and that allows him to get into dangerous spots or to the fall of the ball. His finishing skills are elite and has kicked multiple goals on six occasions this year including a bag of four against the Giants in Round 11.

If Smith plays well, so does Hawthorn.

Isaac Smith can leave opponents in his wake.

4. Josh Caddy (Geelong)
He made a somewhat slow start to his career at the Cats after crossing from Gold Coast at the end of 2012 but Caddy is now coming into his own.

A strongly built goal kicking midfielder, Caddy is the Geelong prototype – a good size at 186cm and 88kgs and can bustle through packs at will.

He was instrumental in last week’s thrilling win over Carlton with a clutch mark and goal to go along with 28 disposals – it was arguably his best game for Geelong and potentially his career.

The midfielder/forward seems to make an impact at the right time and pressure is no concern for him, which is why we’ve chosen to highlight him as a key player on Saturday night.

Caddy has also impacted games against the Hawks since joining Geelong, kicking a crucial goal in the last quarter of last year’s Preliminary Final by making something out of nothing and picking up 12 disposals in a quarter of footy as the sub.

Josh Caddy is becoming a crucial player for Geelong.

5. Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
One of Hawthorn’s most creative players by hand and foot, Mitchell is crucial to Hawthorn’s chances of moving into second spot on the ladder with a victory over Geelong on Saturday night.

A smooth mover through the middle and across half back, the dual premiership player never panics with or without the ball and that characteristic is important against a team like Geelong who never let up in their pressure and attack.

Since returning from injury, Mitchell is probably yet to take a game by the scruff of the neck despite a string of good performances, so the stage is set for him to have a big one in a critical game for his team.

Mitchell enjoys the challenge of playing against Geelong because he produces some of his best footy against them – who can forget that performance in last year’s prelim? 38 disposals and 11 clearances was a heroic effort.

He averages 26 disposals and 4.6 clearances against the Cats.