DESPITE having beaten its Qualifying Final opponent last week, Hawthorn knows that by no means guarantees it victory on Friday night at the MCG.
In only the fourth time in the Club’s history, the Hawks will play its final home and away round opponent in the first week of finals.
Hawthorn defeated Sydney by 12 points at ANZ Stadium last Friday night in a contest forward Jack Gunston described as “a game of two halves”.
The Hawks trailed Sydney by four goals midway through the second term before overrunning the Swans in the final to secure the minor premiership.
It was Sydney’s pressure that set up their half time lead, and having experienced their style of play last weekend, Gunston believes it will better prepare the Hawks for the Qualifying Final.
“Their hunt for the ball and ability to lay tackle after tackle – that’s finals footy personified,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“We know against Sydney there are lots of stoppages and a lot of bodies flying everywhere trying to get the hard ball.
“It’s a bit different having played them last week. We got a good look at how they play, we’ve played them twice so we know how each other play.
“It’s a matter now of each team going out there and playing their game plan.
“You judge each team on pressure and if our pressure is up, and we’re moving the footy well, it’ll go a long way for us getting a good result.”
The Swans led the contested possession count at half time on Friday night and were able to get the ball forward because of their dominance in the middle.
But the Hawks turned the tables in the second half and were able to get the game on their terms, something it will have to do again this Friday.
“It’s all about being able to win the ball around the contest and not allowing them to use their hands to get free and run forward as they do so well,” he said of the Swans.
“If we can limit that and then use the ball well the way we want to use it with smart movement out of the backline coming forward to get it to our talls one on one, then we can be a dangerous side.
“You judge each team on pressure and if our pressure is up, and we’re moving the footy well, it’ll go a long way for us getting a good result.”
Vice-Captain and midfielder Jordan Lewis believes the Hawks midfield is well placed to challenge the strength of Sydney’s big bodied midfielders plus their outside runners.
Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell and Lewis will go head-to-head with Ryan O’Keefe, Kieren Jack and Josh Kennedy to get the advantage in the contested ball to set up the game either way.
“We’ve got players in our midfield who are bigger bodied players so they like the contested football,” Lewis told hawthornfc.com.au
“(But) we’ve also added to mix the likes of Isaac Smith, Bradley Hill and even Gunston – they’re the outside players quicker running players.
“We think we’ve got a side at the moment that complement each other.”
Lewis also said that while last Friday night’s win taught the Hawks much about the Swans, beating them in finals is a much tougher challenge.
“You can take certain things from the game because we all know with Sydney, they don’t change too much and they haven’t over the years,” he said.
“They’ve got a certain game plan that holds up in finals and in a way it makes them predictable, but they’re still so hard to beat in finals.”
