MIDFIELD star Sam Mitchell says the Hawks are refreshed and ready for the Preliminary Final showdown against Geelong on Friday night at the MCG.
The Hawks earned the right to a weekend off thanks to their 52-point Qualifying Final win over Sydney in week one of the finals series and used it to refresh both mind and body but also to prepare well for the crucial clash.
The Cats on the other hand took the more difficult rout to the Preliminary Final, having lost their first final to Fremantle before defeating Port Adelaide last Friday night.
Hawthorn coaches and fitness staff kept the preparation much the same last week in an attempt to keep the players motivated and ready for their next challenge but were mindful too, of taking the opportunity to refresh both the minds and bodies of the playing group.
The week culminated in a solid training session on Friday and a recovery session on Saturday – just as if the team had played on Friday night.
Mitchell believes that preparation will aid the side when it matters at the MCG.
“We prepare and do the same thing we would normally regardless of if we’ve had a week off or not,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“We just feel a little bit fresher than we have previously heading into Friday night, it was handy for everyone to get a little bit of a break.
“You can play well under any circumstances, I don’t think changing routine matters that much but you do try and stick to the same things so you know what you’re going to get out of your body.
“Psychologically it’s a little bit of a challenge having the week off because you’ve been a bit more relaxed for longer but it’s definitely a benefit having the week off and we’re looking forward to getting out there this week and showing how we can play.”
The Hawks haven’t beaten the Cats in 11 attempts, but that history means nothing in a Preliminary Final.
Mitchell says they’re just another team standing in the way of what the Club hopes to achieve in 2013.
“They’re in the way of what we want, which is some more silverware for our football club,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the win and then go on and prepare for the week after but we know it’s going to be a big challenge.”
The Hawks know winning a place in the 2013 Grand Final won’t be easy.
Mitchell chose to use a tennis analogy to best describe what may lie ahead on Friday night.
“I don’t see any one side being in control of the game for the whole 120 minutes, there will be ebbs and flows – in different parts of the game we’ll be on top and in different parts they’ll be on top,” he said.
“Most games are like that – one team gets on top then the other team comes back, we often compare it to tennis where two great players play against each other in the mens, they rarely win in three sets, it’s usually a four or five setter.
Players have different times of success throughout a game and AFL is very much like that where we’ll be able to control the game at some stages and they will at others.
“It will probably be more of a case of who can make the most of their chances.”
