The form line – Hawthorn

Hawthorn suffered its first loss in 12 matches last Saturday night to the same side it was beaten by in Round 1 this year, Geelong. It seems the Cats have the Hawks’ measure, with their ability to pressure the midfield into rushed forward entries restricting the impact of the dangerous forward line.

The pressure combined with the slippery conditions saw the Hawks go into their shell, unable to take the game on like it has this season.

Once the Hawks got the ball into the hands of their runners like Isaac Smith and Bradley Hill, they looked a better side and the score board began to tick over, reducing a 33 point deficit to three points midway through the final term.

Despite not playing their best football, the Hawks were beaten by Geelong by just 10 points, an alarming fact for the rest of the competition.

The Hawks also showed that no matter the margin, it can quickly kick multiple goals to get itself back into the game – they kicked five unanswered goals in nine minutes in the final term.

Like any good side, the Hawks won’t give up no matter the margin; a fact Port Adelaide will need to be aware of if they find themselves in front at any stage of the match.

The form line – Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide has, this season, played with a new-found aggression, skill and passion the AFL hasn’t seen from them in at least three years.

The Power finished 14^th on the ladder having won just five games for the year.

Enter a new coach and a new philosophy, and the Power have thrived. They have beaten the reigning premiers and Collingwood in the past three matches, and pushed the Bombers to the final siren last Sunday at Etihad Stadium.

Earlier in the season they beat the Eagles after trailing by seven goals on their home turf and have since then proved they are a genuine finals threat.

Playing Port Adelaide in Adelaide is now no longer the cakewalk it has been in recent years, the Hawks will have their work cut out for them in front of a hostile Power crowd who have regained their passion for the club they love.

The Power play

In Round 14, Port Adelaide defeated Collingwood based solely on their ability to apply pressure and force turnovers.

In that game, Power players laid 70 tackles for the game, but it where they laid those tackles that were crucial to the win.

Port Adelaide never allowed Collingwood to easily exit its defensive 50, applying manic pressure that forced the Pies into skill errors and turnovers that resulted in Power scores.

The Power are a quick side whose foot skills have improved dramatically this season, allowing them to hurt their opposition on the turnover.

Power defensive tactics

Ken Hinkley and his side could look to employ similar tactics to Geelong on the weekend and force Hawthorn to kick long and quick into their forward line.

Against Collingwood, the Power were able to use Jackson Trengove in a “third-man” role not too dissimilar to the way Josh Gibson played last year.

That tactic was used to great effect, with Pies forward Travis Cloke having next to no influence on the match.

Geelong used the tactic effectively against the Hawks on Saturday night, with forwards Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin pitted against three and at times four opponents in marking contests.

Unfortunately for Port Adelaide, however, they will be without one of the players Hinkley has used to great effect as a swingman this season, Justin Westhoff.

Westhoff can play both forward and back and has been used on multiple occasions as the loose man in defence who blocks space in front of big, power forwards.

Hawks to learn from Cats loss

Geelong strangled Hawthorn on Saturday night with their pressure, and the Hawks will be better for the run.

If Port Adelaide aim to pressure the Hawks in a similar way, and it could be on the cards given Coach Hinkley is a former Geelong assistant, Hawthorn players will have learnt from their mistakes.

Hawthorn’s kicking efficiency was at a season low last weekend, once hitting 49 per cent by foot. If they find themselves under similar pressure on Saturday, look for the leaders like Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis to slow the game down.

Have the Power got the defence?

Hawthorn is the number one scoring team in the competition, and it’s little wonder why given the talent of the forward line and the endless supply of ball it gets from the midfield.

When playing against Hawthorn, there’s one thing you know for sure – the ball will get inside 50 on a number of occasions and your defence will be tested.

Hawthorn gets the ball inside its forward 50 on average 57 times per game – ranked third in the league. If that’s not enough to worry about, the Hawks are ranked number one in the competition for marks inside 50 when it does get in there with 14.6 per game.

From the average of 57 entries, the Hawks also average 17.5 goals per game and 12.5 behinds for a scoring total average of 30 per game. They have a better than 50 per cent chance of scoring each time the footy enters the forward arc.

So that brings the question, has Port Adelaide got the defence to stop Hawthorn’s weapons?

The Power will need to stop all three of Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin and Jack Gunston, while also worrying about Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and David Hale.

It’s a difficult task for any side, but the Power have a very young and inexperienced defence.

Alipate Carlisle and Jackson Trengove are the only two players with experience, though Trengove has still played just 68 games.

It then drops away dramatically with Jack Hombsch the next in line for a job on a key Hawk forward, who crossed from GWS at the end of last season. He has played just 14 career matches.

Incredibly though, despite its inexperience, the Power have conceded less points than Hawthorn this season to have statistically, the fourth-best defence in the competition.

On average, the Power concede 82.7 points per game. But their big test comes on Saturday.

They can defend, but can they score?

Port Adelaide might have the fourth-best defence in the league, ranked one better than the Hawks but can they kick a winning score?

Across the season, the Power a ranked 10^th in the league for points scored, averaging 94 points per game.

They are ranked equal seventh for forward 50 entries across the season with 53.4 and from there average 26.2 scores from the forward entries (13.6 goals, 12.6 behinds).

In the last month, they are ranked 15^th for scores once they enter their forward 50.

Against a robust Hawthorn defence, it will be a struggle for the Power to kick a winning score without Justin Westhoff who has contributed 20 goals this season. Jay Schulz (28 goals) and Angus Monfries (22) will need help from the midfielders.

Hawks to bounce back

The last time Hawthorn lost to Geelong, it went on a 12-game winning run and the last time it lost two games in a row was in round 4 and 5 of last season when West Coast and Sydney beat them early in the year.

The Hawks will be hurting from last weekend’s loss to the Cats and will be looking to bounce back with a good performance against a current top eight side on Saturday.

Key players

Hawthorn –

Paul Puopolo: Port Adelaide are a quick side capable of applying manic pressure, so Hawthorn’s ability to apply the same amount if not more intense pressure will allow it to gain the ascendency over what is a young side. There is none better at chasing and tackling than Puopolo, and his ability to chase down the Port quicks will be crucial. He is also capable of gathering 20 plus disposals and hitting the score board.

Port Adelaide –

Chad Wingard: For a youngster, Wingard has had an incredible season and has emerged as one of Port Adelaide’s most important players. He has elite speed, able to impact a gun on the outside, but his ability to put his head over the ball and win the hard footy is as good as any player in the competition. He is a goal kicking midfielder, having booted 26 goals this season, and everyone knows how important those players are. He can do it all.