BRETT Ratten believes the team that defends best forward of centre will win on Saturday.
The Hawks take on the Dockers at Aurora Stadium, two sides who pride themselves on their ability to out pressure the opposition into turnovers resulting in scores.
Both sides performed well in this area in Round 3, with the Hawks forcing the Magpies into skill errors at the MCG, while the Dockers suffocated the Bombers in the opening half of their match, restricting them to just one goal in two quarters of football.
Ratten says the ability to lock the ball in on Saturday will be critical, given it provides each player with the motivation to continue applying relentless pressure.
“The ability to keep it more in your front half will be so critical in getting an opportunity to score,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
“Everyone can say ‘oh you need to get it in’, but locking it in, that’s where the goals are.
“Both teams will be really pushing to make sure that they can get things on their terms.
“There’s no doubt that having the ball in your front half rather than your back half, it fuels your appetite to defend and actually score because it’s right there, it’s a great way to really hurt the opposition.”
Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and Paul Puopolo hold the keys for Hawthorn in that area, with their pace and ability to close down space hallmarks of their game.
But Ratten says it’s not only the job of the Hawks’ small forward trio.
“It will actually have to be team defence and whoever wins that battle, it will be really critical,” he said.
Ratten paid homage to Fremantle’s ability to suffocate the Bombers in the first half last Friday night.
“When they won the ball and got it inside 50 they really locked it in and that really fuelled that defensive appetite to keep the opposition under pressure,” he said.
“They didn’t give Essendon much time and space, there was always a man in their face and really making them release the ball on Fremantle’s terms which they can do really well.”
Despite Fremantle restricting Essendon to just one goal in the opening half of last Friday night’s match at Patersons Stadium, the Bombers were able to turn the game around in the second half.
It was their ability to hold onto the ball without rushing their possession that was the key, Ratten says, to their ability to outscore Fremantle nine goals to two to in the end prevail by four points.
He says the Hawks will need to ensure it doesn’t rush its possession on Saturday.
“The time and space Essendon could create was a bit better than they did in the first half, so that’ll be critical for us, can we buy the seconds so we can use the ball to our advantage down the field,” he said.
“That just then doesn’t allow that lock in that Fremantle can generate, it doesn’t allow that.
“You can then get the ball out and get some yardage in the game.”
