HAWTHORN midfielder Isaac Smith says the Hawks won’t be flirting with their form heading finals, keen to sew up a top two finish and a home final in week one of the finals series.
The Hawks currently sit a game clear of Geelong atop the AFL ladder, but two tough matches against North Melbourne and Sydney to finish the home and away rounds means the Hawks aren’t guaranteed a top two finish yet.
The Cats could trump Hawthorn for top spot if the Hawks falter against the Kangaroos or Swans, providing they win their next two against Geelong and Brisbane, while Sydney themselves still remain in the hunt for a home final in week one along with Fremantle.
Both the Swans and Dockers sit six point behind Hawthorn and just two points behind Geelong and could secure a home final with strong finishes to the season.
Fremantle, currently in fourth position are arguably best placed, with matches against Port Adelaide at Patersons Stadium and St Kilda at Etihad Stadium to close the season.
Smith says while the Hawks are guaranteed the double chance, securing a top two finish is its number one priority and will be doing everything it can to secure a home final.
“The top four is set, but the positions in it aren’t,” he said at the Ricoh Centre on Monday.
“We’ve definitely got to win this week and hopefully win the week after to secure the number one spot and a home final first up.
“It’s important to keep our form going and not flirt with it… we have to get going now and make sure we put a whole game together.”
The speedy wingman, who was one of Hawthorn’s best on Friday night says the coaches and playing group have learnt from last season, when the Hawks didn’t produce their best football in the finals series.
He hopes the three tough, final matches of the home and away season will hold the team in good stead for a big 2013 finals campaign.
“It’s a long season and I guess you can’t be up every week, but hopefully we’ve got five or six games to go now,” he said plotting a path to the season’s decider.
“We’ll set ourselves for those games and get going.
“Last year we probably weren’t as good in the finals so we’ll set ourselves for that.”
The Hawks take on North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and he knows a win would help secure the all-important home final.
He concedes though, taking on a Kangaroos team that was won three of their past four matches – including wins over Geelong and Essendon won’t be easy.
“Most people in the AFL see North Melbourne as a top eight side and unfortunately for them they’ve lost a lot of close games,” he said.
“We only beat them by three points earlier in the year so they’re a very good side who are probably unlucky.
“They’re a good side who’ve got good players all across the field.”
The Hawks hope to welcome back veteran defender Brent Guerra back after missing Friday night’s win with a knee issue.
“I think he’ll be all good, I think he had a bit of fluid on the knee or something, so they gave him a bit of a rest,” Smith said.
