IT SEEMS almost everyone in Australia has fallen under the spell of the purple Fremantle haze, and that's fine with Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold.
Following their impressive swamping of the Sydney Swans last weekend, pundits have rushed to talk up the Dockers' chances in Saturday's Grand Final, despite the Hawks' status as minor premiers.
According to Newbold, even David Parkin, a Hawthorn premiership player and coach, is tipping Ross Lyon's men to prevail.
But the Hawks president has welcomed his club's doubters, as it seeks to atone for its 2012 Grand Final loss.
"He (Parkin) is full of Freo, as is all of the media, and we're quite happy with that," Newbold told the crowd at the Hawks' Grand Final lunch in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"I heard Ross Lyon say that Fremantle would ask serious questions of Hawthorn and Hawthorn would ask serious questions of Freo; we're a serious football club, and we welcome serious questions.
"We're under no misunderstanding at our club about the challenge that is in front of us, and we know from last year that there are no guarantees in this game.
"But what I can guarantee is that this club is fully prepared for the challenge that lies ahead this weekend.
"There is no stone that we've left unturned in seeking redemption for last year, and I am very confident in the ability of our boys to get the job done."
Newbold acknowledged the Dockers as worthy Grand Finalists, but said the concern should not all be on one side.
"We're just really looking forward to the game," he said.
"We know that they're a fantastic defensive pressure side, and we're looking forward to challenging ourselves and asking a few questions of Freo as well.
"I think we've got the best forward line in the competition, so let them worry about a few of our blokes as well."
He said he did not feel that Hawthorn was being disrespected by the weight of opinion favouring the visitors.
"Human nature remembers the last event, and watching Freo on Saturday night, it was hard not to be impressed," Newbold said.
"I watched it and thought, 'Gee, they're a good side.'
"But it's not accolades we're about – we're about putting our best foot forward on Saturday."
