THE HAWKS face yet another tough challengeon Saturday night when they take on a hurting Crows side on what looms as a wetAAMI Stadium.
But Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson sayshis side’s steady development now allows them to enter such daunting scenarioswith confidence.
"We’ve been facing significant hurdlesin the two-and-a-half years that I’ve been here,” Clarkson said shortly beforeflying to
"But I suppose it’s just a little bitmore exciting now that we’re starting to get a genuine belief that we cancompete with some of the better sides in the competition.
"That’s what’s been so pleasing aboutthe progress of the side thus far.
"It’ll be a tough game of footy,
"They play very well on their homeground, albeit they’ve lost two or three of their last few at home, but they’rea proud club so they’ll be keen to do really well tomorrow night and we’d liketo try and continue on with our winning momentum."
The Hawks took a big step in the rightdirection when they threw a rather large monkey off their backs with a come-from-behindwin over Port Adelaide in round 10 at a ground which has not been kind to themin the past.
Even so, they have not beaten
"It’ll be tough, but our players haveendured that before and had wins in
"It’s always difficult with 40,000screaming supporters for the opposition and that’s the environment we’ll be intomorrow night.
"I know the advantage for home teamsis usually quite significant when you travel, but there are still a set of goalposts at either end and you’ve still got 22 opponents, but the crowd support isthe most significant thing.
"The pleasing part of the PortAdelaide victory for us was that they got the jump on us early in the game andwe were able to get ourselves back into the contest.”
Hawthorn lost Tim Boyle (hamstring) andMichael Osborne (abdominal bleed) and brought in defenders Josh Thurgood andDanny Jacobs for the game. But Clarkson coy on who would replace Boyle in theforward line.
However, the Hawks’ coach was moreforthcoming in discussing skipper Richie Vandenberg who is in line to make aquicker than expected return from an shoulder joint injury with Box Hill thisweekend.
“Vanders has been selected and his progressfrom a shoulder operation has been really, really pleasing and if all goes well– he trains again tonight – he’ll play on Sunday,” Clarkson said.
