HAWTHORN skipper Sam Mitchell says the Hawks paid the price for allowing Fremantle to dictate the terms of their elimination final at Subiaco Oval on Saturday.

The wayward Hawks had effectively kicked themselves out of the game by half time when they had managed just 1.11 despite dominating the inside 50s, eventually going down by 30 points.

Mitchell said the Hawks blew their chances during a wasteful second quarter in which they added seven straight behinds.
 
“By half time we had more contested possessions, more clearances, more shots on goal, more inside 50s, but we were well down on the scoreboard,” he said.

“We thought we had control of the game in the second quarter but we just couldn’t put any scoreboard pressure on and the game ends up being played on their terms and you can’t match it with them for a full game.”

Hawthorn went into the match with a more potent forward set-up on paper, but Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead were effectively shut down in the first half by a hard-running Fremantle defence.

“Both of those big guys are very good when it hits the ground normally, but it was being mopped up pretty quick by the Freo defenders,” Mitchell said.

“They got their numbers back pretty well and we had trouble equalising the numbers.

“We tried to man up their spare in defence but they probably won that battle and managed to get a spare the majority of the time and were able to mop it up when it hit the ground.”

Coming off a tough clash against Collingwood in round 22, a number of the Hawthorn players appeared down on fitness.

But Mitchell said that had nothing to do with the loss.

“I think the majority of players, particularly everyone that’s older than 24 or 25, once they get to round 22 and finals footy they’re probably carrying a thing here and there.

“But we got outplayed on the day and that’s where the story stops really.”

Mitchell said the big challenge facing Hawthorn over the off-season would be to build its depth of senior talent.

“I think we’ve got a good group of senior players, probably the acid test has to be put on some of our younger guys to take the next step and be really pushing for senior selection.

“That’s most probably the next step for us as a footy club; to get 30 players that are capable of playing really good senior, consistent AFL footy and I think when we get that we’ll be a better side.”