A VICTORY against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval gave Hawthorn a perfect start to the season with two wins from two matches, but more importantly, gave them a win in a tough game.

If that sounds somewhat circular as logic, stick with it. Hawks youngster Travis Tuck explains.

“It was always going to be a tough game, with Freo coming off a loss, and when you’re over here they’re a very tough side to beat, but we got there in the end,” he said.

“If you want to be in the top four, or the top eight, or be there at the end of the year in the big one, you’re going to have to play tough games, and that’s the way it is.

“And Freo over here, it doesn’t get much tougher. They were good, but we just got up in the end.”

But Tuck admitted that when his side had their foot on the throat of an opponent – they twice led the Dockers by nearly six goals before winning by 15 points – they had to capitalise.

“Freo, to their credit, came back, but when we get to those six-goal leads we’ve got to not sit back and relax, but push on and get up to nine and ten goal leads, and just finish out the game.”

And the third-gamer was delighted to slot his first AFL major as a result of typical Hawthorn teamwork.

“I thought Sewelly [Brad Sewell] was going to have the snap himself, but he did the wise thing and handed it back to me,” he said with a laugh. “It’s the team thing, and he prides himself on that, Sewelly, and he does jobs for us each week. He’s not the shining star every week, but he does his job, and that helps us win games.

“Blokes won’t kick goals without the midfielders, and the midfielders won’t get the ball without the backmen working it through with us.

“Everyone does their part, and each week, we hopefully come up with the goods.”