HAWTHORN Coach Alastair Clarkson says the inclusions of Jordan Lewis and Clinton Young for Saturday’s preliminary final are crucial to the Club’s grand final bid.
The midfield pair were named in the Hawthorn 22 on Thursday night after overcoming the injuries that saw them sidelined for the qualifying final win over Collingwood.
Lewis and Young have been key players in Clarkson’s 2012 Hawthorn model, playing 20 and 18 matches respectively.
The Hawthorn coach believes their inclusion is pivotal.
“They’ve been important parts of our mix, they’ve been consistent players for us throughout the course of the year and played the majority of games,” Clarkson said at the Hawks final training session at the Ricoh Centre on Friday.
“In terms of all the structures we’ve got and in terms of the way we want to play, they’ve been pivotal to that throughout the course of the year.
“We’re happy that they’re available to play.”
The pair adds to an already strong Hawthorn midfield, boasting Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell and at times livewire, Cyril Rioli.
The midfield battle will be one of many eye-catching battled across the field, with Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thomspon and Rory Sloane key figures in the middle for the Crows.
It is there, that Clarkson believes the game will be won.
“The game is crucial through the middle of the ground and if we can win that battle, it will give us an enormous chance to win the game,” he said.
“Similarly, both sides have got very, very strong forward lines and whoever wins that midfield battle is going to give their side a greater chance of kicking a score.”
The Hawks will of course, have to contend with in-form Crows forward Taylor Walker, fresh off a five goal haul against the Dockers in the semi-final last weekend.
Clarkson admits, however, that he is yet to decide who will stand Walker, with partner Kurt Tippett also posing a significant threat inside 50.
But he isn’t just focusing on Tippett and Walker, conceding the Crows forward mix is more potent than just its talls.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.
“It depends on where those guys line up - who’s playing deep and who’s playing higher up the ground.
“He was terrific last week Taylor Walker, he’s certainly one to be watched.
“Tippett is a very, very damaging player and (Jason) Porplyzia is very handy as well.
“They’ve got a very potent forward line and the best thing we can do to defend that is to not allow the ball in there in the first place.”
Kate Salemme is a member of Hawthorn Football Club's Digital Media team reporting exclusively for hawthornfc.com.au from the Ricoh Centre.
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