Preview: Hawks v Dogs
VENUE & TIME: MCG, Friday 5 September, 7.50 pm AEST
HEAD TO HEAD: Hawthorn 72, Western Bulldogs 73, Draws 2
LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 15.16 (106) def Hawthorn 12.2 (74), Round 10, 2008, at Aurora Stadium
WALKING WOUNDED: Campbell Brown is the Hawks' main concern. Brown twisted an ankle against Carlton last Saturday night and the club will give him right up until the last minute to prove his fitness. Simon Taylor and Shane Crawford, who were rested from the Blues clash, will return to take on the Dogs. The Bulldogs will be sweating on the fitness of ruckman Ben Hudson who missed the club's Round 22 trip to AAMI Stadium because of hamstring soreness. Tom Williams (shoulder) and Scott West (knee) would otherwise be in the Bulldogs' best 22 but their seasons have effectively been over for several weeks.
FORM: Hawthorn finished the home and away season in second place with an outstanding 17-5 record. There were four wins from five over the last month including a surprise loss to Richmond which will probably do the Hawks more good than harm in the long run. Importantly, the Hawks got their eye in for the finals with big wins over West Coast and Carlton in Rounds 21 and 22. The third-placed Bulldogs finished 15-1-6, but five of those six defeats came in the last seven rounds of the season.
WHO'S HOT: Lance Franklin grabbed all the headlines for topping the ton against the Blues, but Luke Hodge was his team's best and most damaging player on the night. Hodge was devastating in picking up 32 disposals from half-back and while Chance Bateman's numbers were not quite as impressive, he was almost as effective in a similar role. The Bulldogs' best against Adelaide last Saturday included the usual suspects - Daniel Cross, Adam Cooney and Daniel Giansiracusa - but Nathan Eagleton was a standout. The veteran midfielder gathered a season-high 29 touches and 11 marks in the club's tight loss to the Crows.
WE THINK: The Bulldogs have had the wood over Hawthorn recently, having won four of their five clashes since 2004 and it's significant that they've largely managed to keep Lance Franklin under control over that period. The Coleman Medalist has averaged just two-point-eight goals per game in his five outings against the Dogs including five in this year's Round 10 loss in Launceston, though he famously let the Bulldogs off the hook with 2.11 in Round 21 last season, a match the Hawks won by 84 points. Much as they did in Round 10, the Bulldogs will back their midfield to control the tempo and restrict supply to Hawthorn's forwards. It's a big ask. The Hawks have timed their run to peak in September while the Dogs seem to be tailing off. The Hawks have the upside, the form and the firepower. Hawthorn by 35 points.