The Hawks return to GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, with the clash posed as an important clash for both side in the context of the season with only eight games remaining.
Hawthorn have only played at Kardinia Park twice in the past 18 years, with one of those matches in the 2020 COVID interrupted season with a reduced crowd in attendance.
Geelong bounced back last week with a strong win against Essendon, while Hawthorn is one of the most in-form teams in the competition, having won seven of their last eight games.
Ladder
Geelong: 5th (9-6)
Hawthorn: 13th (8-7)
Points For
Geelong – 1389
Hawthorn - 1192
Points Against
Geelong – 1308
Hawthorn - 1218
What they do well
Hawthorn’s biggest strength revolves around their stoppage work, with clearance dominance an important factor behind their recent form.
The Hawks have won the clearance battle in five of their last six games, including a 38-21 annihilation of the Eagles out of the middle last week.
James Worpel and Jai Newcombe are the two biggest drivers of the Hawthorn midfield, with both players ranked inside the top 20 for clearances across the competition. Worpel secured the perfect 10 coaches votes in the game as well.
Conor Nash is also averaging five clearances per game, while Will Day is another prime mover for the Hawks that the Cats will need to keep an eye on this week.
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02:44CommunityCommunity
Geelong's Next Generation Academy Program
See all the work that goes on behind the scenes as the Cats identify, support and develop local Indigenous and Multicultural footballing prospects. Proudly Supported by Bulla.
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The Cats Corner Podcast Ep 2 | The East Coast Boys Returns Fire?
Shaun Mannagh, George Stevens and Connor O'Sullivan host the second episode of The Cats Corner, after a dazzling debut from the Western Australian contingent! Our recent games are reviewed aswell as the usual banter and hijinks.
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08:12FeatureFeature
Time Cat-Sule Round 8 | Ottens Reflects On 2000s North Rivalry
Brad Ottens joins this weeks Time Cat-Sule, reflecting on the heated rivalry Geelong had with North Melbourne in the late 2000s, from history changing losses to pre-game scuffles! Tickets are on sale NOW for our Round 8 clash with North Melbourne!
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To The Final Bell | Oisin Mullin Joins, Looking Ahead To North!
50 gamer and arguably the games best tagger Oisin Mullin joins the show to discuss his role in the team and his AFL journey so far! We review our match against Port and look ahead to our next game at home against North.
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To The Final Bell -
01:23CommunityCommunity
The Resilience Project | Cats Help Reach Our Community
Geelong along with GMHBA and the Resilience Project, helped host over 2500+ primary and secondary schoolkids last week, to help educate around the important of mental health awareness.
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03:45FeatureFeature
Time Cat-Sule | Round 7, 2008 Taylor Saves Day After Pavlich Opportunity
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History
The Damaging Disposal Winners
Rather than one player dominating the disposal count, the Hawks rely on an even spread of contributors to get results.
Jai Newcombe leads the team with an average of 24 disposals per game, but there are six different players who average over 20 possessions a game in 2024.
As a team the Hawks rank 11th in the competition for total disposals, they don’t possess the ball much but in recent weeks have been as damaging as any with it.
The Distributors
One area that the Hawks do excel in is getting the ball into the hands of their prime movers, specifically Karl Amon and Massimo D’Ambrosio.
Amon averages 22 disposals per game, leading the Hawks for rebound 50’s and uncontested possessions while going at 82% disposal efficiency.
D’Ambrosio is enjoying a breakout season averaging 20 disposals per game, playing a role on the wing and complimenting Amon as a key link in the chain.
The Cats will need to restrict these two players this week, to limit their ball movement from half back to forward 50.
