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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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.
