The “HokBall” Dream continues as the young Hawks jet off to Adelaide to face Port Power in a semi-final.
Hawthorn is coming into this week’s match with all the momentum, following a spirited 37-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG last Friday.
Facing Port on their home turf in front of another sell-out crowd should prove an interesting challenge for Hawthorn, factoring in travel time and a hostile home-ground crowd.
Coach Ken Hinkley’s men’s dip in form – i.e. their dismal display against Geelong last week, where Port lost by 84 points at home – has put the Power out of favour to win with punters.
However, that is not enough reason to underestimate Port Adelaide, who, given their position on the ladder, have proven to be able to bounce back from lacklustre performances.
This is the second time Hawthorn will meet Port Adelaide this year, following their infamous clash in round ten where the Hawks relinquished a 41-point lead and Port pinched the game with two consecutive goals in the dying minute of the match, winning by a singular point.
That match has proven to be a poignant moment in Hawthorn’s season, often cited as the turning point in Hawthorn’s form – looking at building upon their four-quarter efforts. Since round ten, Hawthorn has won 12 of their last 15 games, climbing the ladder from 15th to 7th, and earning them a place in this year’s finals series.
History is somewhat on the Hawks’ side coming into this match, having met Port Adelaide in the finals twice before (in 2014 and 2001), winning both times by three points.
Port Adelaide have proven to be better starters, ranked third in the competition for first quarters won. However, they slide down the ladder when it comes to their second to fourth quarter efforts, ranked 11th, 10th, and 12th.
Hawthorn on the other hand, are considered slow starters, ranked 12th, having only won six first quarters. The Hawks make up for this however with their second and third quarter efforts, where they are ranked third and fifth in the competition. Taking this with a grain of salt, the Hawks are rated 14th in terms of fourth quarter wins.
Looking at the head-to-head stats, Hawthorn has the edge in the possession game, registering +12.8 in disposals, +2.9 in disposal efficiency, and +19.9 in possessions including +2.2 in contested possessions. Outside of this, both teams are closely matched in clearances and inside 50s.
At the start of this season, Hawthorn were 17th oldest club in the league in terms of average age (23.6). Entering finals Hawthorn only had 13 players with experience.
Meanwhile Port Adelaide are equal 10th oldest (average age of 24.5) with over 26 players with finals experience.
As of the Opening Round this year, Port players averaged 70.6 games making them eighth most experienced club in the comp. In comparison, Hawthorn were ranked the 16th most experienced club, with players averaging 58.2 games played.
Friday night’s game isn’t a big event simply because it is a semi-final. It is also a huge milestone for club legend Luke Bruest, who is notching up 300 games, and Dylan Moore, reaching the 100-game milestone.
The Hawks will be going into this match without Will Day and Cam Mackenzie once again, with both players still battling with their injuries.
And, after his heartbreaking injury on Friday night, Sam Frost will also be omitted from this week’s team. Frost suffered a stress fracture in his foot, confining him to a moon boot and ruling him out for the remainder of the season – a tragic end considering he was in the best form of his career.
Jai Serong has been confirmed to take the stalwart defender’s place on Wednesday night; a reward for his consistently brilliant form at Box Hill, which also earned him a spot in the 2024 VFL Team of the Year.
Any further changes to the side will be announced tonight at 6:20pm.
