Last time they met - Round 8, 2012 – Aurora Stadium, Launceston
HAWTHORN v FREMANTLE SATURDAY 19 MAY 2012, AURORA STADIUM
FREMANTLE 0.3 2.6 7.8 9.9 (63)
HAWTHORN 2.4 10.9 13.12 17.17 (119)
GOALS FREMANTLE: Ballantyne 2, Barlow, Neale, Crowley, Clarke, Johnson, Mayne, Dawson
GOALS HAWTHORN: Roughead 4, Suckling 2, Rioli 2, Breust 2, Young, Guerra, Franklin, Hale, Lewis, Mitchell, Smith
SUB: Jay van Berlo replaced Clancee Pearce in the third quarter
REPORTS: Nil
UMPIRES: Schmitt, Pannell, Mitchell
OFFICIAL CROWD: 12,959
Ross Lyon summed it up best: “I thought we got annihilated.” In what was probably Freo’s worst performance of the season, a rampant Hawthorn had put the contest to bed by half-time, leading by 10 goals at Launceston’s Aurora Stadium. In the first seven rounds of 2012, Fremantlehad restricted opponents to a stingy average of 44 inside 50s per game - Hawthorn had 40 by half-time. The visitors rallied briefly in the third term with four unanswered goals, but the hurt inflicted in the first half was too severe to heal. Ryan Crowley and Luke McPharlin held Hawk stars Sam Mitchell and Lance Franklin, and Michael Barlow’s effort in the middle was there all day. The support from many of their teammates, in Hayden Ballantyne’s 50th game, was not.
ROSS LYON: “I thought we got annihilated in the midfield. I felt sorry for our defence. Hawthorn just walked the ball out; they dominated clearances, ground ball and first possession. Our backs were under siege.”
BROWNLOW MEDAL VOTES
3 Clinton Young;2 Luke Breust; 1 Jarryd Roughead
DOIG MEDAL VOTES
8 Lachie Neale;4 Chris Mayne;4 Michael Johnson 4; Luke McPharlin
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The selection table
Fremantle – Luke McPharlin will have to prove he has recovered from the shirtfront that ended his 200th Freo game early last Friday night. Zac Clarke would also be handy against a three-pronged Hawks’ ruck attack, but he will probably miss again.
Hawthorn – Half-back Matt Suckling is out for the season, while midfielder Brendan Whitecross is a long-term proposition after a knee reconstruction late last year. Hard nut midfielder Brad Sewell has a hamstring injury and is likely to miss at least one more game.
X-Factors
Fremantle – Michael Walters: Walters’ early season efforts must be raising the eyebrows of the 2013 All Australian selection panel. His exquisite skills have been a highlight and a big reason Fremantle is averaging three more goals per game this season than in 2012.
Hawthorn– Luke Hodge: If you wanted a particular game to highlight what an x-factor is in a football game, just watch Luke Hodge’s performance against Collingwood last Sunday. With his side struggling in the midfield against the mighty Pies’ engine room, Hodge was thrown into the coalface. He proceeded to gather 31 disposals, all of them telling, and two huge goals.
Key Match-ups
Ryan Crowley v Sam Mitchell: Crowley’s usual opponent when these sides meet is Hawthorn’s midfield extractor, Sam Mitchell. The theory is to cut off the Hawks’ midfield supply at the source. Freo’s tagger got the better of the match-up in 2012’s game, but Hawthorn still ran riot in the midfield.
Luke McPharlin v Lance Franklin: McPharlin’s availability is crucial, considering the sheer firepower Hawthorn possesses in its forward 50. Freo’s All Australian defender has the athleticism to match Franklin, allowing Zac Dawson to play on a more suitable opponent in Roughead or Hale.
Jon Griffin/Kepler Bradley v Max Bailey/Jarryd Roughead/David Hale: Hawthorn has three talls capable of rucking, meaning if Zac Clarke is still out, Griffin will definitely need assistance from Bradley and, to a lesser degree, Michael Johnson.
Matt de Boer v Grant Birchall: Ross Lyon surprised everybody by sending de Boer to Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson last week, and the Freo hard nut did a brilliant job for a half. Much of Hawthorn’s play is generated from Birchall’s brilliant left-foot off half-back. Birchall was left un-tagged by West Coast in round 2 and he torched them for 31 disposals and two goals. Note taken.
Stephen Hill v Brad Hill: Could we see the Hill’s explosive talents cross paths on Saturday? There’s a big possibility, with Stephen’s younger brother Bard emerging this season. He’s given the Hawks the injection of midfield speed it needed so badly.
Dream Team
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe missed last year’s match against the Hawks, but he averaged 92.7 against them in his three previous matches. The young star is playing well this season and could rack up another big score on Saturday.
Hawthorn: Jarryd Roughead has had a quiet start to the season, but he’s averaged 93 against Fremantle in the past three against them and he could be a difficult match-up for Ross Lyon, particularly if Luke McPharlin doesn’t line up and Zac Clarke is still unavailable.
Freo will be happy if: Hawthorn is not allowed to dictate the game with its precision short kicking game. Ross Lyon’s defensive press will have to be at its best to pressure the Hawks into errors.
Hawthorn will be happy if: Its potent forward line see plenty of quality inside 50 entries. The Hawks goalkickers are as good as any in the league, and if they get the delivery they desire, Hawthorn is unstoppable.
