St Kilda will return to the scene of last week’s disappointing performance against Essendon, in the hopes of knocking off Hawthorn for the Blue Ribbon Cup on Saturday night.
Despite being ruled out of finals contention midway through the season, the Hawks have put themselves back on track to make their ninth finals appearance under Alastair Clarkson, winning seven of the last nine games by an average margin of 47 points.
Although Hawthorn has enjoyed substantial success over St Kilda in recent times – inclusive of a record 145-point margin in 2014 – the Saints have similarly been able to dispense significant pain on their adversaries, with a memorable 75-point win last year.
But such success hasn’t been seen for much of the 2018 season, and Hawthorn certainly won’t make victory an easy task for Alan Richardson’s men.
Leading the Hawks all season has been Tom Mitchell, with the ball-magnet synonymous with any discussion surrounding the Brownlow Medal and Hawthorn’s recent achievements.
Mitchell has accumulated over 40 possessions in 11 matches this year, with his average of 36.5 touches a game well above anyone else in the league.
The question of whether to tag Mitchell will be a key focus in Alan Richardson’s war room, with the superstar finishing with an astounding 45 touches in Round 6 against the Saints.
With 27 of these being gathered in the first half despite a heavy tag, Mitchell’s ability to rack up disposals has been remarkable, despite the added attention.
Running rampant alongside Jaeger O’Meara and Isaac Smith, the Hawks’ midfield will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.
Smith has oozed class through his silky foot skills and ability to hit the scoreboard, while O’Meara has been just as potent through his destructive midfield tendencies.
St Kilda will welcome Hugh Goddard back into the senior line-up, with the 21-year-old rewarded with his first senior game since 2016 after an impressive run of form for Sandringham.
The enduring defender will be alongside Logan Austin, with both filling the void of Nathan Brown following his three-game suspension.
Both will have a significant battle against the red-hot Luke Breust and Jack Gunston, both of whom have kicked a combined 92 majors this season, 25 of which have come from the past month.
Desperate to rectify last week’s efforts, St Kilda will give its all to pull off an upset against one of the competition’s elite.
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