Mitchell pinpoints key to Hawks' revival in Dogs test

West Australian

2 days ago

There's one thing Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell desperately wants to see from his players more than any other against the Western Bulldogs.
"I just think it's pressure," Mitchell said ahead of Thursday night's Marvel Stadium assignment.
The Hawks, on a three-match losing streak, were belted in the tackle counts in defeats to premiership fancies Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions over the past two weeks.
The numbers - 82-38 and 59-36 - painted a stark picture.
"The winning tackle count is often not the winning team, but you can't get beaten the way we have been," Mitchell said.
"Enabling the players to be able to put pressure on the opposition is going to be the most important thing for us."
The Bulldogs, who took a 6-5 record to last week's mid-season bye, are expecting a fierce attack on the contest from a Hawthorn side on the rebound.
"You're always wary when a club's been under the microscope a bit and the way they galvanise and prepare for their next game," Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
"We've got to be ready for their intensity in this game, because it might be more explosive than what you're sometimes used to.
"That's our challenge in the bigger part of the platform to springboard into the back half of the year off a really good experience.
"It's a really critical game for both clubs."
The Bulldogs are the competition's highest-scoring team, averaging 104.6 points per game.
And they have flexed their muscle at stoppages, where clearance kings Tom Liberatore, Matt Kennedy and Marcus Bontempelli have got to work.
"They're the most potent offensive team in the competition and their stoppage dominance has been really clear," Mitchell said.
"In all their good performances that's been really A-grade.
"They're doing a couple of unique things with the way they're playing and Bevo's obviously a talented coach, so he's got them humming along really nicely.
"It's going to be a huge challenge. They're a good side for us to play and I feel like we're obviously playing for a lot after a run of weeks that we know we need to improve on."
The Bulldogs have been bolstered by the return of Adam Treloar from a calf injury, with Ryan Gardner and Josh Dolan also returning.
Jason Johannisen (illness), Taylor Duryea and Oskar Baker (both omitted) are out.
Hawthorn have called up Max Ramsden, Seamus Mitchell and Sam Butler in place of Nick Watson (illness), Jack Scrimshaw (managed) and captain James Sicily (hip/abdominal).
The versatile Sicily leaves a huge hole in the Hawks' line-up after playing every game to this point of the season.
"He's obviously a vital and really important player for us, but Josh (Battle) and Tom (Barrass) coming in has given us extra flexibility," Mitchell said.
"If it was this time last year we would've struggled to compete without him.
"But now I think we're probably a little bit more well-equipped.
"We've moved him around a little bit as well - moved him into the front half at stages like we did last week - so the back-line is used to functioning without him."