Saturday night’s clash between the Eagles and the Hawks promises to be a good one, the two highest-scoring teams going head to head with plenty on the line.
For the Hawks, a win ensures a top-two finish remains a viable prospect. For the Eagles a win essentially cements a top two finish, securing an all important home final. While the Hawks can also use this as preparation for finals, should the need arise for them to have to travel to Western Australia in at least week one of the finals.
With all the debate on the state of the game this clash promises to illustrate that there are still great games of footy to be seen.
Much has been made this season of West Coast’s depleted defence, yet when most expected it would capitulate it has surprisingly held up. With the Eagles doing what all good sides do, they adapt and make the most of what they have. Defending as a team, but Saturday night they face the ultimate test.
Will the Hawks potent forward line and game plan expose their defence?
For mine the answer to that question is dependent on the Hawks ability to play the game on their terms, using the ball exceptionally well and being able to play that uncontested brand of footy.
For the Hawks it is similar, we know how good their defence is however this is the first time they are playing the side that has the ability to put the score on the board like they do.
The winner of this game is going to have to be able to lock the ball in the forward half, generate repeat entries, ensure those entries are of a high quality and make the most of them. For their is no greater way of minimising the opportunities the opposition has then if you prevent them from being able to bring the ball out of your forward half.
The reason that will be critical is that when the Hawks and Eagles win the ball out of the middle and get the ball inside 50 with forward lines so potent it is highly likely they will score, so ensuring you keep it in your forward half is the best way to ensure you create more opportunities.
So who wins?
That is a tough call. As a Hawks fan I would love to say the Hawks easily, but as someone who can look at things objectively I know it is far from that simple. That West Coast are an extremely good side, then there is the fact it is on their home turf.
If the Hawks play close to their best they will win, but not by a huge margin.
Should the Hawks play near their best they have a greater capacity to lock the ball in the forward half, creating those all important repeat entries. There is also the Hawks’ ability to play that uncontested brand of footy, and there being so much space for them to do it at Domain Stadium.
If they are able to get that game style up and running then it will be extremely difficult for West Coast to lock it in their forward half, as the Hawks will just be patient and chip it out of defence if need be and wait for that gap to open up and then pounce on it.
Don’t get me wrong I rate the Eagles and enjoy watching them play, however their depleted defence is a concern going into this game. Yes it has managed to withstand everything that has been thrown at it thus far, but that has not entailed the benchmark side of the competition, the side that is capable of putting a high score on the board as they can.
That infamous brand of footy the Hawks play, with plenty of space to do it for mine is why the Hawks will win. I just can’t see West Coast being able to contain that to the extent they need to across the entire game.
No matter who wins it will be an incredible game to watch, so much talent. No matter which end of the ground the ball is there will be no shortage of entertainment, it is a must watch.
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