It’s been over two months since the Sydney Swans last met Hawthorn, and defender Nick Smith says he’s expecting a very different contest this Saturday night at the MCG.
The last time the Swans met the Hawks, it was Sydney who came away with an impressive 19-point win at ANZ Stadium, with Kurt Tippett booting four goals and Dan Hannebery topping the charts with a 40-possession performance.
On the other hand, the Hawks were without key midfielders Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell, while dynamic forward Cyril Rioli and defender Josh Gibson also missed parts of the clash after suffering injuries during the game.
Speaking to media before the club’s final training session ahead of their trip to Melbourne, Smith said he felt his team’s round eight win was very much in the past, adding that he expected to face a determined Hawks side this weekend.
“In the context of the season, it happened a while ago,” he said.
“It’s always good to beat good sides and you get confidence beating good sides, but in saying that it’s done and now we play them on Saturday night.
“It’s probably a good chance to meet them again further into the year … but the mix up will be different and the game will probably pan out a bit differently.”
Smith and the Swans defence will play an important role on Saturday night, with the Hawthorn forward line shaping up as the most potent attack in the league this season.
The Hawks have been the highest scoring team in the competition, booting 274 goals for the season and are placed second overall for inside-50s.
While the Hawks will still be without Smith’s regular opponent in Cyril Rioli, the defender said Hawthorn still had an array of forward talent that he would be called upon to help cover on Saturday night.
“That’s one of their strengths, the Hawthorn forward line,” Smith said.
“They’ve got plenty of guys around there.
“Obviously Cyril’s an awesome player, but even without him they’ve got some really good players down there.
“(Luke) Bruest is down there, (Jack) Gunston is down there and (Paul) Puopolo is there, so they’ve got no shortage of good forwards.”
While the Hawks have been in good form in recent weeks, the Swans have had no shortage of success, with the club in line to post their thirteenth consecutive win should they be successful on Saturday night.
A win would also see the club move two games clear of the Hawks, and sit a game clear atop the AFL table ahead of Geelong.
Smith said while the Swans were not focused on the winning streak, the team were aware of the importance of maintaining momentum at this time of year.
“It’s not about the streak, it’s about this Saturday night and we just want to keep winning,” he said.
“I think it’s a massive advantage if you can finish top two, mind you we’re just focused on this week.
“What happens in subsequent weeks will look after itself so we really want to come out and play our best footy on Saturday night.”
