The next challenge is the other grand finalist from last year, the premiers in Hawthorn. The match has come at a good time for us and I think it will give us a good indication of where we’re at, so we’re looking forward to it.
It’s been a bit of a slow start for our mids but now I think they’re playing at the level we expect them to play. Josh Kennedy has been one of our consistent players all year. Players like Dan Hannebery were down by their own admission, but he’s certainly bounced back. Now that they’ve had seven games, they’re well into match fitness, so there are no excuses now. We expect a high level from them, and now they have to deliver that week in, week out.
While our senior mids might have had a slower start, some of our young guys have really stepped up. Luke Parker has been outstanding. We always knew that if he was given a little bit more opportunity that he’d step up, so he’s enjoying that challenge. He’s just a great player to coach because he doesn’t give up regardless of the score. He’s one player that if you look at him without looking at what the score is, he’s putting in the same effort every time. Then there’s Harry Cunningham and Jake Lloyd who have been really important for us on the wing and at half forward, and Harry’s had a couple of big jobs, so for a couple of young kids, it’s exciting. To bring that enthusiasm into the side is terrific and it’s great for our members and supporters to see that we’ve got some really good young players coming through who are not just getting given games, they’ve had to work hard for those games, which will hold them in good stead.
Hawthorn are the reigning premiers for a reason and they’ve started this season just as well as they finished the last. They are the standout side and I think they’ve got the most firepower in the competition. To get on top this week, we’ve obviously got to deny them good ball use and limit their entries into the forward 50 because they’ve certainly got the most potent forward line in the league. If we allow 60-odd insides 50s, then the result won’t go our way, so we’ve really got to try to play the game in our half as best we can.
It’s exciting to think that we haven’t found our best form yet and that we’re edging towards that each week. At the start of the year we took a couple of steps back and then another forward and then another one back, but we’re hopeful that we’ve now got everyone moving in the right direction. This week’s match will be the ultimate test but we’re confident we’re up for the challenge.
