The Swans produced a comprehensive 79-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last Saturday night, which comes off the back of consecutive wins over Fremantle and Melbourne.
Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, the co-captain said Friday night’s match will be a litmus test for the Swans to see just how far they’ve come over the last three weeks.
“We’ve improved and I think we’ve built from the North Melbourne loss, which is what we needed to do,” Jack said.
“The weekend was pleasing and we had a bit of a comfortable win in the end, but now it’s the test.
“We’re pretty confident in our form and we’ve got back to some things that we reaffirmed that we’re good at, and now is the ultimate test to where we’re currently at in terms of where the competition sits.”
The Hawks have been in red-hot form this season, dropping just the one match to Geelong, and posted a dominant 145-point win over St Kilda last Saturday in the rain at the MCG.
Jack said it was Hawthorn’s self-belief and list depth that made them one of the most imposing teams in the competition, adding that injuries to premiership players Sam Mitchell and Brian Lake would not lessen the challenge for the Swans.
“I think they’ve got incredible belief in their structures and their processes and what they do,” he said.
“When they get an injury or two, a young kid comes in and then fills it, which is a sign of a really strong team.
“There’s talk that (Sam) Mitchell and (Brian) Lake are out, but two more come in and probably fill the role for them, but we look forward to it.”
The Hawks were in scintillating form against the Saints, with 19 players operating at 70 per cent or above disposal efficiency for the match, with the team as a whole operating at 73.4 per cent efficiency for the season.
Rather than focusing on the opposition’s strengths, Jack said the Swans’ pressure would be the key to disrupting the Hawks’ impressive form in Friday night’s blockbuster.
“I think you’ve got to concentrate on your own processes and your own structures,” he said.
“Their foot skills are good, but they are only as good as you allow them to be.
“Our pressure, it’s the cornerstone of our game, will dictate how good their ball use is.”
