Hawks to maintain pressure

Rioli and Puopolo may miss six but suffocating style continues

HAWTHORN believes it can continue playing its suffocating pressure game despite injuries that will sideline Cyril Rioli and Paul Puopolo for up to six weeks.

Rioli will miss five to six weeks with a strained medial ligament to the same knee that wiped out much of his 2017 campaign with a PCL injury.

Puopolo won’t need surgery on his hamstring injury but his tear high up on the muscle will need six weeks’ recovery.

It is a cruel blow to the club’s aspirations given the surging 3-1 start to the year is fuelled by an incredible return to the pressure game that helped win them four premierships.

The Hawks score the most points of any team from forward-half turnovers, apply the second-most forward-half pressure and the fourth-most pressure across the ground.

Rioli and Puopolo are critical to that effort, behind only Luke Breust (11 goals and 20 tackles in the first month) as pressuring small forwards.

They will hope to absorb the loss of that pair in contests against North Melbourne, St Kilda, Essendon, Sydney (MCG), Brisbane (Gabba) and West Coast (Etihad Stadium).

Hawthorn football boss Graham Wright said the Hawks would still back in their method.

“I think everyone is trying to do the same thing, apply pressure. We have been fortunate to have Poppy and Cyril there for the first three and a half rounds.

“They won’t be there this week but we will go in with a similar game plan and try to play our way and see what we can do.”

Last year’s Rising Star runner up Ryan Burton was dropped against Melbourne and dominated in the VFL with 24 disposals and two goals from half back.

But throwing him forward against North Melbourne won’t solve the club’s pressure issues given Jarryd Roughead and Jack Gunston can provide key targets in attack.

Premiership hero Will Langford played as a pressuring small forward last year but managed only 7.15, with a series of comical misses from close range.

Champion Data says of the top 110 players for shots at goal since 2011, his 22 per cent conversion is the worst of them.

Midfielder James Cousins was Hawthorn’s best player in the VFL last week and is an elite pressure player but is not a small forward.

Blake Hardwick was recruited as the TAC Cup’s leading goalkicker after 56 goals in 16 matches but has turned into a small defender.