Ruckman woes for Hawthorn
FOR the second time in two ventures south, Hawthorn will enter a clash at UTas Stadium with questions over its starting ruckman.
The Hawks head into today’s match against Brisbane unsure how Jon Ceglar will fare shouldering the workload as the No.1 man against Lions star Stef Martin, with Ben McEvoy sidelined for more than a month with a fractured cheekbone. It comes after McEvoy was in doubt for the club’s last trip to UTas Stadium because of the pending birth of his first child and with Ceglar out with a corked quad.
Ceglar has played five matches this season after recovering from a knee reconstruction after he ruptured his ACL against West Coast in Round 16 two years ago, with coach Alastair Clarkson admitting even he was unsure how the big man would go with such a workload.
“It’s an untimely out for us too, coming up against Stef Martin,” Clarkson said.
“We’re not really certain [how Ceglar will go], because ‘Cegs’ hasn’t done that role in isolation for a long period of time … so there’s a little bit of the unknown for us.
“It’s not just Martin too, [Oscar] McInerney has been going in there and doing some really good work himself … so it looks a scary proposition right at the moment.”
The Hawks were unable to consider Marc Pittonet – who was on standby for McEvoy against the Gold Coast – given he injured his ankle in the VFL.
The midfield battle will be crucial to the outcome, and is an area Hawks assistant coach Adem Yze identified as telling when the Lions thumped Hawthorn in Round 9 at the Gabba to register their first win of the year.
“They are really strong at stoppages and scores from stoppage, we know most games we go into it is going to be a battle of the midfield,” he said. “This week is no exception.”
Hawthorn produced some of its best football in the second half last weekend to blow the Western Bulldogs away at Etihad, with Yze hopeful it could be a turning point.
“We need to get into some good form so if we do make it [finals], we are not just making up the numbers,” he said.