Hawks intent on replicating winning formula

HAWTHORN will try to duplicate last round’s defensive plan to stifle Collingwood at the MCG this afternoon.

Coach Alastair Clarkson said the Hawks had worked to deploy the backline set-up and pressure that stunned premiership fancies Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval 10 days ago.

“We were really pleased with our performance against Adelaide; they’ve been a quality side for the best part of the last three years and they aver- age about 20 goals on that ground,” Clarkson said.

“So for us to keep them to 12 was a super effort.”

But the 16th-placed Hawks (5-8) will need to record a string of wins to make a charge at finals football.

“As much you want to gloat on a victory like that, you have to move on pretty quickly and we’ve got another tough opponent who beat us six weeks ago,” Clarkson said.

“We started that (Colling- fort in the second half to move the ball quicker and we weren’t ready for that.”

Clarkson said the Hawks had identified the lack of intensity, particularly in the back half, that allowed the Magpies to overturn a 34-point halftime deficit to win by 18 points.

“We take a lot of confidence from the game against Adelaide because they (Magpies) can also move the ball quickly through the middle of the ground,” Clarkson said.