Hawks’ redemption
HAWTHORN vice-captain Isaac Smith says the Hawks no longer want to be contested ball bunnies.
The Hawks were torched in contested possession last year, and instead, relied on a style built around pressure to force turnovers.
Smith yesterday revealed a new-look Hawks midfield, led by boom recruits Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara, will have a renewed focus on getting first EMERGING Sydney ruckman Sam Naismith can achieve one of his 2017 AFL season goals as soon as this weekend’s opening round.
Naismith enjoyed a breakout season last year, adding the Swans’ last 12 games of the campaign to his only previous senior appearance back in 2014. Capitalising on injuries to Kurt Tippett and and Callum Sinclair, the 206cm Naismith held his spot through the finals campaign.
Playing in round one might seem a rather modest goal for someone whose last appearance was in a grand final, but hands on the football. “We’re not a massive contested ball team, but we don’t necessarily want to be 18th in the competition,” Smith said.
“We need to get our hands on the footy and once we do that, we feel like our offensive ball movement is pretty good and pretty hard to defend.
“If we can get that going then we feel like we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”
Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson last year sensationally dismissed Why is one North Cairns player so sure the Tigers can climb the AFL Cairns ladder? Naismith didn’t manage it in any of his first thee seasons, when he was either injured or learning his craft in the NEAFL.
He has invariably had to wait until late in the season for an opportunity. Naismith’s senior debut was in the final concerns about poor contested ball numbers.
“Contested ball is just a fancy term for everyone in the media. We don’t give a toss about that either,” Clarkson said mid-season.
Smith yesterday said the Hawks had regained the “energy and passion” to push deep in September and make amends for last year’s straightsets finals exit.
“We’d been top of the ladder (since 2012) … not saying that you lose the drive, but I round of the 2014 season, he didn’t play a senior game in 2015 and had to wait until round 16 last year for his first top-flight match. “My plan this year is to hopefully play round one, I’ve never been able to do that and hopefully I can tick this off this week,” he said.
“I’ve been injured pretty much every year, so it’s been a frustrating run with injuries, but I got on top of everything last year and found some form. I haven’t really had a very big preseason since I’ve been here.”
Swans superstar Lance Franklin yesterday got pointers from AFL great Tony Locket, the club’s new goal-kicking coach. think you lose a little bit of that energy, enthusiasm and passion being at the top. I feel like we’ve got that back,” Smith told RSN.
“Our expectation is top four and it always is, so we’re expecting TV Live on Fox Footy from 6.20pm. Live on 7mate from 6pm. to be there at the end of the year and get ourselves a double chance and have the best opportunity in September.
“We feel really confident in the group we’ve got, we feel really confident in the young guys that have had another summer and another year to develop.”
Hawthorn will take on Essendon on Saturday night at the MCG without Luke Hodge after he was slapped with onegame ban for missing a training session without giving prior notice.
“One thing you know from Hodgey ... (after setbacks) he comes out pretty fired up the next week, so I’m looking forward to getting a pretty fired up Luke Hodge in Round 2.”