FORWARD FOCUS

We need to lift our game in attack, too: Hawkins

GEELONG star Tom Hawkins says the Cats forward line must present better options inside-50 if it is to overcome a rampaging Sydney on Friday night.

The Cats struggled to handle the heat for much of the contest in the 51-point loss to Richmond, which affected their ability to be damaging with the ball in their front half.

Hawkins is confident out-of-favour match winner Daniel Menzel is in the frame for a return this week and says the lack of clean ball use against the Tigers was in part the responsibility of the team’s forwards, who needed to alter their running patterns to help fix the issues further afield.

“We’ll probably look to try to address that and be a bit cleaner with the footy and move the ball forward, but that’s all reliant on forwards running good patterns,” the power forward said.

“So as a forward line group we need to provide options for our midfielders, which we probably didn’t do as well on the weekend.

“It (Menzel’s omission) is a tough one, Dan has been a member of our side all year and played some really good footy, but it was a team balance decision and I’m not on match committee, but we went with the forward line we did.

“Dan is certainly in the mix this week. It gives him another week to rest his body and I’m not sure how we’re going to look this weekend but he’s certainly right in the mix.”

Sydney has won its past three games against Geelong and is the clear favourite with bookmakers to advance after its demolition of Essendon.

Hawkins said he spent some time watching that game and while optimistic of turning things around, admitted it would be tough work overcoming the Swans.

“I watched bits and pieces of it — they looked pretty good and looked really sharp, and were obviously taking the game on,” he said.

“They’ve got some stars all over the ground so they’re going to throw up a big challenge.

“I see their backline as one of their real strengths, they’ve got some great players in Grundy and Rampe and Smith, and they’ve also got some dangerous rebounding high half-forwards . . . we’re going to have our hands full with talls, smalls, whatever it may be, so we’ll wait and see.

“We’re really excited and it should be a great contest.”