Birchall back for Hawks as Lions await

GRANT Birchall is back for his second game of the AFL season, but you wouldn’t have known it at UTas Stadium in Launceston yesterday.

The 246-game Tassie Hawk came in to replace fellowdefender Jarman Impey, who ruptured an ACL in Hawthorn’s win over ladder leader Geelong last weekend.

But while the rest of the Hawks had a shakedown on their familiar Launceston deck, Hawthorn said it had given “Birch” the day off training.

After beating Fremantle, Collingwood and the Cats in their past three outings, and eyeing a spot in the top eight, it seems the Hawks can prepare any way they like.

“We’re still in and about, but for us it’s finding the method and personnel that’s going to help us seriously challenge,” Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said yesterday. “At the minute, you couldn’t say we’re serious challengers.”

The Lions, led by Clarkson’s former right-hand man Chris Fagan, along with former Hawks premiership captain Luke Hodge, are the most recent team to beat Hawthorn in Launceston, in Round 17 last year.

The Lions also won the first clash between the two sides this year at the Gabba back in Round 11.

The loss of key defender Harris Andrews to suspension left a hole in Brisbane’s backline.

But defensive coach Murray Davis has faith in replacement Josh Walker.

“He’s played 10 games for us this year and of those we’ve won seven,” Davis said.

“He comes into the team in good form.

“Harris is a hard man to replace, but Josh played a really good game against Hawthorn in Tassie last year so we know he is up for that challenge.”

The Lions believe they have identified the area that has made Hawthorn so dangerous of late.

“They have been able to keep the ball in their forward half, and they’ve done that really well,” Davis said.

“Behind the ball they set up really well defensively and we saw against Geelong they [Cats] were just unable to get the ball out of their back half.

“The challenge for us as a backline unit is to get the ball out of there and spend more time in our forward half.”

One win away from top spot on the ladder, the Lions are not dreaming of a home final.

“We’ve got to win a couple more games and then we can potentially start to think about that,” Davis said.