After maintaining composure in a tense match against Fremantle in Launceston, Hawthorn is eager to challenge their prowess in high-stakes games against Collingwood, known for their close contests.
Hawthorn, aided by three crucial goals from defender James Sicily in the second half, rallied from a 15-point deficit to clinch a 13-point win over Fremantle on Saturday. This victory took Hawthorn’s record to 9-8, positioning them within striking distance of the top eight.
This year, Hawthorn has already participated in five matches decided by a margin of seven points or fewer, showcasing their experience in tight encounters.
They emerged victorious against the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, and GWS, but were defeated by Collingwood and Port Adelaide.
Despite ultimately winning by 13 points against Fremantle, the margin was just two points with less than four minutes left.
Coach Sam Mitchell was delighted with his players’ composure in the crucial moments against Fremantle, but recognizes that they will face another significant challenge when they meet Collingwood at the MCG next Saturday.
“Mitchell mentioned that Collingwood has likely excelled in this aspect for at least a couple of years, effectively handling tightly contested games and achieving a remarkably high win rate,” Mitchell said.
“They set the standard, but we are progressing in that direction.
“The upcoming Hawthorn home game against Collingwood is as big as it gets.
“I think every Hawks fan will be thinking, ‘How can I get a ticket to that one?'”
Collingwood (8-7-2) has suffered three consecutive losses and must secure a victory against the Hawks to reignite their chances of making it to the finals.
Another significant highlight from Hawthorn’s triumph over Fremantle was a late goal by Nick Watson. The rookie player, who had scored 6.18 prior to the match, impressively converted a long-range goal from the boundary line during the closing minutes to secure the win.
“In the recent couple of games, he has actually been performing well when it comes to goal kicking. Even the shots he missed were of high quality,” Mitchell remarked.
Fremantle’s sixth defeat of the season could have significant consequences for their aspirations of finishing in the top four.
Jye Amiss scored his team’s first goal in Saturday’s game, but despite that, he missed some achievable opportunities, resulting in a tally of 1.3 for the match.
This brought his season’s total to 24.24, a departure from last year’s accurate 41.17 record.
“It seemed like he maintained his usual routine,” stated Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir.
“There’s no denying that missing goals can weigh on your mind to some extent.
“We need to support him in working through that, and I am confident that he will.”
Fremantle is expected to have ruckman Sean Darcy (recovering from concussion) and skipper Alex Pearce (recovering from a fractured arm) back in the lineup for the crucial match against Melbourne at Optus Stadium next Sunday.
