QUESTIONS are being asked of the Hawks ahead of the cut-throat semi-final against Adelaide.

Has 98 games in four years, most of them as the hunted quarry, finally caught up with their stars? 

Do they need to include Angus Litherland and start Taylor Duryea to find a match-up capable of stopping the Crows' small forwards Eddie Betts and Charlie Cameron? (see table below)

Do they maintain faith in James Frawley, Brad Hill and Isaac Smith when there are no second chances?

Can they cover the possible loss of leading goalkicker Jack Gunston, who coincidentally had just six disposals and went goalless in round 12 against Adelaide after dislocating his finger?

Full match coverage: West Coast v Hawthorn 

Although legitimate questions, they are distractions from the main one that must be answered on Friday night. 

Can the Hawks win enough football in tight and find space to distribute it well?

On Friday night against West Coast, the Hawks scored just 16 points from stoppages.

That was equal to the Hawks' fewest points from stoppages in 2015. 

For a team that has averaged 39.8 points a game from clearances in 2015, that was un-Hawthorn-like. 

They also conceded 69 points from 74 turnovers with their famed ball use missing. 

It was, in the end, all too much.

This can't be repeated if they are to overcome Crows at the MCG in the semi-final.

Six things we learned from West Coast v Hawthorn

When the two teams met in round 12, the Hawks kicked 10.7 (65) from stoppages with their first three final-quarter goals coming from that source.

It was the most points the Hawks scored from stoppages in a game this season. 

The dice, however, were being rolled at most stoppages that night with the Hawks conceding 48 points to the Crows from stoppages, their fourth-worst defensive performance at stoppages for the season. 

That's likely to happen again as the Hawks will back themselves to exploit the Crows' defence if they win enough of the ball.

Lately, that has not been something they can take for granted.

Against West Coast, they had their lowest disposal count of the season, gathering just 339 disposals. It was the second time in four weeks they have dipped below 350 disposals – a figure they exceeded in 21 other games in 2015. 

Liam Shiels and Brad Hill are not winning as much of the ball and Isaac Smith is battling a knee complaint. 

Alastair Clarkson has shown faith in his warriors but surely Billy Hartung and Jon Simpkin are worth considering as they might provide the type of spark that Taylor Garner, Dean Towers and Riley Knight gave to North Melbourne, the Sydney Swans and the Crows, respectively, in week one of the finals.

Many have observed Luke Breust's goals have dried up (he has still kicked 45 goals this season) but few also note that he and Cyril Rioli (36 goals in 2015) have been used through the middle more as other parts of the engine splutter. 

Of course, when a team is winning its versatility is admired. When it loses, there are cries to settle things down. The versatility needs to be maintained.

If the Hawks can hold the ball inside their forward half then the Crows' forwards – Taylor Walker (who was brilliant against the undersized Western Bulldogs), Betts, Cameron, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch – will need to work harder and further up the ground to gain the ball.

The Hawks' team defence is organised enough to exploit that and despite the talk, the Hawks only need one small defender to lock down on Betts to dry up the Crows' goal scoring options. 

The Hawthorn we have got to know in recent seasons would get the job done, but this is not the same Hawthorn.

Its resilience remains but judgement day has arrived. 

A vintage midfield performance is needed to right the ship. 

HAWKS ON EDDIE BETTS IN R12 (10 mins minimum)

HAWKS ON CHARLIE CAMERON IN R12 (10 mins minimum)

Stats supplied by Champion Data