• Last time they met: Hawthorn v West Coast
• What you need to know for the Grand Final
• Grand Final preview: Hawthorn v West Coast
HAWTHORN utility Matt Suckling says he’s relishing his role playing up forward more this season and wants to have another big moment.
With the margin just 11 points at three-quarter time in Hawthorn’s preliminary final against Fremantle, Suckling kicked a goal after the siren to give the Hawks momentum heading into the last quarter.
Suckling has long been known as an elite kicker and he has belief his left boot won’t let him down in the Grand Final. However, he is wary of jinxing himself in case he has the ball with scores tied at the end of the game.
“I don’t want to say I’ll kick it in case I do (have that chance) and I miss it.
“I have confidence. If it comes down to that then hopefully I can take the chance,” he says.
Suckling comes out of contract at season’s end and will be an unrestricted free agent. On a beautiful day in Melbourne and with thousands of footy fans lining the city’s streets, he says it would be hard to walk away from the Hawks.
“It’s always hard to leave a club like this. I’m not saying I am but that’s something we’ll have to sit down when the dust settles a bit on the year and work it all out.”
Spending more time in attack has worked to Suckling’s advantage. Despite not having an exceptionally high goal tally (14), he’s coming off a two-goal effort against the Dockers that proved important in a close game.
“I’ve enjoyed it (playing forward more). I wasn’t playing great at the start of the year so we found a way to get me involved in the game.
“I’ve really liked being off the leash. Everyone loves kicking goals and I definitely do.”