WHERE AND WHEN: Aurora Stadium, Saturday April 20, 1.45pm??
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide?
LAST FIVE TIMES ?
R8, 2012, Hawthorn 17.17 (119) d Fremantle 9.9 (63) at Aurora Stadium
R19, 2011, Hawthorn 13.17 (95) d Fremantle 6.8 (44) at Patersons Stadium
R11, 2011, Hawthorn 17.9 (111) d Fremantle 13.11 (89) at the MCG
2EF, 2010, Fremantle 14.10 (94) d Hawthorn 8.16 (64) at Patersons Stadium
R21, 2010, Hawthorn 24.11 (155) d Fremantle 5.9 (39) at Aurora Stadium??
THE SIX POINTS??
1. Hawthorn has had the better of Fremantle recently. It has won the last three contests between the teams and six of the last seven, including a 56-point thrashing the last time they met, in round eight, 2012 at Aurora Stadium. That result came despite Sam Mitchell being held to 21 disposals, his third-lowest tally of the season, and Lance Franklin kicking only one goal. Brad Sewell (28 disposals) led the way, and Jarryd Roughead (four goals) did the damage on the scoreboard.
2. The Hawks have won 10 of their 12 games at Aurora Stadium since 2010, while Fremantle has only a single victory at the ground from eight visits. That was the infamous one-point win over St Kilda in 2006, which was initially called a draw after the umpires didn't hear the final siren, allowing the Saints to kick a behind to level the scores. The AFL Commission awarded the victory to the Dockers days later.??
3. After three games of 2013, Hawthorn has kicked more goals than any other team: 57. That is 16 more than 13th-ranked Fremantle, who have booted 41. The Hawks have run out games strongly, booting eight last quarter goals against West Coast in round two, and 15 after half-time against Collingwood on Sunday. Fremantle has totalled 120 or more points in a match just twice since Lyon took over as coach at the start of 2012, in stark contrast to Hawthorn, which has passed that mark 14 times in the same period. ??
4. On the flipside, the Dockers have conceded an average of just 77 points per game (ranked second) so far in 2013, compared to the Hawks' 94 points per game (ranked seventh). Fremantle held Essendon to just one first-half goal last Friday night, but couldn't sustain the effort after half-time.??
5. Fremantle's tackling pressure has been a standout this season. Lyon's men have averaged 75 tackles per game, the most in the competition. Midfielders Michael Barlow and David Mundy have led the way, laying 22 and 21 tackles respectively to rank sixth and seventh in the AFL. At this stage, Hawthorn does not have a tackler in the League's top 20.
6. The congested, high pressure style of football has taken a toll on Fremantle's ball use. The Dockers rank last in the AFL with a disposal efficiency of just 66.1 per cent. Hawthorn, renowned for its precision ball use, ranks fifth at 72.1 per cent.??
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs.
