One of the pillars the Dockers' game is built around is ruckman Aaron Sandilands.
At 211cm, Sandilands is a massive man and Hawthorn put a massive amount of preparation into countering his influence ahead of Saturday's premiership-decider.
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Despite missing the first 14 rounds of 2013 through injury, Sandilands was dominant in Freo's finals wins against Geelong and the Sydney Swans.
As we've come to expect, Sandilands again dominated the hitouts in the Grand Final, winning 44 – 17 more than the total won by the Hawks.
However, where Freo's midfield fed on Sandilands' dominance to win the clearances 43-22 against the Cats and 42-34 against the Swans, the Hawks won the crucial count 42-34 in the Grand Final despite losing the overall ruck contests 27-55.
How did they do it?
Ruckman David Hale and midfielder Jordan Lewis, the leading clearance winner on the ground with eight, told AFL.com.au after the match that the Hawks had come up with a strategy where their ruckmen generally tried to hit the ball in the same direction as Sandilands at ruck contests.
"If you try to go against (Sandilands) and bank on our guys winning a tap, as good as they are they're not 211cm," Lewis said.
"We thought that would be a good ploy before the game, to go in and try and tap to the same areas to make it more predictable for everyone."
Coach Alastair Clarkson said that to win the midfield battle the Hawks had realised they had to shark Sandilands' hitouts at times, something they did very effectively both in the midfield and around the ground.
At the nine-minute of the final term, forward Luke Breust sharked a Sandilands tap deep in the Hawthorn forward line and ran into an easy goal, which put his team 24 points up and well on their way to their 11th premiership.
Despite missing the first 14 rounds of 2013 through injury, Sandilands was dominant in Freo's finals wins against Geelong and the Sydney Swans.
As we've come to expect, Sandilands again dominated the hitouts in the Grand Final, winning 44 – 17 more than the total won by the Hawks.
However, where Freo's midfield fed on Sandilands' dominance to win the clearances 43-22 against the Cats and 42-34 against the Swans, the Hawks won the crucial count 42-34 in the Grand Final despite losing the overall ruck contests 27-55.
How did they do it?
Ruckman David Hale and midfielder Jordan Lewis, the leading clearance winner on the ground with eight, told AFL.com.au after the match that the Hawks had come up with a strategy where their ruckmen generally tried to hit the ball in the same direction as Sandilands at ruck contests.
"If you try to go against (Sandilands) and bank on our guys winning a tap, as good as they are they're not 211cm," Lewis said.
"We thought that would be a good ploy before the game, to go in and try and tap to the same areas to make it more predictable for everyone."
Coach Alastair Clarkson said that to win the midfield battle the Hawks had realised they had to shark Sandilands' hitouts at times, something they did very effectively both in the midfield and around the ground.
At the nine-minute of the final term, forward Luke Breust sharked a Sandilands tap deep in the Hawthorn forward line and ran into an easy goal, which put his team 24 points up and well on their way to their 11th premiership.
Jordan Lewis lays a tackle on Freo star Nat Fyfe. Picture: AFL Media
The Hawks also beat the Dockers at their own game in defensive pressure.
The media and footy fans alike ran out of superlatives trying to describe the way the Dockers pressured, harassed and bullied the Swans all over the ground in last week's second preliminary final.
Some later said they had never seen defensive pressure applied at such intensity over an entire game.
Clarkson praised the Dockers' pressure in the Grand Final, but said the Hawks had been confident they could match them in this area in the lead-up to Saturday.
"We weren't minding too much that the whole football world was focusing on the 'purple haze' and what they were going to do to our club because we were quietly confident that we'd be able to place an enormous amount of pressure on the Fremantle side," Clarkson said.
The Hawks justified Clarkson's confidence.
The Dockers made the game into the defensive slugfest that's become their trademark under coach Ross Lyon, keeping the normally high-scoring Hawks to just 11.11 for the match.
The only problem for Freo was the Hawks were even more frugal.
Although they had some help from a Dockers team that put four shots out of bounds on full and missed too many kickable goals, the Hawks kept Freo to just one goal in the first half and eight for the match.
"For our guys to apply that pressure and stay in the contest and just keep at it and at it – there was no free-flowing footy today – that was really pleasing for us," Clarkson said.
The Dockers had used Michael Johnson very effectively in the latter part of 2013, freeing him up to play as a loose man in defence.
Johnson was again one of the Dockers' best players on Saturday, finishing with 20 possessions and eight marks, but the Hawks' wealth of marking options in attack meant he often had to man up on Lance Franklin and Jack Gunston.
However, Hawthorn was able to manipulate loose men in defence more often than the Dockers, with Brian Lake rubber-stamping his Norm Smith Medal win with three intercept marks in as many minutes early in the final term.
But it wasn't just Lake who got free over the course of the game to kill Freo attacks. Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson and Ben Stratton were also extremely effective in this area.
Clarkson said he couldn't claim credit for this.
"We've got a pretty experienced back six who know how to communicate with one another and work it out for themselves and protect pretty important space for us," he said.
The Hawks also beat the Dockers at their own game in defensive pressure.
The media and footy fans alike ran out of superlatives trying to describe the way the Dockers pressured, harassed and bullied the Swans all over the ground in last week's second preliminary final.
Some later said they had never seen defensive pressure applied at such intensity over an entire game.
Clarkson praised the Dockers' pressure in the Grand Final, but said the Hawks had been confident they could match them in this area in the lead-up to Saturday.
"We weren't minding too much that the whole football world was focusing on the 'purple haze' and what they were going to do to our club because we were quietly confident that we'd be able to place an enormous amount of pressure on the Fremantle side," Clarkson said.
The Hawks justified Clarkson's confidence.
The Dockers made the game into the defensive slugfest that's become their trademark under coach Ross Lyon, keeping the normally high-scoring Hawks to just 11.11 for the match.
The only problem for Freo was the Hawks were even more frugal.
Although they had some help from a Dockers team that put four shots out of bounds on full and missed too many kickable goals, the Hawks kept Freo to just one goal in the first half and eight for the match.
"For our guys to apply that pressure and stay in the contest and just keep at it and at it – there was no free-flowing footy today – that was really pleasing for us," Clarkson said.
The Dockers had used Michael Johnson very effectively in the latter part of 2013, freeing him up to play as a loose man in defence.
Johnson was again one of the Dockers' best players on Saturday, finishing with 20 possessions and eight marks, but the Hawks' wealth of marking options in attack meant he often had to man up on Lance Franklin and Jack Gunston.
However, Hawthorn was able to manipulate loose men in defence more often than the Dockers, with Brian Lake rubber-stamping his Norm Smith Medal win with three intercept marks in as many minutes early in the final term.
But it wasn't just Lake who got free over the course of the game to kill Freo attacks. Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson and Ben Stratton were also extremely effective in this area.
Clarkson said he couldn't claim credit for this.
"We've got a pretty experienced back six who know how to communicate with one another and work it out for themselves and protect pretty important space for us," he said.
Cyril Rioli was able to find space that was repeatedly denied the Fremantle runners. Picture: AFL Media
The boos that greeted Ryan Crowley whenever he touched the ball on Saturday were largely a mark of respect for the stopping jobs he had done on Geelong's Steve Johnson and Swan Kieren Jack in the Dockers' first two finals this year.
Crowley predictably went to Sam Mitchell at the opening bounce and kept the former Hawk skipper to just 12 touches after a previously prolific final series.
Clarkson said although Mitchell hadn't won many possessions, he had played a significant role for the team in the middle of the ground and, at times, across half-back.
Mitchell's defensive intensity was outstanding. He laid seven tackles – equal-second for the Hawks – including a jarring tackle on Freo star Nathan Fyfe at the 22-minute of the final quarter when the Dockers had closed to within 17 points and still had time to win.
"We love the sacrifice he made for our footy club today," Clarkson said of Mitchell's game.
It was just another example of the Hawks turning Freo's strengths against it on Saturday, or – to use the language of the outer – 'out-Freoing' Freo.
Twitter: @AFL_Nick
The boos that greeted Ryan Crowley whenever he touched the ball on Saturday were largely a mark of respect for the stopping jobs he had done on Geelong's Steve Johnson and Swan Kieren Jack in the Dockers' first two finals this year.
Crowley predictably went to Sam Mitchell at the opening bounce and kept the former Hawk skipper to just 12 touches after a previously prolific final series.
Clarkson said although Mitchell hadn't won many possessions, he had played a significant role for the team in the middle of the ground and, at times, across half-back.
Mitchell's defensive intensity was outstanding. He laid seven tackles – equal-second for the Hawks – including a jarring tackle on Freo star Nathan Fyfe at the 22-minute of the final quarter when the Dockers had closed to within 17 points and still had time to win.
"We love the sacrifice he made for our footy club today," Clarkson said of Mitchell's game.
It was just another example of the Hawks turning Freo's strengths against it on Saturday, or – to use the language of the outer – 'out-Freoing' Freo.
Twitter: @AFL_Nick
