HEAD TO HEAD: First meeting
LAST TIME: First meeting
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Hawthorn: WWWWL Gold Coast: LBLLL
SUMMARY
It was a very deflated Hawthorn side that left the MCG last Saturday night after yet another narrow loss to Geelong and the devastating news that versatile forward Jarryd Roughead would be sidelined for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles.
To make matters worse, ruckman Brent Renouf, who was a late replacement for Max Bailey (corked thigh), was admitted to hospital with internal bruising to his liver and will miss Saturday's game against Gold Coast.
The injuries to Roughead, Renouf and Bailey could open the door for David Hale to return from a knee injury following his first game back in the VFL, or young ruckman Luke Lowden who was named among the best in Box Hill's win over Frankston on Sunday.
While the Hawks will be keen to make amends for their final quarter fade-out against the Cats, Gold Coast will be equally enthusiastic to put in a much better performance than the one that saw them go down to North Melbourne by 59 points.
Suns coach Guy McKenna will be looking for a huge improvement in their ball use with disposal efficiency very poor, particularly by foot, with 71 ineffective kicks from 191.
But it will be a tough ask for the Suns on Saturday, as they travel to Launceston for the first time, with the Hawks having won four out of their past five matches at Aurora Stadium.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Hawks manage to get through this game unscathed? The Hawks have suffered some huge losses this season, in particular to their talls, with Roughead the latest big-name casualty. The last thing they need is another key loss that could well and truly hamper their chances in September.
Which of the young Suns will stand up and help out the skipper? Gary Ablett had 38 touches and two goals in his side's loss to the Kangaroos but clearly needs some of his younger teammates to lift. McKenna will be looking for more out of the likes of David Swallow, Dion Prestia and Maverick Weller.
Will the two sides make it to Launceston? Chilean volcanic ash has caused havoc at airports with teams returning home from interstate clashes delayed. On Tuesday, flights to Tasmania were cancelled and it is now up to Mother Nature to calm the Puyehue volcano, otherwise these two sides might be making the trip over on the Spirit of Tasmania.
PREDICTION
Hawthorn by 62 points
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
If you haven't cashed in the Suns' No.1 draft pick David Swallow yet, you should probably do so before his price plummets even more. He dropped $15,100 after scoring 66 Dream Team points against North Melbourne and with a break even of 88 this week could drop even more. If you have the money upgrade him to a premium now, or trade him in for a rookie and use the cash elsewhere.
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflhawkssuns
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
