Head to head: Hawthorn 15 wins, Fremantle six wins
Last time: Hawthorn 13.9 (87) d Fremantle 9.11 (65), round eight, 2009 at Subiaco
MISSING IN ACTION
Hawthorn
Max Bailey (knee) - indefinite
Clinton Young (knee) - test
Fremantle
Hayden Ballantyne (foot) - 1-2 weeks
Michael Barlow (leg) - season
Ryan Crowley (knee) - 2-3 weeks
Aaron Sandilands (foot) - test
Alex Silvagni (groin) - test
Chris Tarrant (knee) - 2-3 weeks
FORM
Hawthorn: WDLLW
Fremantle: WLWLL
SUMMARY
These teams haven’t met since round 8, 2009, which is a rather strange state of affairs, but with the chance to host a final at stake, both have plenty to play for on what’s sure to be an icy afternoon down in Tasmania.
The Hawks are almost certain to finish in the top eight after their gutsy win over Melbourne last Sunday moved them six points clear of ninth-placed North Melbourne. However, if Hawthorn wants to avoid the prospect of travelling to Perth to play Freo in week one of the finals, it needs to win this encounter.
Fremantle, meanwhile, was in rollicking form earlier in the season but has been stumbling its way through the second half. The boys in purple suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Sydney Swans last weekend and while they remain fifth on the ladder, they could fall as far as eighth by the end of round 22 if they keep losing.The Hawks are almost certain to finish in the top eight after their gutsy win over Melbourne last Sunday moved them six points clear of ninth-placed North Melbourne. However, if Hawthorn wants to avoid the prospect of travelling to Perth to play Freo in week one of the finals, it needs to win this encounter.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Michael Johnson plays his 100th game for Fremantle this weekend, and the rangy key position player will be glad to be in the news for the right reasons. The 25-year-old was suspended by the club earlier this season after being arrested for drug possession.Since returning to the field in round 14, he’s been working hard to recapture the form that made him one of Freo’s most highly rated young players.
Hawthorn hard-man Brad Sewell was dropped by Alastair Clarkson a few weeks ago before earning a late reprieve when one of his teammates withdrew from the team through injury. Since that wakeup call, Sewell has played like a man possessed. Last weekend, he was best-on-ground against Melbourne, collecting 27 possessions and winning seven clearances.
QUESTION MARKS
Who are the real Hawks? Earlier in the season it seemed Hawthorn was an ordinary team, before it was raised into premiership calculations when it won seven games in a row. But that was followed by another slump, during which it was written off once more. So, are the Hawks actually no good, or was last Sunday’s win over Melbourne a sign that they can do damage in the finals?
Can Freo break through for a second win in Launceston? Fremantle has played at Aurora Stadium six times, but its only victory to date is the one-point win over St Kilda in the infamous ‘siren-gate’ match in 2006.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
While there’s plenty at stake, the freezing conditions in Launceston might just be enough to knock the sun-loving Freo boys off their game. The Hawks have a great record down in Tassie, and given their star players in Franklin, Sewell, Hodge and Mitchell found form against the Demons a week ago, they should have the firepower to get over the line.
PREDICTION
Hawthorn by 29 points
Chat with host Stu Warren and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 1.40pm Saturday or join the conversation on Twitter: #aflhawksdockers
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
