Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is pretty sure he knows the answer to the burning question hanging over Friday night’s big AFL clash with Collingwood.
Last Saturday’s horror loss to North Melbourne means the heat is on the Magpies, who suddenly look vulnerable despite being second on the ladder.
Coach Nathan Buckley did not mince his words post-match and effectively accused his players of being soft as they wilted under North’s ruthless physical pressure.
So after several weeks of indifferent form and then the disaster against the Kangaroos, what is Collingwood going to produce against Clarkson’s Hawks?
“I’d expect we’re going to get a pretty fierce approach from Collingwood this week – not that they weren’t trying last week – but I don’t know, I just feel like they’re going to be trying a little bit harder this week,” Clarkson said.
“They would have felt that was well below anywhere near their best, so we know it’s going to be a pretty fierce response.
“We just have to be as ready for it as we can be.”
Not surprisingly, winning the physical contest will be priority No.1 for the Magpies on Friday night.
“Our last month has indicated we just haven’t done those basic contested elements as well,” Buckley said on Thursday.
“That’s clearly where our focus will be because the rest of our game stacks up off the back of that.”
Buckley said the issues for Collingwood out of the North loss were clear and had been dealt with over the past few days.
He added that last Saturday’s horror show probably gave the Hawks added belief.
“(They) might feel that they have a bit of a window into how to knock us over, so it’s a competition and we’re looking forward to it,” Buckley said.
Clarkson also noted that despite Collingwood’s problems, their 10 wins are double Hawthorn’s tally and they remain a formidable opponent.
But he said North had shown the way.
“If you want to take a blueprint of what the Kangas did, then we know that’s going to hold us in pretty good stead,” Clarkson said.
While Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton will return from suspension and Collingwood defender Isaac Quaynor will make his AFL debut, the Hawks will not risk veteran forward Jarryd Roughead.
After returning to the AFL in round 14, Roughead missed last week with a side strain.
Clarkson said if Roughead plays anywhere this weekend, it will be for Box Hill.
“We just didn’t want to be taking that punt, that he goes into a senior game and then in the first five minutes he’s sore,” Clarkson said.