As the AFL regular season enters its final stretch, Hawthorn Football Club head coach Sam Mitchell is framing this Friday’s high-stakes clash against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba as a critical dry run for September’s finals series, where a deep run may very well depend on winning away from home. Currently sitting third on the league ladder, the Hawks hold the highest ranking of any Victorian-based side, boasting a six-point buffer over fourth-placed Adelaide. A victory over the Lions this weekend would lock in Hawthorn’s top-four position, a result that would almost certainly see the side travel interstate for the opening round of the finals.
Mitchell acknowledged that the Gabba is a venue his squad has only played at three times over the past decade, but he stressed the team would not waste energy overanalyzing the ground’s unique characteristics. Recapping the side’s last trip to Brisbane, Mitchell noted, “We played there last year and they got the chocolates but we played some OK footy that day.” He added that the Gabba’s dimensions are fairly comparable to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue the Hawks are comfortable competing on, so venue adaptation will not be a central focus of preparation. “Clearly, they have a good home ground advantage and play good footy there, but they’re a good side, they play well everywhere,” Mitchell said. “I think if you look at the ladder, most Victorian teams are going to have to win interstate at some point and this is a start for us.”
Beyond game planning, the Hawks are currently managing fitness tests for four key players heading into the clash: ruckman Ned Reeves (knee injury), defender Karl Amon (knee), forward Mitch Lewis (concussion), and young utility Henry Hustwaite (face injury). Mitchell confirmed that final selection for Friday’s game will hinge on how each player progresses through Wednesday’s scheduled training session, with medical clearance still pending for multiple members of the group.
Speaking on each player’s status, Mitchell outlined: “(Amon) has been pretty mobile, a little bit of change in direction. He obviously had a minor procedure in his knee and making sure he can change direction and run and then pull up OK from those things.” For Lewis, who is working through the league’s concussion protocol, Mitchell said the forward remained on track to be available, but still needs to complete the final stages of the mandated return-to-play process. “My understanding of concussion is that basically every day or every second day there’s a hoop to jump through. You can stay on track for a certain period but you still have to finish the protocols. I think he’s not quite finished it yet. Technically, tomorrow is the first day he could play. We have one day up our sleeve, we’ll see how he goes over the next 48 hours,” Mitchell added.