Hawthorn AFL coach Alastair Clarkson says the Hawks need to match Brisbane’s hardness at the ball in midfield if they are to avoid joining West Coast among the Lions’ scalps.
After only four wins last year, the Lions have surged to a 4-6 record in 2012 with their upset victory over the ladder leaders in round 10, followed by a bye last week.
And while the focus for Sunday’s MCG clash is on Hawthorn’s Lance Franklin and whether he can kick 11 to reach the 500-goal milestone, Clarkson is warning his side of the dangers of under-estimating the Lions.
Hawthorn (7-4) have bounced back from their shock loss to Richmond with wins over North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, with Franklin booting 13 and four goals respectively.
However while the Hawks have Jarryd Roughead and Franklin, Clarkson says Brisbane have their own powerhouse forwards — Jonathan Brown and Daniel Merrett.
“Brisbane are coming off a rest and a really stirring victory over West Coast,” Clarkson said on Saturday.
“What I enjoyed watching from Brisbane’s side was just their tenacity and their hardness at the footy.
“When you can play that competitive type of brand, it gives you a chance to win the midfield battle.
“They’ve got Merrett and Brown who are big formidable opponents.
“Give them enough supply then it will be difficult for any defensive unit.”
The Hawks boast a strong ruck pairing of David Hale and Roughead against veteran big man Ben Hudson.
Hudson retired last year after a 143-game career with Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.
Picked up by the Lions, the 33-year-old has been thrust back into a senior role after No.1 ruckman Matthew Leuenberger broke down with an achilles injury in round three.
Hudson says reaching the 150-game milestone on Sunday is a nice bonus but his focus is on helping the club build on the momentum of their upset win over ladder leaders West Coast a fortnight ago.
“When I originally said I’d retired it (150 games) was certainly out of the equation,” said Hudson, who grew up on the Gold Coast.
Hudson said Brisbane’s last-gasp win over the Eagles was potentially a season-defining victory.
“For a young group on the way up, it certainly can be one of the those moments,” Hudson said.
Hudson is averaging 25 hitouts in six matches.
“I’ve been blessed. I was enjoying retirement there for six weeks and things turned around,” Hudson said.
Hudson said the Hawks boasted a terrific midfield which would be hard to counter.
“He (Franklin) is a superstar of the competition,” Hudson said.
“If the ball is getting in there more times than it’s getting up our end, we might be in a bit of strife.”