Selection Dissection: Obedience School for the Dogs
A huge opportunity awaits the Hawks as they head to Adelaide Oval to try to knock off the undefeated Bulldogs
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Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs
Saturday 6 April @ Adelaide Oval, 7:30pm
Finally! And breathe!
After years of Easter Monday punishment, we finally got one back on the Cats. How good was that game and how good was that crowd! There was brown and gold everywhere. That win against Geelong was season defining. It will bring added belief to the playing group.
Well done Flynn Perez and Jack Dalton on making their debuts. Both showed glimpses they belong at the level and will be quality AFL players.
We move on quickly this week to Gather Round in Adelaide and another tough opponent. The top of the ladder and undefeated Western Bulldogs.
However, like against the Swans, we have caught a lucky break with their injuries. Tim English, Ed Richards, Tom Liberatore and Arty Jones have all already been ruled out for this match.
Before the Geelong game, we lost Karl Amon and Cam Mackenzie to minor knee injuries. Both were put through a fitness test at training today. Mackenzie would be more likely to play than Amon. Jack Gunston will be a big watch at selection after he suffered what looked to be a minor hamstring injury on Easter Monday. I wouldn’t be risking him this week. A reprieve for Calsher Dear or a home debut for Aidan Schubert could be on the cards.
The Backline
Josh Battle is the key this week for us. Battle has started this season slowly. He will get the match-up on Jeremy Cameron and has to play well.
I said the above last week and I thought Josh Battle (on Jeremy Cameron) played his best game for the season against the Cats. He needed it after a slow start to the season. James Sicily continued his strong start to the season and it was great to see Flynn Perez play well on debut.
I still don’t think our backline is playing at their best, they are still conceding a lot of goals from poor defensive errors. Being 3-1 with big room for improvement is a good place to be!
The Midfield
I thought our midfield played exceptionally well against the Cats. They got embarrassed in last year’s Preliminary final, so it was great to get some revenge. Josh Ward (29 touches) deserves a lot of credit off the back of his start to the 2026 season. With the loss of Worpel and injury to Day, he’s really stepped up.
This week will all be about stopping the best player (by a long way) in the AFL, Marcus Bontempelli. Richards and Liberatore have already been ruled out, stop the Bont and we should win this game. Connor Nash is the perfect match-up and has played well on the Bulldogs skipper in the past.
The Ruck
The Reeves/Meek combo continues to work well and won’t be changed for a while. Reeve’s tap work especially in the 4th quarter against the Cats was a joy to watch. This week the Bulldogs will be without their number one ruck in Tim English.
They will likely be going in with a debutant in Louis Emmett. This will be a great opportunity for Reeves and Meek to dominate all game
The Forward Line
The biggest watch heading into this week, will our star forward Jack Gunston make the trip? After suffering some “hamstring awareness” against the Cats, I would be surprised if he was risked for this game. If he doesn’t play, the big question will be who replaces him.
It will be between Calsher Dear and our second pick from last years draft, Aidan Schubert. Schubert is a South Australian boy, which would make for a nice debut story in his home town. For me, despite struggling with form this season, I would be going with Dear, as we know what he can produce at AFL level.
Ben Ronke Of The Week
Josh Dolan to bag three goals
What Should Happen:
Out: Gunston (managed), Dalton (omitted)
In: Dear, Mackenzie
B: Hardwick - Barrass - Sicily
HB: Perez - Battle - Impey
C: D’Ambrosio - Ward - Weddle
HF: Moore - Lewis - Ginnivan
F: Watson - Chol - Dear
FOL: Meek - Newcombe - Nash
INT: Reeves - C.Macdonald - Scrimshaw - Butler - Mackenzie
Emg: Morrison – B.Macdonald - Ramsden
What Will Happen:
Out: Dalton (omitted)
In: Mackenzie
B: Hardwick - Barrass - Sicily
HB: Perez- Battle - Impey
C: D’Ambrosio - Ward - Weddle
HF: Moore - Lewis - Ginnivan
F: Watson - Chol - Gunston
FOL:Meek - Newcombe - Nash
INT: Reeves - C.Macdonald - Scrimshaw - Butler - Mackenzie
Emg: Morrison – B.Macdonald - Ramsden
Under the pump
NA (can’t be having that after an Easter Monday win)
In the mix
B.Macdonald, Bodie Ryan, Max Ramsden, Will McCabe, Harry Morrison, Calsher Dear, Aiden Schubert, Cam Nairn, Jack Dalton
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Hopefully the boys will have followed what their coach always says to "enjoy a win/or get over a loss for 24-48 hours" and will now be able to fully focus on Saturday night's game. Also, we have to trust that Peter Burge has trained them to best suit a recovery from such a "high intensity" match and cross fingers, that their momentum will continue right from the first ball up!
Thank you for another well written Selection Dissection Brad, and no doubt, we are all waiting in anticipation as to what team get on the Big Bird to Adelaide ... GO HAWKS!!!
Average Age: 26.13
Average Games: 119.70