As the highest score team in the league across the season, the reigning premier has averaged 116 points a game. The Hawks have kicked 17 goals or more in the last four games, with 13 their lowest tally of the year, albeit minus Jarryd Roughead.
Hawthorn boasts three players in the top 10 of the AFL’s goal-kicking and they are all very different types of players.
While Roughead is no slouch in the contest (19 contested marks for season), it’s his ability to also find the ball at ground level that makes him so unique for a key-forward.
He’s kicked 38 goals for the season, but it’s his ability to setup team-mates that’s most impressive.
While many expected Roughead’s impact to be minimized without Lance Franklin alongside him, he’s been just as dangerous. With 114 score involvements in his 13 games, he sits sixth in the league in the statistical category.
As a tall forward, those numbers are quite remarkable. Only Franklin (at Sydney) has exceeded those numbers, while Tom Hawkins is the only other key-forward in the top 20.
Against the Suns last week, he was involved in 32.3 per cent of all scoring chains.
When the teams last met in Round 22 of 2013, Roughead was manned by Luke Delaney (now at St Kilda) and booted four goals. This year, All-Australian Scott Thompson will have a have a huge task on his hands.
North may be able to shut down the Hawks’ best forward with its best defender, but there’s plenty more avenues for Alastair Clarkson’s team.
Jack Gunston is one of those threats. With 30 goals to his name in 13 matches, the former Crow demands a quality backman.
His ability to push up the ground and provide a link going forward is vital.
Interestingly, he boasts 30 scoring involvements from the midfield and gets almost 60 per cent of his disposals through the midfield and in defence.
Gunston is very much a lead-up forward. 72 of his 87 marks this season have been uncontested.
But he’s very much a player who must be tightly manned.
Likewise Luke Breust; one of the most improved players across the league. At just 184 centimetres, he’s one of the toughest match-ups too.
With an uncanny ability to find space, Breust has been an inside 50 target on 70 occasions this season, ranking him 15th in the league. No other small forward comes close to those numbers.
It’s a sign of the trust his team-mates have in him, but also indicative of how reliable he’s become in front of goals.
Breust has kicked a remarkable 26 goals without a miss and 38.4 for the season. Get the ball in his hands and he’ll get the job done.
With 38 goals and 118 score involvements for the season, his output is on a par with Roughead.
In the Hawks’ last outing against North, he had 12 disposals and kicked three goals. Keeping him in check will be critical.
Shaun Atley, Luke McDonald and Aaron Mullett are all potential match-ups. Whoever gets the role will need to be on all day - a split second lapse in concentration will be costly.
Unfortunately it doesn’t end there. David Hale hasn’t been in the best goal-kicking form but at 201 centimetres, he’s a huge threat in the contest.
Ryan Schoenmakers has shown he’s more than capable when used in attack, while Paul Puopolo will bring the defensive pressure to keep the ball in attack.
The absence of Cyril Rioli may starve the Hawks of some brilliance up forward, but they’ve shown in the past they can cover him.
North’s defenders have for the most part stood tall when the ball’s been in their area this year. On Friday night, anything less than a four quarter performance will see them punished.
