Mitchell Sees Opportunity in Hawthorn’s Extended Break
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is viewing the upcoming 18-day break in the AFL season as a valuable opportunity for his team to refine their game, rather than a disruption to their developing momentum. After a tough start to the season, which saw them thrashed by GWS in their opening match, the Hawks have managed to steer their campaign back on course. This resurgence was highlighted by a hard-fought 14.15 (99) to 13.4 (82) victory over Sydney on Thursday night, following an earlier win against Essendon.
The unusual lay-off includes a bye week, preceding the highly anticipated traditional Easter Monday blockbuster against fierce rivals Geelong. While some might see such a break as a risk to a team finding its groove, Mitchell is optimistic about its potential benefits.
“If we can sustain the type of pressure and intensity that we got tonight, we’ll be a really hard side to beat,” Mitchell stated following the Hawks’ latest triumph. He acknowledged the team’s vulnerability when their intensity drops, noting, “But if we drop off, we don’t have to look too far in our rear-view mirror to realise how vulnerable we can be. Nothing’s clearer to the players than that exact thing.”
The coach elaborated on how the break, with the team currently sitting at a 2-1 record, provides a crucial window for strategic reassessment. “We go into a bit of a break now at 2-1 and we can reassess and make some improvements to our game.”
Mitchell expressed that the club thrives on the unique scheduling challenges presented by Thursday night games and the standalone Easter Monday fixture. “We love both of those fixtures,” he confirmed. “For us, we get a bit of a chance to reassess going into a couple of days off for our players. We’ll try to improve a couple of things and we’ll be ready for Easter Monday.”
Focusing on Key Areas for Improvement
One specific area identified by Mitchell for focused improvement during the break is the team’s ability to convert scoring opportunities when the ball is predominantly locked in Hawthorn’s forward half. This suggests a desire to become more clinical and efficient in their attacking third.
Gunston’s Red-Hot Form and the Century Mark
Amidst these strategic discussions, individual brilliance is also a talking point. Forward Jack Gunston has been in exceptional form, adding another four goals to his tally against Sydney. His consistent scoring has been a significant factor in Hawthorn’s recent success.
Gunston’s impressive run of form across the opening rounds has even drawn attention from AFL commentators. Melbourne great and media personality Garry Lyon has floated the possibility of the 34-year-old achieving a century of goals for the season.
Mitchell responded with a characteristic grin when asked about the prospect of Gunston reaching this milestone. “It sounds good to me. I hope he can do that,” he said. “He keeps telling us that he’s going to try, so good luck to him.” However, he also humorously pointed out the statistical challenge: “It’s going to be hard if he keeps kicking 4.4 though. He’ll need to kick eight or at least seven out of that.”
The feat of kicking 100 goals in a single season is a rare and celebrated achievement in Australian Rules Football. The most recent player to achieve this was Lance Franklin, a former Hawthorn and Sydney star, who was a teammate of Mitchell during the Hawks’ 2008 premiership campaign. Gunston’s current form suggests he is at least on the radar for such an extraordinary accomplishment, adding an extra layer of intrigue to his season. The extended break will undoubtedly be used by the coaching staff to strategise how to best support Gunston’s offensive efforts and elevate the team’s overall performance.
