HAWTHORN star Josh Gibson says Saturday’s 145-point margin over St Kilda wasn’t the most pleasing aspect of the win but rather the effort of the players over four quarters.
The Hawks started the game in scintillating form, kicking six goals to two in the opening quarter and led by 58 points at half time following a five goal to zero second quarter.
The second half brought more pain for the Saints as the Hawks piled on 16 goals (10 in the third, six in the last) to two in the second half.
It was a merciless performance by the Hawks, who never allowed the Saints the opportunity to return some respectability to the score board.
And that’s what Gibson says pleased the Hawks above all.
“It was pleasing to have a real four-quarter performance, that has been a focus for us if we can get an early lead and maintain the rage for four quarters,” Gibson told hawthornfc.com.au
“I felt we did that, which was really pleasing because sometimes we can let them come back and kick goals in the last so to finish that way was great.”
Gibson, who was one of Hawthorn’s outstanding performers on the day and received votes in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award for his role on Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt said the ability to play consistently over four quarters is what elevates great sides above good ones.
“That’s what separates you from being a really good side, the ability to finish out games,” he said.
“That’s what we’re striving to be and those are the targets we set for ourselves and it was really pleasing we ended the game in that fashion.”
The Hawks travel to Sydney to take on the Swans on Friday night at ANZ Stadium but will do so without key defender Brian Lake and four-time best and fairest winner Sam Mitchell.
Lake injured his calf in the third quarter of Saturday’s game and won’t play for at least a month, which means Hawthorn will need to tackle Sydney’s tall forwards without their biggest defender.
Adding to the challenge is the likely inclusion of gun forward Kurt Tippett for his first game of the season and the possibility of former Hawk Lance Franklin returning from injury to join Adam Goodes and Sam Reid up forward.
But Gibson, who has played every game so far this season and for much of it, battled manfully above his height and weight, harbours no fears ahead of Friday night’s clash.
In fact, last year’s best and fairest winner says taking on players much bigger than he has been the norm since joining Hawthorn and that the side has other ways to combat their bigger opponents.
“Since I’ve been at the club everyone has said we’ve got a small backline but we seem to do alright,” he said.
“Nothing changes – they’ve got some tall timber but if we can bring the ball to ground, we’ve got smaller running backs.”
