There’s few storylines as anticipated in football as seeing former teammates go head to head, and the fact that this one will play out on the Easter Monday stage only adds to the intrigue.
Monday’s match will mark the first time the Hawks have faced triple premiership player Isaac Smith since he defected to the blue and white hoops in last year’s free agency period.
Speaking in his pre-match presser on Sunday morning, Coach Alastair Clarkson predicted the face-off to be reminiscent of a sibling rivalry.
“I think it’s a little bit like when you’re growing up as a kid and you’re in the backyard playing against your brothers; you want to win,” Clarko explained, grinning.
“I don’t think there will be anything untoward towards Isaac, but I don’t think there will be friendliness either.
“He’s wanting to win, and we’re wanting to win.
“Whilst we’re out there, and he’s in different colours to ours, we’ll be going really hard I’d imagine, and he’d be doing the same against us.
“There will be some banter in the game tomorrow, without a doubt.”
Bar finals, Easter Monday is undoubtedly the biggest fixture in the modern-day rivalry of the Hawks and the Cats, boasting an uncanny knack for close finishes.
Clarkson noted the unpredictability of recent football results – particularly across the current round.
However – there’s one thing you can rely on in an Easter Monday clash, and that’s that both teams will give their all.
“It’s the only game on Easter Monday, that means there’s a lot of eyes in the footy community watching this game, and none more so than our Hawk and Geelong supporters who are very passionate about this contest,” Clarkson said.
“It’s just another little chapter in the script. These teams have enjoyed a fair amount of success over the last 30 or 40 years really, they’ve both been really strong clubs, and that’s where rivalries come from.
“We’ve had a great opportunity to try and build that big game spirit against this side.
“There’s been some cracking contests over the journey and who knows what tomorrow’s going to bring, but as we’ve seen from the results of this weekend, anything can happen.
