Hawthorn has had a tough draw to open the season and things don’t get much easier when they go the Gold Coast on Saturday to play the Suns.
Best Bet
Hawthorn are a better side than their results would indicate and are capable of at least keeping this game close.
The Hawks have lost four games by a total of 120 points, but they kept the reigning premiers to less than a kick in Adelaide last week, and as we pointed out in the preview for that game their results on the highly illuminating ‘expected score’ metric point to them being far more competitive than the final numbers suggest.
Hawthorn did a lot right against Collingwood, winning the inside 50 count and contested possession count, but their ability to convert early cost them.
They also look to have found a forward option in Blake Hardwick, who chimed in with four snags last week.
Gold Coast come off a decent performance against the Giants, but they are, admittedly like Hawthorn, fielding a very young side at present so some inconsistency can be expected.
While there are some promising signs there for the Suns, the fact remains that they have failed to cover in their last three games.
The Hawks look a very appealing bet with such a big start.
Same Game Multi
Expect a bounce back game for James Worpel here after being down against the Pies.
For the Suns, Sam Flanders switched to a new role in defence and had 29 disposals against the Giants last week, Jack Lukosius did the same thing and had 22. He is also getting some kick outs.
Jack Ginnivan has a snag in three of four games since joining the Hawks.
Value Bets
One area Hawthorn have struggled against is against good key forwards. Ben King fits the bill and if the Suns get on top, he could easily kick a bag.
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