1. Hawthorn has been the competition benchmark for the last five years, winning the 2013 and 2014 premierships. And we saw why last night. They are a seasoned, mature team that plays instinctively when the game is on the line. Adam Simpson has spoken about his desire to see West Coast achieve a period of sustained success and Hawthorn is the example. They have been able to win three premierships in the last eight years because of constant exposure to high pressure football.
2. When the game was on the line, Hawthorn’s A-Grade players stepped up the tempo. The second half from tough on-baller Sam Mitchell was outstanding, but others also recognised the moment and upped the ante. Cyril Rioli was at his best when the Hawks needed him most, Luke Hodge was uncompromising in the back half, Jarryd Roughead, who had a quiet night, kicked an amazing goal on his non-preferred right foot and Jordan Lewis won some important contested football.
3. The loss of Nic Naitanui for personal reasons, followed by the failure of Cal Sinclair to overcome a knee injury, saw Scott Lycett elevated off the emergency list to the status of No.1 ruckman. He has had a few testing injury issues to deal with but served up a timely reminder of his ability with an outstanding effort. He has been managed through his ruck time at East Perth this season, but worked hard all night against the Hawks, had 20 possessions and 39 hit outs.
Beaten by a better side: Simpson
4. Josh Kennedy continues to shine up forward. He was a constant threat deep in attack, whether on the lead or in the one-on-one situation and finished his game with four goals. It was a big effort, largely opposed to James Frawley, and his level of consistency has been a feature of West Coast’s rise in 2015.
5. A number of players have taken their game to another level in 2015 and Luke Shuey provided further evidence of his growth. The more he is exposed to the big occasion, the better he gets. He had 27 quality possessions against the Hawks, winning possession both inside and on the outskirts, where his pace and ball use were a feature.
