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Bruised Hawks to regroup

By Mr Dandalooa

The Hawks will reduce its training load this week in a bid to have all players recovered ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Hawks midfielder Chance Bateman said the Hawks would have a light week on the track given their six-day break after the physical loss to Geelong on Monday after they were overhauled in a classic blockbuster.

“It was such a bruising game yesterday. We will take it pretty easy early on the week,” Bateman said on Tuesday.

“We’ll have our main session later in the week and then we’ll play the Dogs on Sunday.”

Rhan Hooper should miss at least a week with a hamstring injury, while Jordan Lewis had scans on his injured ankle on Tuesday.

Bateman said on the Hawks’ website that he and Cyril Rioli pulled up relatively well from their first games of the season and would benefit from the run.

“I’m not too bad. I’m probably a bit sorer than normal because it was my first hit-out but coming up against Geelong, we expect that,” he said.

“They’re a great side and they’ve got a lot of big, strong bodies and it’s always a fierce contest between the two sides and it’s always a really bruising encounter.

“It was flat out from the start to the finish for myself, Buddy and Junior (Rioli). It was good to get back into a game like that because you have to pick up the pace straight away. All three of us will be better for the run.

“Cyril has pulled up really well. We managed his game time yesterday so he got through unscathed and was pretty exciting at times.”

The Hawks used Luke Hodge and Jarryd Roughead in the ruck late in the game when Brent Renouf dislocated his finger.

But Bateman said he didn’t believe the Hawks’ use of non-traditional ruckmen was detrimental to the team’s structure and that it is “just something we have to do and something we’ve worked on a bit”.

Bateman said recent draftee Sam Grimley could be looked at by the match committee as a back-up option but conceded the 19-year-old was still physically raw.

With respect to the Hawks other ruckmen, Simon Taylor, he is recovering from a broken leg and Wayde Skipper has a hamstring injury.

Max Bailey is making strong progress as he comes back from a knee reconstruction, but like Taylor, Bailey is not expected back for several weeks.

“He’s going really well, he’s an absolute professional and he’s been doing all his rehab, he looks quite strong and he’s moving quite well,” Bateman said.

The Cats sealed the win when Shannon Byrnes caught Bateman in a tackle and then kicked a major from the impending free kick.

Bateman said he didn’t see him at all.

“It was great forward pressure by them, that’s something we pride ourselves on as well and we got a couple of those tackles earlier in the game,” he said.

“Well done to Shannon, he blindsided me and pretty much sealed the game.”

The Hawks were disappointed they could not win against the reining premiers but said it was an encouraging performance overall.