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Saints clash has Bulldogs salivating, says Hahn
AFL Website
Jennifer Witham | Tue 21 July, 2009
WESTERN Bulldogs forward Mitch Hahn says his side can't wait to find out how it measures up to the undefeated St Kilda on Saturday night.
Hahn said the round 17 match would also give the Dogs a chance to gauge their improvement since losing to the ladder-leaders in round six.
"There's a lot of excitement because you get to judge where you are," Hahn said on Tuesday.
"Everyone knows at the moment they are the best defensive side, and then Geelong. Then everyone else is probably talking about us.
"It's an opportunity to go out there and see where we're at six weeks from finals. We've still got a lot of improvement and we'll find out how much we've improved since the last time we played them."
Hahn said the Dogs would need to lift their execution level this week if they were to avoid repeating the defeat they suffered at the hands of Ross Lyon's men earlier in the season.
"Last time, I think our skills let us down. I'm not sure what our kicking efficiency was, but I think it was probably the second lowest for the year," he said.
"Especially with their pressure … with Adelaide on the weekend, they pressured them so well, and they can have a lot of uncontested marks as well.
"That's something we're going to have to have a look at shutting down. You've got guys like [Nick] Riewoldt, who is in amazing form, so our backs have a tough job ahead of them and the rest of the team have to be able to help those guys out."
He said it was almost disappointing that St Kilda forward Justin Koschitzke would miss the match after the Saints accepted his one-match suspension for striking.
"You want them to have their best team out there," he said.
"They'll have them there in the finals, and [Koschitzke] was out there last time we played them.
"No player likes to see another player get suspended, and it's always good to play a team at full strength. I don't think we clap and cheer they don't have their best team in."
Hahn kicked five goals for the second time this year on Friday night, and agreed it was encouraging to carry solid individual form into the clash with the top-ranked side.
"I was pretty rapt with the way I played, but it's more about us as a team, having 22 players to contribute," he said.
"I get a lot out of watching Brian Lake and what he's done over the past couple of weeks, and Jarrod Harbrow this year down back, and Ryan Hargrave.
"As an individual, it's more about the team rather than myself, and to get the result, that's the main thing.
"It was a good day for me individually, but as a team collectively, it was more important we had 22 even contributors."
Saints clash has Bulldogs salivating, says Hahn
AFL Website
Jennifer Witham | Tue 21 July, 2009
WESTERN Bulldogs forward Mitch Hahn says his side can't wait to find out how it measures up to the undefeated St Kilda on Saturday night.
Hahn said the round 17 match would also give the Dogs a chance to gauge their improvement since losing to the ladder-leaders in round six.
"There's a lot of excitement because you get to judge where you are," Hahn said on Tuesday.
"Everyone knows at the moment they are the best defensive side, and then Geelong. Then everyone else is probably talking about us.
"It's an opportunity to go out there and see where we're at six weeks from finals. We've still got a lot of improvement and we'll find out how much we've improved since the last time we played them."
Hahn said the Dogs would need to lift their execution level this week if they were to avoid repeating the defeat they suffered at the hands of Ross Lyon's men earlier in the season.
"Last time, I think our skills let us down. I'm not sure what our kicking efficiency was, but I think it was probably the second lowest for the year," he said.
"Especially with their pressure … with Adelaide on the weekend, they pressured them so well, and they can have a lot of uncontested marks as well.
"That's something we're going to have to have a look at shutting down. You've got guys like [Nick] Riewoldt, who is in amazing form, so our backs have a tough job ahead of them and the rest of the team have to be able to help those guys out."
He said it was almost disappointing that St Kilda forward Justin Koschitzke would miss the match after the Saints accepted his one-match suspension for striking.
"You want them to have their best team out there," he said.
"They'll have them there in the finals, and [Koschitzke] was out there last time we played them.
"No player likes to see another player get suspended, and it's always good to play a team at full strength. I don't think we clap and cheer they don't have their best team in."
Hahn kicked five goals for the second time this year on Friday night, and agreed it was encouraging to carry solid individual form into the clash with the top-ranked side.
"I was pretty rapt with the way I played, but it's more about us as a team, having 22 players to contribute," he said.
"I get a lot out of watching Brian Lake and what he's done over the past couple of weeks, and Jarrod Harbrow this year down back, and Ryan Hargrave.
"As an individual, it's more about the team rather than myself, and to get the result, that's the main thing.
"It was a good day for me individually, but as a team collectively, it was more important we had 22 even contributors."
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