ALASTAIR Clarkson has stoked the flames ahead of Hawthorn's do-or-die semi-final, challenging his players to trump the Western Bulldogs' ferocity and keep their premiership hopes alive.
The Hawks are facing the hard road to a fourth consecutive flag following their heartbreaking two-point qualifying final defeat to Geelong, and will face a Dogs outfit brimming with confidence on Friday night.
Former Cats premiership captain Cameron Ling warned the Bulldogs to prepare for a "filthy and grumpy" Hawthorn and Clarkson didn’t deny there could be fireworks early.
"There's been a lot of talk about that. I haven't known a premiership outfit or a high-quality finals performer in the last 80 years be soft at the footy," Clarkson said on Thursday.
"So every coach in the competition and every player in the competition wants to play that way knowing full well that you won't win finals unless you are that way.
"I looked at the Bulldogs last week and they were more ferocious at the contest than the West Coast Eagles, I looked at GWS and they were more ferocious than what Sydney were in that game.
"The reason our game (against Geelong) was so close was because the ferocity at the contest was pretty evenly matched by both sides.
"If we get the better of the Dogs in that regard tomorrow night, then we'll probably win the game.
"But if it's vice-versa … it's pretty simple really."
Last year the Hawks looked vulnerable after a horror qualifying final loss to West Coast in Perth before bouncing back with a 74-point annihilation of an Adelaide side out of its depth.
But the Dogs will take confidence from pushing the Hawks all the way in a three-point loss in round three, when Luke Beveridge's side dominated possession and around the contest.
Stopping Hawks champion Sam Mitchell looms as priority No.1 for the Dogs and Clarkson expected the star midfielder would again cop plenty of heat after being targeted by Geelong tagger Scott Selwood.
However, the four-time premiership coach wasn't sure Shaun Burgoyne's calls for more protection for Mitchell from the umpires would be heeded.
"You're just not going to win that argument, really," Clarkson said.
"We want him to have more protection but that's up to the umpires to decide what they do in terms of the protection of players.
"He's a ball player, the off-the-ball stuff has been a bit untoward, but he's been able to cope with it for 15 years of footy, so no doubt he'll be coping with it again tomorrow night."
The Hawks trained for 45 minutes in a light session on Thursday, although youngster Ryan Burton (corked calf) wasn't sighted and looks doubtful to face the Dogs.
James Sicily (illness) or Billy Hartung shape as possible replacements, with defender Matt Spangher also in the mix.
The Hawks are aiming to book a place in their sixth-straight preliminary final and discussed the flag opportunity ahead of them at a pow-wow at Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula the day after their round 23 win over Collingwood.
"We've got a few country boys so we thought we'd get them back to their roots and toast a few marshmallows," Clarkson joked.
"It was more about looking forward and what opportunity was there for us in terms of the next three or four weeks and just for the players to sit down and discuss the significance to them of what the next three or four weeks mean."
Further down the track, the Hawks will aim to secure Gold Coast wantaway midfielder Jaeger O'Meara, who this week nominated Waverley as his preferred destination in the NAB AFL Trade Period.
Clarkson expertly deflected a question about O'Meara on Thursday, while he reiterated the Hawks wouldn't stand in the way of football manager Chris Fagan, who has been strongly linked to the Brisbane Lions coaching job.
