Yep Clinical, in all probability, this year's premiership will be partly decided during the home and away season. That is, Top 2 is critical this year.
The thing that concerned me most from the Hawks v Freo game was during Clarko's post match media comments when he said "... it was pleasing that we won this game in a sense only because if we allow Fremantle to get the 4 points then that would have put a far gap between us and them, perhaps even 3 or 4 games I think ...".
I found that unusual. Almost like Clarko has a goal to get on top of Freo on the ladder more so than a goal to finish Top 4. The A VFL and Hawthorn know that it will be much harder for any non-interstate team to get to the Grand Final if both 1 and 2 are WA teams.
Hence the Free Kick tally in the Collingwood v The Slime match on Saturday 24-8.
I do not expect any favours from the men in green in the next month or so.