‘Get that cup for him’: Hawks ready to do it for ‘Punky’

2 hours ago 4

Hawthorn star Nick Watson says the Hawks are devastated by Luke Breust’s season-ending knee injury, but are determined to do him proud, aiming to win the premiership cup for their retiring teammate.

Breust, 34, suffered a ruptured ACL and MCL in the VFL on Saturday, heading into retirement in a shattering manner that now has teammates wanting to honour the three-time premiership great in the best possible way.

“It’s obviously a bit of a heartbreak for the crew to see one of our best players ever to do it as a small forward, to go down in his last game for Box Hill. It’s obviously sad to see,” Watson told this masthead on Monday.

Nick Watson, pictured in the players’ race at Waverley on Monday, says the Hawks want to do fallen teammate Luke Breust proud on Friday night.

“We’ll wrap our arms around him. There is nothing worse than to see an ACL for anyone, let alone ‘Punky’, who has just announced his retirement. We’ll wrap our arms around him and, hopefully, get that cup for him at the end of the year.”

Breust did not play in the Hawks’ finals wins over Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide, having been the substitute in the final three home-and-away games.

However, with three Hawks – Jack Ginnivan, Jack Gunston and Jarman Impey – starting the week on modified programs, Breust may at least have been an emergency come Friday night’s preliminary final against Geelong.

“We’ll do him proud, that’s for sure,” Watson said.

Watson has leaned on Breust for advice through his two seasons at the club, and will continue to do so.

“He has been big for me as a small forward. He is one of the best ever to do it as a small forward. He has taught me everything I know, basically, so far. I am going to keep chipping out his book and picking his brain. He has been a big mentor for me for my first two years,” Watson said.

As the Hawks and Cats prepare to renew their fabled finals history, Watson said he expected great mate Ginnivan, Impey and Gunston to line up at the MCG.

“They will all get up. They are all good. They just have to manage their bodies this week. I am sure they will get up for a prelim,” Watson said.

Nick Watson got the Hawks going early against the Crows in Adelaide.

Watson was relatively well held by the Giants, but finished with two goals against the Crows, the first a moment of brilliance from just inside the boundary. Having regularly hit the scoreboard through the first half of the season, the man known as ‘the Wizard’ has contributed majors only twice in his past eight games.

That he found the scoreboard on Friday night came complete with a celebratory interaction with the crowd, the Hawks adding to their long list of Kodak moments.

“A goal early gets you going, and I love giving it a bit to the crowd as well. It’s all part of my game, really, a bit of flair. The thing about Hawthorn, they let you be yourselves, what brings the best out of you,” Watson said.

“A lot of people think it’s just about kicking goals, for my role. At this stage, it’s not, especially when you have Gunston kicking a lot of the goals. Other things like pressure, getting my hands on the footy a bit, getting up the ground a bit more and, obviously, having a bit more time as a mid, which is good.”

A key point of intrigue on Friday will be how the Cats look to subdue Jai Newcombe, the Hawks’ midfield prime mover who has been the highest-rated player in all four finals he has featured in. The Cats could send the bustling Tom Atkins to him, or they could also employ tagger Oisin Mullin.

Watson said he backed the strong and speedy Newcombe to handle any tag, while pointing out the Hawks had the midfield depth to hurt the Cats should Newcombe be slightly subdued.

“He has been awesome for us. He primes at the right time of the year … that’s why I have started calling him Mr September,” Watson said.

When the two teams met in round six, the Cats prevailed by seven points in an Easter Monday classic. Bailey Smith was instrumental in the win with 28 disposals and 630 metres gained. It was a memorable day for the pin-up midfielder, for he was booed after throwing the Sherrin in Jarman Impey’s face, the Hawk having collected Smith late in the first quarter.

He was also booed and jeered by the crowd as he ran to the interchange bench in the second quarter, and flipped the bird their way. He was later fined for both incidents.

Watson, who had two goals in that game but missed another late that could have dragged the Hawks to victory, said he and Ginnivan may look to unsettle Smith.

“He is a very good player. He looks like the one that if he gets that attention he thrives off that and plays even better,” Watson said.

The Hawks will work hard to subdue Bailey Smith on Friday night.

“It will be interesting – I might give him a little bit [of lip], me and ‘Ginni’ [Jack Ginnivan], but he is, obviously, a very good player, and we respect the way he goes about it.”

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