Hawks captain Oscar Forman at training with teammate Malcolm Grant.
BASKETBALL
Captain Oscar Forman has vowed the Hawks' offence will not be shut down again this season like it was by Perth.
Wollongong managed just 14 points in a second-half meltdown against the second-placed Wildcats on Sunday, after leading by three points at the main break.
The loss left them again just one game clear of tomorrow night's opponents Melbourne at WIN Entertainment Centre.
The Hawks were suffocated by Perth's crippling defence, and Forman conceded the Tigers and the rest of the league would try to copy the blueprint.
But Forman said the fourth-placed team had devised a battle plan to handle the pressure.
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"Gordie [coach Gordie McLeod] mentioned after the game, teams are going to see that [video] tape and say that's how you restrict us scoring," Forman said.
"That's how you smother us and get transition baskets, so we're going to see more of that for the rest of the season.
"But no-one is going to do it as well as Perth and if we learn to beat the press against other teams we're going to be better for it."
Following the injuries that ended Rhys Martin's and Lance Hurdle's season and finished Glen Saville's career, Forman said the Hawks were still coming to grips with elements of their new structure.
Adris Deleon and Malcolm Grant are running the show, with Tyson Demos adding support.
"We've got two point guards, where if one of them steps out Tyson comes in, and he was playing point for us last year at times," Forman said.
"So we make sure we can run, we know we can push it and that when we rebound, that's our time.
"We're free to run and let [Grant and Deleon] go crazy and we can chase them [down the court]; we haven't had that [playing style] for a number of years."
Forman said the free-flowing offence and improved rebounding would lead to a significant point-scoring turnaround against Melbourne.
He said the Hawks needed to take the pressure off their guards.
"We've got a team of shooters, but there is a lot of pressure on the guards to create space for us and penetrate," he said.
"So we need to make sure our offence is tweaked a little bit and take the pressure off them. We can't be throwing the ball to Adris with five seconds [left on the shot clock] and say, you go to work."