ILLAWARRA have suffered some disappointing losses this season but coach Rob Beveridge admits none sting more than a 40-point pasting at the hands of Perth in round one.
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Having fought out a quadruple-overtime thriller with Melbourne in their season-opener 48 hours earlier, the odds were stacked against them before they boarded the flight west.
Still, the capitulation that saw the Hawks sink to a 101-61 loss – the biggest defeat any side has suffered in the last five seasons – is still a huge sore point for Beveridge.
He’s not alone, with his charges desperate to atone on their return to RAC Arena on Friday night.
“It was our worst game of the season, no question,” Beveridge said.
“They were outstanding. We were there for the taking and they just destroyed us. We haven’t forgotten that.
“It was one of our worst performances and if we don’t come out [on Friday] ready to play it’s going to be tough for us.
“We’re feeling really good, everyone gets up to play Perth, home or away, because they’ve been so successful.
“At the end of the day, this is it for us. We’re just going to go for it and see what happens.
“They’re the hunted and we’re the hunters that’s the mentality we have to take into it.”
The Hawks cannot afford another loss in pursuit of the 16 wins required to guarantee a spot in the post-season.
An awful points percentage after a number of big losses means they’ll also need to finish a win ahead of Adelaide and Brisbane.
They’ll have a chance to pinch one of those wins off Brisbane on the road next round. The Bullets will be coming off a pair of tough clashes with Sydney.
Should they lose one or both it will give the Hawks a sniff at leapfrogging them but it’ll be a moot point should they lose to the Cats on Friday.
The oft-quoted weight of history will also be against them. They’ve managed just one win from 20 encounters at RAC Arena, while the Cats have won 30 of their last 31 games against the Hawks in the west.
On the flip side, a win for Perth will guarantee their 33rd consecutive finals appearance after enduring a tough 2-8 slump through the middle part of the season.
They’ve won their past three games straight, though they were dealt a blow in their last-start win over Adelaide, with former Hawk Mitch Norton to miss the remainder of the season after tearing a calf muscle.
Beveridge said his side will need to take advantage of Norton’s absence and push a high tempo.
“Them not having Mitch Norton will help us a little bit,” he said.
“It means Damo’s [Damian Martin] got to play a lot more minutes and he’s been carrying some niggles and stuff like that as well.
“They probably went away from their identity for a little bit there but the last few games they’ve gone back to being defensively orientated and really getting after it.
“They’ll be feeling confident, no doubt about it.”
Beveridge faces his own rejig with veteran sharp-shooter Tim Coenraad not making the trip to Perth after he and wife Nelly welcomed the arrival of son Tyson late Wednesday night.
He’ll return for his side’s clash with Cairns in Wollongong on Monday.