Cats surprised Hawks in round 22: Puopolo
Hawthorn dynamo Paul Puopolo admits Geelong shocked the AFL's reigning premiers when the two sides met in round 22.
The Cats held a 31-point lead at halftime and seemed on track for a surprisingly comfortable win, their speedy prime movers firing and Tom Hawkins having booted two goals on Brian Lake.
Hawkins slotted his third shortly after the major break, only for Hawthorn to seize control of the contest with the next seven goals.
"It was different to the way they played normally," Puopolo told radio station SEN of the Cats' high-possession approach.
"I guess it did shock us and we weren't too set up for it.
"We regrouped at halftime and tried to settle ourselves ... we pretty much had nothing to lose, we were already 30 points down."
The fierce rivals will clash again in Friday night's qualifying final, 13 days after Hawthorn won by 23 points in the quintessential game of two halves.
"Same in the first half, different in the second half. That's the plan," Geelong coach Chris Scott quipped.
"A few different match-ups potentially ... I suspect some parts of the game will be played differently.
"They'll adjust and we'll adjust. Then the merry-go-round will continue."
It's a similar scenario to what Hawthorn faced last year.
Alastair Clarkson's men defeated Sydney at ANZ Stadium in round 23 and again a week later, when the stakes were far higher at the MCG.
"That was even more peculiar than what we're going to face this time," Clarkson said.
"The draw is the draw."
Scott admitted it felt a "little bit strange", but added it was preferable to have a recent game between the two teams to study.
"It gives us more information than we otherwise would have had," he said.
"But it's not as if the sides don't know each other."
The rivalry between Geelong and Hawthorn has taken on immense proportions since the 2008 grand final.
The Cats won the next 11 contests, Hawthorn snapping the streak in last year's dramatic preliminary final.
"I wouldn't say the sides like each other. But we definitely respect them," Geelong skipper Joel Selwood said.
