Finn Maginness has been praised for his effective shutdown role on Nick Daicos in the past, but will the Hawks disrupt their established midfield mix to bring him back?
HAWTHORN faces a decision this week: should Finn Maginness be included in the lineup?
As a tagger, Maginness has been among the best at limiting Nick Daicos’s impact. Will this earn him a recall after more than two months out of the side?
Last year, Daicos was restricted to just five disposals and one clearance in over half a game against Maginness before a knee injury in the third term sidelined the Collingwood star for the remainder of his campaign.
Maginness’s performance helped inspire Hawthorn to a gritty 32-point win over the eventual premiers, one of their seven victories last season, in one of the biggest upsets of the 2023 campaign.
Daicos’s tally of 4.7 AFL Player Ratings points against Hawthorn and Maginness was his lowest of the year and the third lowest of his career, although this was in just 60% game time due to his injury.
This prompted Hawthorn to recall Maginness for this season’s earlier match against Collingwood, where Daicos finished with 26 disposals and three clearances in a thrilling win for the Magpies.
Again, Daicos’s impact was less significant than usual. His 13.2 AFL Player Ratings points against Hawthorn ranked as his 12th most influential game out of 17, well below his season average of 18.0 points.
Maginness’s efforts helped Hawthorn come back from 32 points down late in the third quarter, closing to within a kick in the final seconds before Collingwood ultimately held on.
But will the 9-8 Hawks repeat this strategy against the 8-7-2 Magpies? In a crucial match with significant finals implications, both sides are level on points and sit just one game and percentage away from the top eight.
Hawthorn has won six of its last seven games, finding form and balance in its midfield, a period during which Maginness has been in the VFL.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell must decide whether it’s worth altering his on-ball group to counter Daicos’s threat this weekend or sticking with the lineup that has recently impressed.
Maginness’s VFL numbers, albeit in more of a ball-winning role, support a recall. Over his last six reserves matches, he’s averaging 28.3 disposals and 5.2 tackles per game.
In a VFL match against Essendon last month, Maginness was the clear best-on-ground with 39 disposals, eight clearances, and a goal.
Will Mitchell rely on his tagger to specifically target Daicos? Or will he trust the group that’s brought the team close to a top-eight spot? Thursday’s match committee meeting could be a pivotal one.
