HAWTHORN’S push towards a maiden AFLW finals campaign continued with full charge yesterday after it defeated GWS by 37 points in Frankston. However, it did take them a while to shake off the gutsy Giants, with it taking the Hawks until the second half, and particularly the last quarter to breakaway.

But, Hawks coach Daniel Webster saw the positive sign of it, noting it was a good warm-up for the pressure his side will face in the finals.

“I think you need to be able to work through those scenarios, and as an inexperienced team in that sense around playing finals and big games, the only way to get good at this is to practice it and be in those scenarios and we haven’t had that a lot,” Webster said.

“Anytime we get, it’s really good for us. “No doubt we’ll have that Thursday night up in Cairns and then we’ll get it the week after and the week after, and we can’t wait for it. “I think the group needs it and we want it.”

He was happy with how his side did perform in the second half as they were able to shake off the Giants and power ahead.

“I thought GWS were fantastic early in the game,” he said. “I thought they were cleaner in the contest and outworked us a little bit. “I thought they did a really good job, but it was a strong contest. “It was quite one-on-one around the ground, like wingers on wingers as well. “Full credit to them for the start of the game, and it was just a matter of us getting to work.

I think we got a bit cleaner as the game wore on and our defensive shape system probably was better due to the pressure we had on around the source, and I think that then impacted our ability to use the ball, made some adjustments to our forward line, just how that looks throughout the game, and I thought as a game went on we look better.”

Webster heaped praise on Aileen Gilroy, who he described as an “ace in the pack”.

“You need players who can make something out of nothing, and I think the thing with Gilly is that she puts a lot of time into her craft,” Webster said.

“I think out of anyone, she probably spends the most time kicking goals and has so from the first day I’ve been here. Ever since I said she was playing forward, then she’s put the work into it. So, I mean the result she’s getting is off all that effort and it’s very deserving because of all the work she’s put in.

“But she’s been amazing this year. I can’t speak high enough of her, her year, both from impact on the scoreboard, but also the pressure and work rate she’s able to give us through that half forward line and even like pinch hitting on ball as well.”