Hawthorn extended its unbeaten streak to start the season after an impressive 12-point win over Greater Western Sydney at UTAS Stadium in Launceston on Saturday night.
The Hawks’ dominant performance saw them rise to the top of the ladder, prevailing 10.16 (76) to 9.10 (64) in front of a crowd of 14,021.
Fresh off a bye last week, the Giants came out firing early on and built a commanding 35-point buffer by quarter-time, leading 5.7 (37) to 0.2 (2), after kicking with the breeze.
The match was touted as a clash of the heavyweights with the top two previously undefeated teams facing off to prove their premiership credentials. With Jesse Hogan making his return from injury, kicking two goals in the first quarter to make an early impact and Jake Stringer making his club debut, the Giants’ pressure game was evident.
Some could have been forgiven for thinking it was just a matter of how much the boys from Western Sydney would win by.
But after some stern words from coach Sam Mitchell at quarter-time, the Hawks mounted a remarkable comeback, kicking 10 goals to four after quarter-time to win by two goals in their home away from home.
By half-time, the boys in brown and gold had turned things around, surging in the second term, piling on six goals courtesy of Lloyd Meek, Josh Weddle, Jai Newcombe, Nick Watson, Dylan Moore and Will Day, while keeping the Giants goalless to build a seven-point lead, 6.10 (46) to 5.9 (39).
Hawthorn continued where they left off after the main break, with another impressive display, booting four goals to two in the third quarter, even though they were kicking against a strong breeze. This time it was Harry Morrison and Blake Hardwick hitting the scoreboard with triple premiership forward Jack Gunston booting two goals, both in the third term.
While the Hawks were kept goalless in the final term, they held firm to stage off a fast-finishing Giants side, who scored two goals in the final quarter.
Will Day continued to show why he is an integral part of the side. In addition to his 461 metres gained, the 23-year-old amassed 21 disposals, two tackles and five clearances.
Ruckman Lloyd Meek continued his excellent start to the season, finishing with 31 hitouts, while Cam Mackenzie was a workhorse in the midfield, recording a team-high 30 possessions alongside his five tackles, five clearances and 261 metres gained. Continuing to show poise and composure, the 21-year-old’s performances have drawn comparisons to how his coach used to play.
Karl Amon was prolific as usual, finishing with 21 disposals and two clearances. His run, carry and precise kicking skills on Saturday night was another example of why he is an important component of Hawthorn’s ball movement from the back half.
Meanwhile Josh Ward continued his impressive form since coming into the side to replace the injured James Worpel, adding another layer of depth to Hawthorn’s midfield rotation. Ward’s strong performance will surely provide the selection committee with a dilemma ahead of Worpel’s imminent return.
Blake Hardwick also had a solid performance with 19 disposals, nine marks, and eight score involvements. The versatile defender who played forward against the Giants also applied pressure on the opposition with three strong tackles, 344 metres gained and contributed to the scoreboard, kicking one goal and three behinds.
In another demonstration of the all-rounded team performance, Hawthorn once again had a spread of nine goalkickers, with Gunston the only multiple goal scorer, booting two goals.
Affectionately known as ‘The Wizard’, small forward Nick Watson was superb with his willingness to get low and hard into the contest, while shoring up 21 touches, applying the pressure with five strong tackles, scoring a goal and 427 metres gained. Alongside him, Jai Newcombe was another solid contributor with 21 possessions, six clearances and two tackles to go alongside his 290 metres gained.
Finn Maginness put on a masterclass in hard running, recording 25 possessions, three tackles, and 432 metres gained, much to the delight of the brown and gold faithful. His ability to consistently break away from his opponents and his improved kicking efficiency left a lasting impression.
It was an intriguing contest, with Hawthorn’s 10 goals all coming in the second and third quarters. It is not often a team is held goalless in two of the four quarters and still emerges victorious.
Mitchell praised his young side for their resilience to find a way to win despite falling 35 points behind early in the game.
“I was really pleased the boys were able to respond and maintain the rage for the rest of the game after quarter-time,” the fourth-year coach said.
“To beat them down here is really pleasing for us, especially in the way the game started.
“I thought the players responded really well, their work rate, their work ethic and their belief really held us in good stead,” he said.
After suffering injuries to Jack Scrimshaw, James Worpel and Connor MacDonald in the first three games of the season, it was a pleasing sign that Hawthorn took home the four points without any further injuries.
For the Giants, Coleman medallist Hogan was impressive in his first game back after recovering from a broken thumb, with a brilliant four goal performance, while Toby Greene and Toby Bedford scored two each and Lachie Whitfield’s 34 disposals, seven marks and two tackles led the way for the visitors. His 666 metres gained meant he was one of the most damaging players on the field.
After four hard fought wins to start the season, the Hawks will now enjoy a well-earned break as they have the bye next week before flying to Adelaide to face Port Adelaide on Sunday, April 13. The match promises to be a fiery contest after last season’s nail-biting semifinal, where the Hawks led by Captain James Sicily, narrowly lost to Ken Hinkley’s side by three points. The Port coach made headlines with some post-match comments targeted towards Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan who had poked the bear in the lead up to the big final.
The Hawks will then return to the MCG the following week for the traditional Easter Monday clash against Geelong.
Meanwhile the Giants will host West Coast at Engie Stadium next Sunday afternoon.
