It may have been a cold Thursday night in the middle of winter, but the Hawks came out red-hot, setting the tone with a dominant first-quarter blitz that paved the way for a comfortable 24-point win over Carlton at the MCG.
In front of a crowd of 51,271 fans, Hawthorn’s 13.7 (85) to 9.7 (61) victory lifted them back into the top four (at least temporarily, pending the result of Geelong’s clash with North Melbourne on Saturday night).
Carlton had a lot to play for: with retiring champion and former captain Sam Docherty playing his final game and reliable defender Jacob Weitering playing his 200th game, but the Hawks weren’t going to let that get in the way of their top four aspirations.
The Hawks made just one change heading into the game, with Will Day returning after almost four months on the sidelines with a stress fracture in the navicular bone of his right foot. He replaced Finn Maginness who suffered a lacerated kidney during last week’s win over Port Adelaide in Tasmania.
While Maginness is a significant loss and will be sorely missed for the remainder of the season, Day’s return proved equally impactful.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who celebrated his birthday during his recovery in June, reminded everyone how vital he is to Hawthorn’s September hopes.
The number 13 pick in the 2019 National Draft, Day’s polish was on display throughout the night, with the star midfielder bringing composure to the midfield, as he finished with 15 disposals, three clearances and six tackles.
His soaring mark in the second quarter brought the MCG crowd to life, but more importantly, Day got through the game unscathed in his first game back after a lengthy time off.
After four straight goals to start the game by the Hawks, the Blues finally got on the board late in the first quarter.
There’s been much hype around father-son recruit Calsher Dear and on Thursday night, the key forward selected with pick 56 in the 2023 national draft who will celebrate his 20th birthday in the next two weeks, was influential.
After scoring 25 goals in 17 games in his debut season last year and playing in the semi-final loss to Port Adelaide, Dear suffered a stress fracture in his back earlier this season and was sidelined for the first four months of the year.
But having returned via the VFL, where he has been dominant for Box Hill, the hugely talented Dear was recalled to the senior side against Fremantle in round 18 and has shown why he is vital to the side since.
And in his third AFL game since his return (and fourth for the season), Dear took a spectacular speccy in the goal square and kicked a goal on the quarter time siren to ensure the Hawks had a healthy lead at the first break. He kicked two goals, two behinds, took five impressive marks and laid four tackles.
By quarter time, the Hawks had built a handy 29-point lead, with the scores being 6.1 (37) to Carlton’s 1.2 (8).
The Wizard said he wanted to get in on the action at the start of the second quarter and kicked a goal from the goal square to extend the lead to 35 points.
When Harry Morrison then scored, the Hawks were out to a 40-point lead, 49 to 9.
When Dear took another contested mark with six and half minutes left in the first half, the brown and gold faithful would have been reminiscing on fond cherished memories of his late father, 1991 premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist, Paul Dear.
His sublime precision kicking and pace were also on full display.
A couple of late goals to Carlton narrowed the margin to 30 points, with the half time scores 51 to 21.
In a promising sign for the brown and gold, eight different players had hit the scoreboard by halftime, showcasing the team’s spread of contributors and lack of reliance on a single forward. While no new goalkickers emerged in the second half, the damage was already done, with Gunston (three goals), Dear, Watson, and Lewis (two each) boosting their tallies.
The second half was a stalemate, with Hawthorn comfortably maintaining their lead to secure a convincing victory.
Coach Sam Mitchell praised the impact of returning midfielder Will Day, highlighting his importance to the side.
“The first four or five games of the season were the last time he played, and he’s getting tagged in his first game back. That shows how highly Carlton rate him,” Mitchell said.
The coaching staff also carefully managed Day’s minutes throughout the match.
“He’s the ultimate professional. Seventy per cent game time was the marker and I think he finished on 69. We’re really pleased we got him through the game healthy.”
Veteran forward Jack Gunston continued his resurgence, turning back the clock with another impressive performance. Now with 45 goals for the season, the 33-year-old is proving his value not just on the scoreboard but through his leadership on and off the field. He was involved in everything, finishing with 18 disposals, 10 score involvements, and three goals.
Hawthorn’s leaders stood tall, drawing praise from Mitchell after the match.
“Sis (captain James Sicily) and Moorey (vice-captain Dylan Moore) were both first-class tonight and probably their second week in a row.”
Sicily finished with 25 disposals at 88 per cent efficiency, 14 intercepts, and seven intercept marks while Moore had a game-high 27 disposals, took six marks, and laid four tackles.
Tom Barrass was another standout in defence, producing one of his best games since joining the club. The ever-reliable defender ended the night with 13 disposals at 100 per cent efficiency, eight intercept marks, three rebound 50s, and even a goal assist.
“TB’s been quite underrated this season,” Mitchell said.
“He’s had a really strong year for us.
“Tonight, he took six or seven intercept marks and added eight or ten spoils, so his aerial prowess behind the ball is just vital for us.”
Mitchell also acknowledged the contribution of fellow recruit Josh Battle, who played a key role in limiting Carlton star Charlie Curnow.
“Josh Battle keeping Curnow to only a couple of shots at goal was really important.”
Hawthorn also scored 58 points from turnovers, highlighting their ability to punish opposition mistakes.
For the Blues, a heart-warming moment came late in the third quarter when the retiring fan favourite Docherty received a handball and pounced on a goal.
The resilient star who has come back from three knee reconstructions and two bouts of testicular cancer treatment celebrated with a bow.
Moments later, the Doc was presented with another opportunity to double it when he was awarded a free kick on the 50m arc for a high fend-off by James Sicily but unfortunately for Blues fans, his long-range kick went to the right and through for a behind.
Looking ahead, Hawthorn faces a tough run home, with matches against the top three sides, Adelaide, Collingwood, and Brisbane, as well as a clash with Melbourne at the MCG. Despite the challenge, Mitchell remains optimistic about his side’s finals chances.
“We play the teams above us, so our destiny is in our own hands,” he said post-match.
“You guys don’t think we’re going to make finals, and time will tell, but we’re certainly looking up.”
Next up is a massive test against third-placed Adelaide under the Friday night lights at Adelaide Oval.
The first bounce is set for 7:40pm AEST next Friday, 1 August 2025.
