Hawks not done with yet
HAWTHORN rediscovered some of its old magic last night to stun AFL ladder leader Adelaide by a 14-point margin. Tom Mitchell inspired the Hawks at Adelaide Oval, collecting 38 disposals and kicking a clutch goal.
BALL magnet Tom Mitchell has inspired Hawthorn to an upset 14-point victory against AFL ladder leader Adelaide.
Mitchell collected 38 disposals and kicked a clutch goal last night at Adelaide Oval.
Emerging star Ryan Burton, Shaun Burgoyne, Paul Puopolo, ex-Crow Rickey Henderson and Tim O’Brien kicked two goals each for the unfancied Hawks.
Adelaide (nine wins, four losses) blew a chance to consolidate at the top of the table. It led in the last quarter but couldn’t close the deal.
Instead, Puopolo, Henderson and the influential Burgoyne kicked the last goals of the game for a stirring win for the visitors.
Henderson (30 disposals) was prominent in Hawthorn’s fifth win, with ball-winner Mitchell’s midfield colleagues Burgoyne (26 disposals) and Liam Shiels (21 touches) also busy.
They helped to stifle a Crows side overly reliant on brothers Matt and Brad Crouch, who had 64 disposals between them.
Rory Atkins (28 possessions), link man Tom Lynch and Rory Laird (28 disposals) battled gamely while Josh Jenkins kicked three goals.
But the Crows were on the back foot from the start, Hawk stalwarts Burgoyne and Jarryd Roughead goaling inside four minutes. Adelaide settled and drew level by quarter-time.
The Crows’ vaunted attack found fluency in the second stanza, with keys Taylor Walker and Jenkins kicking two majors each.
Their scoring helped Adelaide craft an 18-point halftime advantage, and the ladder leaders appeared in control.
But the plucky Hawks rallied after the break, booting three consecutive goals — the last two were on-the-run efforts by Burton, giving the visitors a two-point lead.
Adelaide’s Hugh Greenwood, turning in his best AFL game, replied as the Crows went five points ahead at three-quarter time. But new Hawk Henderson, against his former club, and the influential Mitchell goaled before Andy Otten struck back for the Crows. After a tense scrap of behinds, Hawthorn raced away.