Mitchell sets record as Hawks begin with win
HAWTHORN V COLLINGWOOD BEST 4.4 10.7 13.9 15.11 3.4 6.4 7.6 9.13 GOALS UMPIRES CROWD STAR Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell has broken the AFL’s game disposals record in the 34-point win over Collingwood at the MCG.
Hawks fans cheered late in the last quarter last night when Mitchell picked up a handball, giving him 54 disposals in the 15.11 (101) to 9.13 (67) victory.
That broke the record jointly held by Gary Ablett Jr at Gold Coast and Greg Williams when he played for Sydney.
The Magpies stopped a blowout, with two goals apiece in the last quarter, but Hawthorn’s class stood out.
Collingwood has now lost its past three Round 1 games and the spotlight shines that bit brighter on coach Nathan Buckley, who was reappointed late last year.
In Round 9 last year, Mitchell had 50 possessions in the loss to Collingwood and Buckley questioned his impact on the game.
Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson replied then by saying that Buckley’s observation was in fact “pretty ballsy”.
Last night, Mitchell was clearly best afield with 20 kicks, 34 handballs and 27 contested possessions.
The start of the game went according to the Magpies’ new plan for Darcy Moore, who they want to play in the back line.
He took a strong mark in defence and Collingwood quickly transitioned, with Ben Reid marking and kicking the first goal of the game.
But 35-year-old Hawks star Shaun Burgoyne was on fire early, quickly responding with their opener.
Hawks fans cheered at six minutes when Territorian Cyril Rioli came on for his first run after an interrupted preseason and he had an immediate impact with his trademark forward-line pressure.
Rioli set up Burgoyne for his second goal and the Hawks led by that margin at quarter time.
The Hawks suffered a major blow midway through the second term when Ryan Burton was forced from the field with an ankle injury. The Hawks kicked the last three goals of the half and comfortably led by 27 points at the main break.
Mitchell had racked up a whopping 29 disposals and gained 491m.
The Magpies sent Steele Sidebottom to Mitchell for some of the third quarter, but the Hawks’ reigning best and fairest still managed to be prominent.
Moore went forward in the last quarter and kicked a goal, but Collingwood’s forward setup again looked a problem.