Hawks do it for Clarkson
ALASTAIR Clarkson’s farewell Hawthorn tour has continued on a winning note, with the Hawks producing another upset victory over a flat and lethargic Western Bulldogs outfit. After the Bulldogs kicked the first three goals of the third term to take an 11-point advantage, the Hawks kicked the final six goals of the game unanswered to run out 27point winners.
The Hawks restricted the Dogs to their lowest score and inside 50 count of the season to claim a 9.10 (64) to 5.7 (37) victory, meaning Luke Beveridge’s troops are no longer favourites to claim the club’s first ever minor premiership.
The Hawks quickly got on the board at the start of the second term, with captain Ben McEvoy soccering through his 100th AFL goal.
They (Dogs) just look flat and lethargic Fox Footy’s Kelli Underwood
ALASTAIR Clarkson’s farewell Hawthorn tour has continued on a winning note, with the Hawks producing another upset victory over a flat and lethargic Western Bulldogs outfit.
After the Bulldogs kicked the first three goals of the third term to take an 11-point advantage, the Hawks kicked the final six goals of the game unanswered to run out 27-point winners.
The Hawks restricted the Dogs to their lowest score and inside 50 count of the season to claim a 9.10 (64) to 5.7 (37) victory, meaning Luke Beveridge’s troops are no longer favourites to claim the club’s first ever minor premiership.
Hawks football boss Rob McCartney said Jaeger O’Meara (knee) was given every chance to face the Bulldogs.
“With a six-day break between our Rounds 21 and 22 games, that has probably proved the difference between Jaeger playing and not playing,” McCartney said.
“If he had had another day, he would have played but we just didn’t take that risk at this time of the year.”
It was an arm-wrestle for the first 15 minutes of the game, with both teams failing to kick a goal.
But Hawthorn defender Sam Frost gave away a free kick near the boundary, bringing Bulldog Cody Weightman to the ground off the ball. It led to Weightman snapping a classy first major for his side.
Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna dubbed it a “moment of madness”.
“There was no need for that. That’s just dumb in front of the umpire and it undoes all of Hawthorn’s good work for the first few minutes,” Montagna told Fox Footy.
It was the only goal of a tight first term as the Hawks matched the Dogs at the coalface and threatened to get their uncontested marking game going. The Dogs led by seven points at quarter-time.
The Hawks quickly got on the board at the start of the second term, with captain Ben McEvoy getting boot to ball to soccer through his 100th AFL goal. And when Lachie Bramble kicked his first AFL goal, the Hawks had pinched a seven-point lead.
The Dogs then produced their best passage of play for the day, moving the ball swiftly from end to end, resulting in an easy goal for Mitch Hannan. But the Hawks again responded quickly, with Ollie Hanrahan producing an opportunistic snap goal.
The Hawks were +9 for contested possessions against the Dogs for the quarter while they continued to use the ball efficiently by foot to take a nine-point lead at halftime.
But the Dogs stunned Hawthorn at the start of the third term, kicking 3.2 from their first five inside 50s.
Aaron Naughton looked hot in the air then kicked a goal, before Weightman booted his second and Riley Garcia added another to give the Dogs an 11-point lead.
“They’re starting to open the floodgates,” Fox Footy commentator Kelli Underwood said.
St Kilda champion Montagna added: “They’ve sparked into life this quarter, the Dogs. Change of mindset at halftime. They’re prepared to kick long, take contest on.”
The Hawks, however, responded with the next four consecutive goals via Tom Mitchell, Mitchell Lewis, Chad Wingard and Jacob Koschitzke to give the Hawks back the lead.
At three quarter-time, the Hawks had turned an 11-point deficit into a 14point lead.
“Now it’s starting to get a bit nervy for the Dogs,” Montagna said.
Underwood added: “They just look flat and lethargic.”