In a Tweet
Carlton pinch the 4 points and, with them, extinguish any faint hope of finals.
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) August 19, 2017
That one hurts. #AFLBluesHawks #StrongAsOne pic.twitter.com/043WhJsrFT
The Rundown
The odds were stacked in Hawthorn’s favour for this Round 22 clash against Carlton, as they continued their hunt for an unlikely finals berth. The Hawks also boasted a 14-game winning streak against the Blues. Furthermore, the Blues had failed to record a win since Round 13.
But this game proved why games aren’t played on paper. Carlton played arguably their best game of the season, leading the Hawks for the large part of the match to come away seven-point victors.
The win would see Carlton almost guarantee themselves avoiding the wooden spoon while it made the proposition of the Hawks reaching finals now almost impossible.
The Star
Although playing on the losing side, it was a memorable night for Hawks ball magnet Tom Mitchell. Not only was his 44-possession, four-mark, seven-tackle game an outstanding game in itself, but it also registered the former Swan’s 19th game of the season where he had surpassed the 30-disposal threshold. This set a new record in the game’s history, with the previous best being 18 set by Dane Swan in 2010.
The Moment
With ten minutes remaining, the game was right in the balance. The Blues were eight points ahead but the Hawks were threatening. The game needed a moment to decide the outcome. Carlton youngster Jarrod Pickett put his hand up. As the ball floated aimlessly inside the Blues’ forward 50, Pickett tracked the ball, running back with the flight to take a courageous mark. With his set shot 40 metres out, Pickett calmly slotted through his second goal of the night, confirming his side an impressive victory.
The Coach
"We didn't quite get the game played on our terms, it was played on Carlton's terms all night”.
- Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson
CARLTON 4.4 6.4 10.4 12.5 (77)
HAWTHORN 1.1 5.7 8.8 10.10 (70)
GOALS
Carlton: Casboult 2, Pickett 2, Lamb 2, Gibbs, Wright, Thomas, Fisher, C. Curnow, Kreuzer
Hawthorn: Puopolo 2, Langford, Breust, McEvoy, Roughead, Burton, Duryea, Smith, Burgoyne
BEST
Carlton: Murphy, Docherty, Kreuzer, Lamb, C. Curnow, Jones, Pickett
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Gunston, McEvoy, Burgoyne, Burton, Smith
INJURIES
Carlton: Billie Smedts (concussion)
Hawthorn: Liam Shiels (hip) replaced in the selected side by Conor Glass
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stephens, Fleer, McInerney
Official crowd: 35,799 at Etihad Stadium