Hawthorn returned to some match play this week when it conducted its first Intraclub game ahead of the 2022 season.

Read the full quarter-by-quarter match report below.

QUARTER 1

The game kicked off with some intriguing match-ups through the middle of the ground with Ned Reeves leading a midfield group of Jaeger O’Meara, Tom Mitchell and Ned Long who faced the quartet of Max Lynch, James Worpel, Josh Ward and Jai Newcombe.

In the early stages of the hit-out, Daniel Howe’s long, piercing kicking proved a feature with one of these finding draftee Jai Serong who took a strong contested mark before nailing the first goal of the morning.

From a first-year forward hitting the scoreboard to a returning star’s promising signs, James Sicily would have put many smiles on brown and gold onlookers as he went streaming through the centre of Waverley Park before pumping the ball in long to his side’s forward line.

Sicily’s fellow returnee Jack Gunston also took his place in the club’s first intraclub of the pre-season, providing a dose of double delight for the Hawks faithful.

The brilliance of O’Meara and Mitchell was also coming to the fore early as the pair combined to find Harry Morrison just inside 50 who put the second goal of the day on the board for his side.

Ward, the Hawks’ Pick 7 in the 2021 draft, wasted no time in amassing plenty of the ball early, with his power running and ability to get from contest to contest evident.

Howe’s ability to find targets inside 50 was again apparent as he found Jacob Koschitzke for the young key forward’s first of the day and his team’s third.

Making the most of his midfield’s clear ascendancy in the early going, Long was next to step up as he was found at the top of 50. The strongly-built youngster calmly went back to slot a long range goal.

Blake Hardwick was leading a backline under siege, with the defender doing all he could to stem the bleeding. A couple of impressive one-percenters from the hard-nosed Hardwick were then undone though when he got caught holding the ball by Finn Maginness on the last line of defence.

Maginness was able to turn his strong tackle into a skilful finish as he swung around on his right boot to find the big sticks.

A pre-meditated pause at the half-way mark of the first term couldn’t have come at a better time for the gold side as the brown team had put on an utterly dominant performance to open the day’s account.

The two-minute reset caused a dramatic swing of momentum with gold able to enter their forward 50 for what seemed like the first time of the day almost instantly following the restart.

Mitch Lewis came streaming out of the goal square to mark strongly on the lead before kicking truly for his side’s opening major of the day.

Newcombe followed Lewis’ lead kicking another in quick succession, as he booted one out of the pack.

Then Gunston got in on the act too, charging out to 40m out before snapping one from long-range in a true highlight of the day to a rousing cheer from his teammates and onlookers.

Another gold centre clearance and another strong mark from Lewis – this time after wrestling with rugged defender Kyle Hartigan. Lewis took his kick from beyond 50 and hit it straight as an arrow. Two to his name.

Then a third! This time at ground level as he emerged victorious from a pack to scrounge home another.

Suddenly he was the dominant player on the ground after barely seeing it in the opening 15 minutes of the game.

While Lewis was the one finishing in front of goal, the work of Worpel and Dylan Moore shouldn’t go unmentioned throughout this period of the game as they proved highly impactful inside the contest, truly driving the monumental momentum shift.

The 200cm Lynch’s follow-up work from the ruck contest was also showing as a feature as the former Pie started to fight back by winning multiple clearances after Reeves had probably had the better of him early.

QUARTER 2

The second quarter kicked off with one of the highlights of the day as Reeves launched a long tap forward, finding O’Meara on the burst who finished with class from 50m.

The uplift in ferocity was exemplified in the way Koschitzke began flying at the contest with little regard for his own safety.

Gunston kicked his second of the day on the back of some strong bullocking work from Moore who was able to shovel it out to the waiting hands of his premiership teammate.

Ward continued to do what he seems pretty good at doing – winning a multitude of possessions in a whole manner of ways – while Lewis also picked up from where he left off in the opening stanza, kicking truly from another set shot for his fourth of the day.

Lynch’s aerobic capacity continued to prove eye-catching with his propensity to impact at ground level highlighting his desire to work.

A man many have touted as a pre-season performer, Jackson Callow’s improved running ability was also quantifiable as the key forward got involved up the ground multiple times including a piece of play that helped deliver Seamus Mitchell his major.

As the game wore on, Sicily began to really get back to some of his intercepting best, cutting off the opposing side’s attacking forays with his characteristic aerial dominance.

Maginness continued to show a progressed confidence himself, looking increasingly comfortable and composed with ball in hand.

Then it was Jaeger’s moment again. All class at the start of the quarter for his first goal, now some grunt work and strength for his second as he threw a fend and spun out of trouble in a scintillating show of strength.

Connor MacDonald also became a noticeable influence on the game with his neat foot skills, pace and poise around the contest.

A towering contest from Lewis brought a high, inside 50 ball to ground, creating an opportunity for Moore who snapped around his body on his left boot right on the bell of halftime for his first.

QUARTER 3

A few changes in personnel gave both sides a new look as play resumed in the third quarter, with sides taking on more of the old Probables vs Possibles format.

A penetrating run across the wing and breaking 50 from Lachlan Bramble ended in a Moore spot up at the top of the goal square to kick off the second half in style.

Despite the shift in team make-ups though, the first 15 minutes of the third quarter continued to see an even contest.

The size and strength of the 194cm Long in the midfield contest was entertaining, while fellow draftee Macdonald was growing in confidence by the minute.

After seeing most of his production further up the ground in the opening half, Luke Breust hit the scoreboard for the first time with an exquisite finish from a snap set shot all of 40m out from goal.

Meanwhile, speaking of goals, Lewis found his fifth when he won a battle for possession at the top of the goal square and was able to find the big sticks in congestion.

After showing a bit of everything on the offensive side of his game to that point, a chasedown tackle from the big key forward followed soon after. He was rewarded with a free kick and acted quickly to find Moore inside 50 who duly converted. Moore was up to three.

Howe maintained his consistency throughout the day, exhibiting a willingness to help out deep in defence in addition to his creativity with ball in hand forward of centre.

Newcombe was able to find space inside forward 50 to become a target, earning his second major of the day, while Jack Scrimshaw looked increasingly damaging as he was able to find more of the ball whilst working off the half-back line.

A deft tap from Reeves into the path of Newcombe who flicked it out to O’Meara who found a strong marking Moore on the lead who then bursts off the mark to slot his fourth - poetry in motion and another highlight of the day.

And then, just before three quarter time, MacDonald got some good reward for his effort when he was spotted up inside 50 and was able to slot a long range goal.

QUARTER 4

When it’s your day, it’s your day, and Lewis was proof of that when an errant kick-in found its way straight into his mitts. The big key forward gratefully accepted it and kicked it straight back over the kicker’s head for his sixth.

A powerful line breaking run from Newcombe then spotted Lewis out again at the top of the goal square moments later and it was now seventh heaven for big Mitch.

Newcombe’s sustained influence forward of centre suggested a greater endurance base and improved footy IQ over the summer which was, by all appearances, paying dividends for the known inside bull’s outside game.

Next was Breust’s turn, with the veteran forward showing off his class with a nice finish for his second of the day.

Then another flurry: Lewis had EIGHT and Moore FIVE. What a day for the pair.

With the sting somewhat out of the game at this point, with one side dominant, Sicily fed Bramble on the burst who made a dashing run through the middle of the ground to slot home another impressive goal – his first of the day.