An unwanted threepeat

Hawthorn’s defeat at the hands of Sydney on Friday night made it three consecutive losses for the club. Since their impressive win over Port Adelaide in Round 10, the Hawks have fallen to Brisbane, Essendon and Sydney – all by 19 points. The Hawks will face a tough task against West Coast this weekend as they look to avoid recording four losses in a row for the first time since the opening month of the 2017 season.

Read: For the love of the game

Slow start

The Swans burst out of the blocks on Friday night, kicking six goals in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Hawks were able to peg their rivals’ lead back with two late goals before the quarter time siren, but, ultimately, Sydney’s three-goal buffer at the first change proved the difference in the final margin.

On-ballers gallant

The Hawthorn midfield trio of Ricky Henderson, Jaeger O’Meara and Liam Shiels stood tall against the Swans, recording 82 disposals, 20 tackles and 17 clearances between them. All three also managed to get on the scoresheet, finishing with a goal apiece. Despite limited team success, this midfield trio continues to stand tall, with all three averaging career-high numbers in disposals for 2019.

The Eagles await

The Hawks will turn their attention to their Round 15 match-up following the loss to the Swans. The reigning premiers appeared to rediscover their mojo in a 35-point win over Essendon on Thursday night, posing as a tough task for the Hawks. History is on the Hawks’ side though, having not lost to West Coast at the MCG since Round 14 2006. But the brown and gold will need a lot more to go its way if the boys are to make a return to the winners’ list this weekend.