1. Injuries ravage Hawks in defence
Hawthorn was already reaching deep into its list to field a backline before Tim O'Brien (hip soreness) – a potential defensive option – and Kaiden Brand (illness) were late withdrawals. James Frawley (turf toe) and Ben Stratton and Grant Birchall (both knee issues) were already ruled out for a month or more in recent times. In came New Zealander Kurt Heatherley for just his second game and James Sicily also got another go. Heatherley started down back, alongside Josh Gibson, Ryan Burton, Blake Hardwick, Shaun Burgoyne and Luke Hodge. The Hawks generally held up OK – all things considered – with the tidal wave of ball coming down in the third quarter almost impossible to deny. Burton, the round two NAB AFL Rising Star nominee, delivered another composed display. As for Heatherley, who shared Darcy Moore minding duties with Gibson – he showed enough to suggest he could be a long-term option.
2. Any danger of showing Mitchell some respect?
Either Tom Mitchell stinks, the Collingwood coaching staff doesn't rate him (as much as others) or he is going that well that no one can stop him. It is probably a bit from options two and three. The former Swan entered the round averaging a League-best 34.1 disposals and already had 14 by quarter-time as the Hawks piled on six goals to none. Mitchell worked equally well inside and outside the contest and managed double-digit touches in every quarter on his way to an all-time club record of 50. The 23-year-old had 22 contested possessions, eight tackles and five clearances. Mitchell broke his previous best haul of 41 barely six minutes into the fourth term and was one of the few four-quarter performers on either side.
3. Pies erase 43-point deficit
It looked how far Hawthorn when James Sicily slotted his second goal inside the first 10 minutes of the second quarter to shoot his patchwork but proud side 43 points up. A Hawks victory would have revived talk of still challenging for an unlikely finals berth. Collingwood was truly insipid to that stage, but classy captain Scott Pendlebury put his team on his back in one of his best performances in some time. Jeremy Howe, Taylor Adams and, in the second half, Adam Treloar came along for the ride. They levelled the scores by three-quarter time, fell a goal behind, then achieved their first advantage of the night from Jamie Elliott. By final siren it was a remarkable 61-point turnaround and the Pies' season had a pulse again.
4. Coach-killing start?
This could have been it. Those were the words being spoken in hushed tones as Hawthorn piled on eight of the first nine goals to charge 43 points up in the second term. Nathan Buckley's sixth year as Collingwood coach started under pressure and the heat has never subsided as the Magpies lost six of their first eight games. The suspicion is Eddie McGuire and co. would wait until season's end to make the call on the club legend, but the horror opening against a Hawks side besieged by injury and well down on its glory years was not a good look. The players repeatedly back Bucks and they finally provided him some support with an inspired second half.
5. Schade out-bodied twice for goalsquare majors
Six weeks is a long time in footy. Gold Coast discard Henry Schade was universally praised for a strong effort against Lance Franklin in round three, but fast-forward to Saturday night and he was part of the Pies' disastrous start down back. Firstly, Hawk Luke Breust (184cm, 84kg) outmarked the 197cm, 89kg key defender in a one-on-one contest at the top of the goalsquare. Then James Sicily made it eight of the first nine goals for Hawthorn when he timed his bodywork to perfection to shove Schade aside, mark and run into an open square
