Hawthorn   4.6     6.9    7.12    13.17  (95)                  
Western Bulldogs   2.3    3.7   5.9     11.10  (76)          

Goals: Hawthorn: Roughead 3, Lewis 2, Simpkin 2, Hodge 2, Whitecross, Puopolo, Rioli, Breust
Western Bulldogs: Dahlhaus 2, Dickson 2, Giansiracusa 2, Griffen 2, Addison, Grant, Jones

Best: Hawthorn: Smith, Lewis, Hodge, Stratton, Hale, Hill
Western Bulldogs: Griffen, Liberatore, Cooney, Picken, Giansiracusa

Hawthorn withstood a fierce challenge from the Bulldogs at Aurora Stadium on Saturday, never really able to shake the persistent Bulldogs until early in the final term.

The Hawks booted four goals in the opening eight minutes of the final term to shut the door on any possibility of an upset before the Bulldogs hit back late to close the margin to 19 at the final siren.

Tougher than expected

When first plays fifteenth on the ladder, the expectation is a nice percentage booster for the side sitting on top of the ladder, but Saturday’s match was a more even contest than the positional separation suggested.

Heading into the match, the Bulldogs were ranked second in the competition for contested possessions and tackles, and they showed why throughout the course of the game.

The first term in particular was a hard-fought one in close, with both sides hitting in hard and applying strong tackles.

Both teams laid 18 tackles in the opening term and Hawthorn led the stat by one at the main break (33-32) and had laid five more at the final change (61-56).

The Hawks won the tackle count in the end, 73-66, something that surely would have pleased the Hawthorn coaching staff.

Where the Hawks were beaten though, was in the contested ball.

The Bulldogs have a number of young players in their side, but what they lack in experience, they make up for in intensity and vigour.

One thing Brendan McCartney too, has instilled in his players since he arrived at the Club is the fact that all players need to be able to win the hard ball.

Both Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen – historically outside runners with elite skills won 13 contested possessions each. They hurt the Hawks both on the inside and the outside and the reason why their side got so close to the ladder-leading Hawks.

The Bulldogs were again led by youngster Tom Liberatore for contested footy (15 contested possessions from his 38 touches), while Griffen (13 from 37) and Cooney (13 from 33) won the equal second amount of hard footy for the game.

In fact, Liberatore won the most contested ball of any player on the ground and the numbers of Griffen and Cooney were equal with Hawthorn’s best contested footy player for the game, David Hale.

Even by the numbers

When looking at the stats sheet, it’s hard to pick a winner based on the numbers at the final siren.

Hawthorn had 10 scoring shots to five in the opening term on the back of a domination in the clearances (13-7) and led by 20 points at the main break probably based solely on the fact it was clearing the ball from stoppages (21-13).

Aside from Hawthorn’s dominance in the opening term, however, the game was an arm wrestle because of the Bulldogs’ ability to pressure the ball carrier and not allow the Hawks any time and space.

Hawthorn is one of the best teams in the competition at releasing teammates into space and generating run, but on Saturday, it was the Bulldogs who were better in that area.

The Dogs seemed to identify Hawthorn’s outside run as one of its biggest strengths, restricting it to only 46 uncontested possessions (compared to 65) at quarter time and 105-125 at half time.

Issac Smith’s influence on the game was amplified because of the Dogs’ ability to restrict run. Smith had 17 possessions to half time and seemed to be the only Hawk able to break the lines and generate run.

The Hawks found more space in the third, increasing its uncontested possession to 161 (Bulldogs 167) before finishing with 217 (to 226).

The Dogs managed to close the clearance differential in the second half, making the contest a real arm wrestle. The Dogs ended up losing the stat though, 38-33.

The Hawks actually had 17 less disposals than their opponents and took less marks inside its forward 50 (13-16).

There was little difference too, in the way the teams used the footy – Hawthorn at 76.2 per cent for disposal efficiency compared to 75.1.

Where the game was won

While the Bulldogs were up and ready to attack the contest from the first bounce and were able to match the Hawks in the key indicators to measure intensity and commitment, Hawthorn was just more polished than their opponents going forward.

It has been the criticism on the Dogs for a number of years, their forward line its achilles heel, and it again proved the case on Saturday.

The Hawks simply had too many goal-kicking options running through the midfield, which was the difference in the end.

Jordan Roughead performed well on his cousin, Jarryd, but the Hawks star still managed to boot a game-high three goals, but it was the support he got from his midfielders that won the Hawks the game.

Jordan Lewis kicked two goals from the midfield to go along with his 25 touches and captain Luke Hodge also kicked two from 18 disposals in the midfield.

Jonathan Simpkin also kicked two final quarter goals while Brendan Whitecross (half back/midfield), Paul Puopolo (midfield/forward) and small forwards who also spend time in the middle, Luke Breust and Cyril Rioli also chipped in with one each.

Super sub

It’s almost the position no player wants to excel in, but that’s the reality for Jonathan Simpkin.

It seems Alastair Clarkson might have found his perfect sub for the finals series, with the Hawks recruit again showing he can successfully impact a game in just over a quarter of footy.

Simpkin has been the sub in six of his 11 games for the Hawks, and it would have been seven had Paul Puopolo not been injured in the warm up against the Eagles.

In each of those games, Simpkin has had an impact after being subbed in late in the third term or early in the final term.

His eight possessions, two clearances and two goals in the final term of Saturday’s match though, was perhaps his best to help the Hawks to victory.

The Hawks are in a privileged position though, to have the luxury to play a player of his ilk and ball-winning ability as the substitute, gives he still averages 16.5 touches in his 11 games.  

What the coaches said

Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson: "It was a pretty tough encounter in tough conditions, heavy ground.

"(The Bulldogs) are a dogged side and hang in there and they’re made of the right stuff and headed in the right direction.

"We’re not pleased we didn’t finish the game well but we’ve got to freshen ourselves up and get ready for the Bombers now."

Western Bulldogs’ Brendan McCartney: “We can put pressure on the opposition when the game stops and get the ball going our way.

“The next step in the evolution of our team and the people who are just learning the game, when there’s a five minute patch (and) you’ve got to defend your backside off… we’ll do that. It means you mightn’t score for a while, but they don’t score.”