Carlton   4.2    8.5    11.6    13.9 (87)
Hawthorn   4.4    6.6    11.8    15.12 (102)

Goals: Carlton: Betts 3, Waite 2, Casboult, Robinson, Tuohy, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Judd, Rowe, Armfield
Hawthorn: Roughead 4, Franklin 4, Gunston 3, Hale, Mitchell, Hodge, Hill

Best: Carlton: Gibbs, McLean, Judd, Simpson, Kreuzer, Waite, Robinson, Tuohy
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Roughead, Birchall, Hodge, Gunston, Franklin

Hawthorn survived a scare on Friday night to defeat a gallant Carlton by 15 points at Etihad Stadium.

The Blues applied great pressure on the Hawks, probably the most it has faced since its Round 1 loss to Geelong.

The Hawks struggled with Carlton’s press, which forced uncharacteristic turnovers from its elite ball users – and the Blues made them pay by more often than not, converting its chances in front of goal.

Credit to Alastair Clarkson’s side though, it absorbed the pressure and challenge put to it by Mick Malthouse’s side and responded in the best way possible.

The Hawks found a way to win despite the parameters placed on it by a determined Carlton desperate to get a big scalp.

Denied the footy

Despite getting off to a flier by kicking the first three goals of the game, Hawthorn were outplayed by the Blues in the opening hour of footy, denied the ball by their opponents.

Heading into the match, Hawthorn was the number ranked team in the competition for disposals, and its execution of skill the best in the AFL.

When the Hawks get the footy, they simply don’t waste it.

But the Blues denied them the footy by taking care with its disposal, and hitting lead up targets, not allowing the Hawks to apply pressure.

Hawthorn had only 62 possessions for the opening team, their lowest of the season.

Through pressure around stoppages and inside forward 50, Carlton dominated possession to pile on five of the next six goals after Hawthorn led by 18 points at the 8-minute mark, with the Blues yet to register a score.

Carlton were dominating around the stoppages, leading the stat 14-8 at quarter time and 24-15 at the main break.

That meant when its in and under players like Chris Judd, Mitch Robinson and Brock McLean won the footy, it found space on the outside thanks to the spread of its speedy midfielders.

At half time, Carlton had 114 uncontested possessions to 82 – they were outrunning and outworking Hawthorn who couldn’t shut down space.

Carlton’s pressure

A trademark of Mick Malthouse’s coaching at Collingwood was the “swarm” mentality of the forwards to apply pressure to the opposition defence.

Carlton adopted that on Friday night, closing down space the Hawthorn defence had to generate run.

Whenever Hawthorn chose to handball, a Carlton player was in his face, pressuring and eventually forcing a turnover.

Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett were the leaders in this area, but it was a team defence that had the Hawks struggling.

On numerous occasions Hawthorn defenders found themselves under pressure and forced into turnovers by hand and foot, which were capitalised on by the Blues.

The stats said the Blues had 33 tackles to Hawthorn’s 28 at half time, but that wasn’t a true reflection on how the game was played.

It was where Carlton’s pressure was that was telling.

They kicked five of the next seven goals - from the five minute mark of the second term to when Jarrad Waite goaled 21 seconds into the second half as a result of that pressure to lead by 17 points at half time.

Searching for goals

The Blues, through their space on the outside found it easy to find targets inside 50, but the same luxury wasn’t afforded to Hawthorn.

For the first time this season, the Hawks struggled to find a target inside 50 – a real credit to Carlton’s team defence to hold the number one scoring team to six goals at half time.

In fact, the Hawks failed to kick consecutive goals until the 16 minute mark of the third quarter.

Hawks get their hands on it

As is so often the case in AFL football, it’s nearly impossible to keep a good side down for four quarters, and Hawthorn found a way to get back into the game.

The Hawks won more of the footy in the third term, and used it better – improving its kicking efficiency from 67.6 at half time to 72 per cent at the final change.

The Hawthorn forwards were also able to apply more pressure, forcing the Blues to kick quickly and to a teammate whose opponent allowed him little space.

The Blues’ efficiency by foot dropped from 79 per cent at half time to 66.3 at three-quarter time.

It was a dramatic change.

In that time, Hawthorn kicked five of the next seven goals – all of which were kicked by its more experienced players as Jarryd Roughead kicked three for the quarter while Sam Mitchell and Jack Gunston had the singles.

Leadership

Without the leadership of Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin, the Hawks may well have suffered a shock loss.

In the final term, with the game on the line and the lead changing hands in the opening 42 seconds of the quarter, it was Hawthorn’s leaders who stepped up.

Hodge put the Hawks back in front six minutes into the final term, then Franklin kicked two in a row to give the Hawks breathing space.

It wasn’t without cameos from its youngsters.

First, it was the sub, Jonathan Simpkin who calmly and cleanly gathered the ball off the pack 20m out from goal who released Hodge to snap a goal to put the Hawks back in front.

Then, it was the courage of Taylor Duryea to repeatedly back into packs, chase and put his body on the line for the team to halt Carlton forays forward.

Bradley Hill stepped up to kick the sealer, just reward for his hard running through the midfield in the second half, but more critically, in the final term.

Special mention

He performs his role week in, week out, but Friday night’s win can’t be analysed without mentioning the game of Ben Stratton.

Time and time again, Stratton read the play to be in the right spot at the right time, thwarting Carlton forward entries and providing rebound off half back.

He was an 80m player on the weekend, cutting off kicks on defensive 50 then running through the wing, kicking long to his forwards.

It was Stratton who provided the spark when his team needed it, with a great play on the wing to outprun Jeff Garlett, win the ball, then break away to deliver to Buddy at half forward.

That play led to Hawthorn kicking consecutive goals for the first time since the first quarter.

He finished with 18 touches and three marks, but his influence on the game was much more profound than those suggest.

He would have been one of the players who got a special pat on the back from Alastair Clarkson post-match, no doubt.

What the coaches said

Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson: "You never, as a coach want games to pan out the way that one did, but it’s really pleasing that we found a way to grind out and get ourselves in front on the score board.

“We weren’t playing our best footy, but it’s really pleasing we found a way to get there in the end.

Carlton’s Mick Malthouse: "We squared them off nearly everywhere – free kick count we didn't, metres (gained) were slightly skewiff, but everywhere else I thought we did pretty well.

"Couldn't fault the effort."