Hawthorn 6.3 9.7 12.1119.15 (129)
Gold Coast 3.3 4.5 8.5 10.5 (65)
Goals: Hawthorn: Gunston 4, Roughead 2, Savage 2, Schoenmakers 2, Smith 2, Ellis 2, Breust, Hale, Lewis, Puopolo, Shiels
Gold Coast: May 3, Ablett 2, Brown 2, Magin 2, Taylor
Best: Hawthorn: Hale, Roughead, Sewell, Gunston, Savage, Hodge, Birchall
Gold Coast: May, Ablett, Bennell, Magin, Stanley
Crowd: 23,098 at the MCG
It was a sluggish Hawthorn that accounted for Gold Coast by 64 points the last time the two sides met.
The Hawks lost spearhead Lance Franklin (illness) and midfielder Sam Mitchell (injury) before the match, but it didn’t prove costly a s the Hawks defeated the Suns by 64 points.
The biggest talking point to come out of the match was the form of Luke Hodge. In his fourth game back, the skipper spent time in the midfield, down back and up forward, a role Hawks fans have grown accustomed from their captain. He gathered 35 disposals, had five clearances and five inside 50s to be one of the Hawks’ best.
For the most part, the match was played in an uncontested nature, with the Hawks finding space at will. The Hawks got off to another slow start, however, midway through the opening term, the switch was flicked.
The Hawks had time and space, winning 72 uncontested possessions to 38 in the opening quarter. The uncontested nature of the opening quarter was puzzling, however, given a total of 32 tackles were laid (Suns 17, Hawks 15). It meant that once the ball spilled free as a result of tackling pressure, the Hawks were able to run and carry the football without much pressure.
Both teams took advantage of the uncontested style, with forward 50 entries coming easily. The Hawks (nine scoring shots) benefited from the open style, kicking six first quarter goals on the back of precise ball movement going forward. Characteristically, the Hawks used the ball with precision, their disposal efficiency ran at 80 per cent.
Hawthorn tightened the screws after quarter time, gaining complete control of the ball both through offensive and defensive strategy. Midfield and forward pressure came to the fore, as the Suns were allowed just 18 inside 50s in two quarters. The Hawks on the other hand went forward 30 times and as a result built a match winning lead.
Despite dominating the possession count, the Hawks also out tackled the Suns in the second and third terms, laying 36 tackles compared to Gold Coast’s 25. That sure would have pleased Coach, Alastair Clarkson.
Seven final quarter goals sealed the win, as the Hawks finished with a flurry to move into second position on the ladder. It was a procession of Hawthorn dominance in the final term, allowing the Suns to enter their forward 50 just four times. The Hawks dominated possession, and finally put the score on the board to seal a 10-goal win.
Incredibly, Hawthorn finished the match with 301 uncontested possessions, and the Suns 225. It wasn’t the most physical match you’ve ever seen.
David Hale again reminded Alastair Clarkson why he should continue his number one ruck role for the Hawks, with 30 hit outs and 23 possessions in a dominant display. He was also dangerous when he went forward, kicking a goal and proving a head ache for the Gold Coats defence.
The form of youngsters Isaac Smith and Shane Savage was also pleasing for Hawthorn, with both enjoying good matches. Savage, a late inclusion for Mitchell gathered 17 disposals, four inside 50s, five tackles and two goals from the midfield. Smith had 24 disposals and kicked two team-lifting goals from the wing.
What Alastair Clarkson said: “It was a tough game to asses because we’re not usually a side who has 450 possessions of the footy. When you’ve got a smorgasbord of options available to you, the sometimes you don’t use the ball as well as what you’d like.
“At different stages we were really pleased with the way we were playing, but at other stages were we disappointed, particularly with the ball use with the amount of dominance we had.
"We should have been able to do some more scoreboard damage to the Gold Coast Suns."
