Australian Football

Match Report

Hawthorn has overcome the absence of Lance Franklin and a hard-working Port Adelaide outfit to record a comfortable 45-point victory at Football Park on Saturday. The win returned the Hawks to the winners list after they had once again failed to overcome their Geelong hoodoo a week earlier.

Franklin was a late withdrawal from the Hawk side with knee soreness but Alastair Clarkson's men were still able to rack up 19 goals across four quarters, more than enough to account for the Power. Hawthorn jumped away to an early lead and led by 22 points at quarter time, but Port came out firing in the second term and goals to Angus Monfries, Matt Thomas, Robbie Gray and Jay Schulz were enough to reduce the margin to as little as four points mid way through the second term.

The Hawks, however, regained their composure and from that moment gradually wore the Power down. They led by 12 points at half time, 37 points at three-quarter time and coasted to a final margin of 45 points in the last quarter.

Franklin's absence was covered more than adequately by Jarryd Roughead and Jack Gunston, each of whom kicked five goals. The Hawks were also well served by Isaac Smith (3 goals and 26 disposals) and skipper Luke Hodge (26 possessions and one goal). Port Adelaide's best included captain Travis Boak (34 disposals and a goal), Brad Ebert (27 touches, one goal) and Chad Wingard (22 possessions and one goal).

The win enabled Hawthorn to maintain top place on the ladder, nine percentage points clear of Geelong. Both sides have 13 wins. The Hawks next match will be a home game against the Western Bulldogs at York Park in Launceston.

For Port Adelaide, the loss leaves it vulnerable in eight place on the ladder. The Power are a game ahead of ninth-placed Carlton but have an inferior percentage to the Blues. Port have winnable games in rounds 17 (St Kilda away) and 18 (Brisbane at home) before a Showdown encounter against Adelaide in round 19.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Monfries, Neade 2; Butcher, Schulz, Gray, Thomas, Ebert, Wingard, Boak, Cornes
Hawthorn: Gunston, Roughead 5; Savage, Smith 3; Lewis, Rioli, Hodge

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Port Adelaide: Boak, Ebert, Wingard, Gray, Cornes, O'Shea, Thomas
Hawthorn: Hodge, Roughead, Burgoyne, Lewis, Gibson, Smith

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Boak, Gray, Ebert, Wingard, Thomas,
Hawthorn: Roughead, Hodge, Smith, Gunston, Mitchell, Savage

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Hawthorn: Ben Stratton (concussion).

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Jake Neade replaced Tom Logan in the third quarter.
Hawthorn: Jonathan Simpkin replaced Ben Stratton in the third quarter.

Umpires: Dalgleish, Nicholls, Merideth