Australian Football

Match Report

If there have been any doubts among footy pundits about Hawthorn's premiership credentials in 2015, the doubts were surely dispelled on Sunday afternoon at York Park as the Hawks summarily dispatched ladder leaders Fremantle to the tune of 72 points. The reigning premiers were on song from the very beginning, kicking four goals to one in the first quarter, and then outscored the Dockers in the other three teams to record a crushing 12-goal win and firmly entrench themselves in the top four. 

Attacking from the very beginning, the Hawks jumped out to a 13-point lead after only eight minutes, with goals to Luke Breust and Taylor Duryea. Lachie Neale put the Dockers on the board with a major at the 12-minute mark, but the remainder of the quarter saw Hawthorn reassert its authority with majors to captain Luke Hodge and big Ben McEvoy. At the first break, the Hawks led 4.3 to 1.2 and were looking ominous. 

Hawthorn pressed home its advantage throughout the second term, dominating to the extent that the Dockers did not even manage a behind until the 19-minute mark. The Hawks scored 2.3 themselves in that period, the goals going to McEvoy and Hodge, and they led by 33 points as the term entered time-on. Paul Puopolo kicked his first at the 26-minute mark and at the long break, Hawthorn led 48 it 10, having restricted Fremantle to just one goal for the entire first half. 

Things improved slightly early in the third term for Fremantle. The Dockers scored two of the first three goals in the first 10 minutes of the quarter, the majors going to Michael Walters and Chris Mayne, to get to within 32 points, but Hawthorn went into overdrive after that, scoring the next four goals in just eight minutes, two to Breust and one each to Isaac Smith and David Hale. They closed out the quarter with another goal to Hodge and took a commanding 61-point lead into the final term. 

David Mundy gave Fremantle brief respite when the final term began, with a goal at the two-minute mark, but the Hawk onslaught continued after that, majors to Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Puopolo and Breust taking the lead out to a massive 80 points. Michael Barlow and Matthew Pavlich scored consolation goals in the last 10 minutes for the Dockers, but Hawthorn was still 12 goals to the good when the final siren sounded. 

Hawthorn had winners all over the ground, with Mitchell (39 disposals, 10 marks), Hodge (31 possessions, three goals) and Josh Gibson (27 touches) among the best of them. For Fremantle, Barlow (26 disposals, seven marks), Nat Fyfe (20 touches and three tackles) and Mundy (24 possessions, five marks) all had good games.

The Hawks will have a chance to move up another notch on the ladder when they take on third-placed Sydney at Stadium Australia next Saturday night, while Fremantle will look to return to the winners list against Carlton at Subiaco next Sunday.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Breust 4; Hodge 3; McEvoy, Puopolo 2; Duryea, Smith, Hill, Hale, Lewis, Mitchell,
Fremantle: Neale, Walters, Mayne, Mundy, Barlow, Pavlich

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Hodge, Gibson, Birchall, Breust, Shiels
Fremantle: Barlow, Mundy, Fyfe, Mzungu, Sandilands

BEST - THE AGE
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Gibson, Hodge, Breust, Birchall, Lake, Lewis, Shiels
Fremantle: Fyfe, Barlow, Neale, Sandilands, S Hill, Mundy.

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Taylor Duryea (shoulder)
Fremantle: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Taylor Duryea replaced by Billy Hartung in the third quarter
Fremantle: Clancee Pearce replaced by Nick Suban in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Chamberlain, Rosebury, Ryan

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Dennis Cometti, Basil Zempilas, Leigh Matthews, Jude Bolton