Australian Football

Match Report

Geelong's long dominant run over Hawthorn continues to recede quickly into the distance after the Hawks comfortably accounted for the Cats at the MCG on Saturday night. Hawthorn has now won four matches in a row against the Cats, all by comfortable margins, since Geelong last defeated the Hawks in round five of 2014. The win kept Hawthorn within sight of a top two spot, while Geelong has slipped out of the top eight as a result of the loss.

Skipper Luke Hodge got the Hawks going with a goal at the two-minute mark but Geelong responded soon after when Steve Johnson, celebrating his 250th AFL match, marked and goaled to level the scores. Liam Shiels scored Hawthorn's second at the six-minute mark but the Cats answered once more when Cameron Guthrie kicked his first after 11 minutes. From there, though, Hawthorn began to get on top. Jack Gunston kicked his first and that set off a run of five consecutive goals for the Hawks, with Hodge kicking his second and third as they jumped to a 31-point lead. Guthrie's second steadied the Cats slightly, but it was the Hawks by an even four goals at quarter time. 

The goals came at a slightly slower pace in the second term, but with the first two going to Hawthorn via Luke Breust and Cyril Rioli, the Hawks held a commanding 34-point lead half way through the quarter. But the Cats shored up their defence after that, and began to make a scoreboard impact of their own. Johnson kicked his second and Guthrie his third, and with Tom Hawkins getting his first in between, Geelong was back within 15 points at the long break. 

Joel Selwood scored a captain's goal for the Cats to start the second half and Geelong was suddenly within 10 points. Rioli's third settled the Hawks but a major to Darcy Lang at the 10-minute mark had the Cats within just nine points at the 10-minute mark. The stung Hawks then clicked back into gear and kicked five of the next six goals, the dangerous Rioli kicking his fourth in that period, and the margin was back out to 29 as the sides turned for home. 

Geelong started the last quarter full of running add did all of the attacking but the Cats shot themselves in the foot with poor kicking for goal. With the ball almost exclusively in their forward line for the first 10 minutes, the Cats could muster only four behinds, two to Josh Walker and one each to Cory Gregson and Nakia Cockatoo, and the gap at the end of that period was still 25 points. When the ball inevitably went to the other end, Hawthorn made them pay with Hodge kicking his fourth goal. That seemed to break Geelong's spirit and the Hawks kicked four of the final six goals to coast to a 36-point win.

Hawthorn's best included Rioli (six goals), Hodge (four goals and 24 touches) and Sam Mitchell (28 possessions, seven tackles), while for Geelong, Guthrie (30 disposals, three goals), Selwood (25 touches and a goal) and Corey Enright (10 marks, 28 possessions) all played fine games.

The Hawks, two points adrift of a top-two spot, will continue to push for a higher place when they take on Port Adelaide at the MCG on Friday night, while Geelong will look for a percentage-boosting win over St Kilda at Docklands on Saturday night. 

GOALS
Geelong: Guthrie 3; Hawkins, Johnson 2; Selwood, Lang, Cockatoo, Lang, Walker
Hawthorn: Rioli 6; Hodge 4; Breust 3; Roughead 2; Shiels, Gunston, Smith, Puopolo

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Geelong: Guthrie, Selwood, Enright, Johnson, Hawkins, Lang
Hawthorn: Rioli, Hodge, Mitchell, Shiels, Breust, Birchall, McEvoy, Puopolo

BEST - THEAGE.COM.AU
Geelong: Guthrie, Selwood, Enright, Johnson, Kolodjashnij, Mackie
Hawthorn: Rioli, Hodge, Birchall, Mitchell, Roughead, Shiels

INJURIES
Geelong: Tom Lonergan (illness) replaced in selected side by Jared Rivers, James Kelly (ankle)
Hawthorn: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: James Kelly (ankle) replaced by Nakia Cockatoo in the third quarter.
Hawthorn: David Hale replaced by Daniel Howe in the fourth quarter.

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Hosking, Meredith

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling