Just when you thought the poor West Coast performances at home were a thing of the past, along come the Hawks to remind everyone that rebuilds take time, the road back is never smooth, and once in a while, you fall in a pretty big pothole.
Or in this case, you’re pushed into one.
The Hawks were all over the Eagles in this game, and as much as they blew out the margin late in the game, it still flattered the home team. Hawthorn squandered chances all over the place in the first quarter. As the teams walked off to their respective huddles, Hawthorn held a 17-pont lead, but the play indicated they’d been a six or seven goal better team.
Missed shots, a heap of the footy, and the Eagles’ inability to hit a target inside 50 indicated that the visitors were on, and the Eagles were having one of those “off” days.
The second was even on the scoreboard, with both teams slotting two goals, but it didn’t take long after the main break for the Hawks to re-establish dominance.
Four goals to one in the third, followed by five to one in the last, gave the Hawks a comfortable 61-point win, and kept them in the hunt for an unlikely finals berth.
And yet, part of me wonders whether that wasted first quarter will be the thing that ultimately costs them a chance to play in September.
Heaps to get through in this one, including a look at the West Coast midfield, which faltered badly, the Hawks’ clearance dominance, and the impact of some of the lesser lights in brown and gold.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions.
The remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
HB writes several members-only columns each week. He believes work such as this is worth twenty-five cents per day. If you don’t, that’s fine. You’re welcome to join and keep reading if you do.
