Richmond v Hawthorn
The Hawks celebrated their AFL/VFL centenary in front of more than 60,000 people at the G, and Richmond showed up aiming to spoil the celebration. Unfortunately, they ended up playing the part of the pantomime villain, acting as the foil for the Hawthorn players to ham it up to their audience as they slapped them on their proverbial buttocks.
The final margin of 65 points flattered Richmond, who spent most of the afternoon looking like they’d wandered into a game by accident. It’s kind of crazy to think that this was the side that played with so much freedom and dare just a few weeks ago, and here they struggled to get any sort of momentum going.
Last five between the sides
Hawthorn’s uplift in form has coincided with Richmond’s drop off after their premiership window slammed shut. Round 19, 2023 was the turning point where the Tigers beat the Hawks by just a single point, after winning the two previous contests by a combined 84 points.
Since that game though, Hawthorn have found a way to hit the scoreboard at a rate that this version of the yellow and black can’t match, winning both their 2024 face-offs by a total of 111 combined points, while Richmond only managed to score 117 across both matches.
Today’s hat-trick means that in the last three contests between these sides, Richmond have scored a total of 161 points to Hawthorn’s 337, a whopping margin of 176 points, showing just how damaging the Hawthorn scoring machine is, and how much more maturing the young Richmond side needs to do before they get back to where they want to be.
Ins and Outs
Hawthorn welcomed back Changkuoth Jiath, Finn Maginness, and Luke Breust, with Amon, Scrimshaw, and Mackenzie all out due to injury. Breust proved that while he’s a veteran in the side, his ability, class and underrated impact on the game allow him to play an integral role in a squad that is increasingly relying on it’s young guns, and Jiath provided speedy rebound play that repeatedly broke the defensive structure of the Tigers.
Richmond brought back Noah Balta, presumably to help stabilize their backline, but given the defensive chaos on display, along with the well-reported reasons why he can only play day games, his presence doesn’t seem to add much to the back six at the moment. No need for me to delve into the whole thing here, but at a time when the tigers are desperate for on-field defensive leadership, having a bloke making negative headlines and creating further distraction doesn’t seem to be paying off. Cory Gray was the unlucky omission, but after this showing, there may be wholesale changes to come.
The Opening
Hawthorn came out hungry, winning the contested possession count 7–0 and clearances 2–0 in the opening minutes. Jack Ginnivan got the first shot (and second) but only registered two behinds, but it showed just how willing Hawthorn’s forward line was to take those half chances. Their early confidence didn’t provide a lot of scoreboard pressure, until Breust slotted the first major. Richmond managed eight straight inside 50s at one point but looked so lost once in there that it reminded me of the time I was visiting friends in New Zealand, and accidentally changed my google maps language to Japanese.
Eventually, Finn Maginness finished off a scorching coast-to-coast chain started by James Sicily, giving the Hawks a deserved lead. At quarter time, Richmond had 16 inside 50s to Hawthorn’s 13 – but the scoreboard read Hawthorn 2.5 (17) to Richmond 0.3 (3). The Tigers had their opportunities, but where Hawthorn were willing to take the game on and shoot at goal, the Tigers all looked like they needed someone to step up and show them how it can be done, and no one did.
Second Quarter
The second term confirmed what the first had already suggested – Hawthorn was sharper, slicker, and far better with ball in hand. While Richmond’s kicking efficiency had been good coming into the match, the Hawks made them look like they were aiming at the seagulls nesting at the G instead of teammates. By the five-minute mark of the term, the kicking efficiency read Hawthorn 71% – Richmond 57%, and the scoreboard was about to start reflecting that gulf in class.
Jack Ginnivan finally got his reward for effort with a goal after two earlier misses, and from there the floodgates creaked open. James Sicily, calmly pushed forward to nail a goal himself, while Luke Breust and Mabior Chol peppered the sticks.
Hawthorn’s ball movement was both clean and brutal – they led disposals 39–27, inside 50s 6–2, and marks inside 50 9–3 midway through the term. The Tigers, by contrast, were playing “Guess Who?” with their forward entries – blind kicks, hopeful chaos, and a forward structure that looked confusing from the boundary line. Tom Lynch resorted to moving up the ground far more often than he should have to try and get a touch, though this hampered their ability to control the ball once it entered their attacking zones. When he stayed at home int he square, Barrass, Battle and Weddle would cover his leading lane to intercept, which over the course fo the game, they managed to do a shocking 23 times between them.
Richmond did manage to stop the bleeding briefly with Seth Campbell’s goal from a centre turnover, finally putting them on the goal-kicking list late in the quarter. But any hint of a comeback was promptly snuffed out as Jonty Faull, Nick Watson, and Jack Gunston slammed on three Hawthorn goals in three minutes to close out the half. This shot put Gunston on 499 career goals, and the anticipation on getting his 500th was pretty much the most exciting part of the game at the time.
By the main break, both teams had 25 inside 50s, but the Hawks had 15 scoring shots to Richmond’s 6. The difference? Hawthorn scored off structured marks, composed ball movement, and pinpoint kicking. Richmond? Mostly off the chaos their gameplan created, but lacking the class of their retired stars to take advantage of it, it failed to impact the scoreboard in any significant way.
The halftime margin was 34 points, and it’s a credit to the Richmond supporters in attendance that once they’d left their seat to get a feed, a vast majority returned to them afterwards.
Third Quarter
Hawthorn emerged from the halftime break knowing they had the game well in hand, but still looking to add to the Tiger’s woes. Jack Ginnivan had his second goal – another clean finish from a mark inside 50, continuing a theme that Richmond seemed wholly unprepared to interrupt.
The Tigers did briefly show signs of life, with Rhyan Mansell scoring from a centre clearance – giving Richmond a rare win in that area (leading points from centre clearances 12–7). But the rest of the term felt like Richmond’s midfield had been set to “passive mode.” Hawthorn dominated stoppages (6–1 clearances for the quarter, 20–13 overall) and began slicing through the Tigers’ zones like a warm knife through a coach facing the other direction.
Nick Watson put on a masterclass in front-half awareness. He won a free at a stoppage, slotted a goal, and by the end of the term had racked up three majors – the last coming off a sizzling transition play that covered half the ground and left Richmond chasing shadows.
Jack Gunston, not to be outdone, curled through a classy snap to notch his 500th career goal, a moment that got a deserved ovation from everyone in attendance.
By the end of the quarter, the Hawks had registered 6.5 from marks inside 50, and their turnover game was brutal – leading scores from turnover 45–16. They also led total disposals 323–228, including 53–38 for the quarter. Jarman Impey led all comers with 12 disposals in the term alone, while Finn Maginness and Newcombe kept applying heat in the guts.
As the siren blew on three-quarter time, Hawthorn was not just ahead – they were controlling time, space, and the metaphysical essence of football itself.
Final Quarter
If Richmond had any dreams of a late surge, Hawthorn put them to bed and tucked them in by the six-minute mark.
Anyone who has played footy at any level knows that the backline is where you get a real indication of how your team is performing. If they’re working hard for each other and crashing packs, you’re doing well. If they’re getting bored and start leaving their man 50 metres away to try and hit the scoreboard themselves, you’re doing brilliantly.
So it was the latter when Josh Weddle pounced on a turnover and banged through a long-range goal, continuing the Hawks’ domination of transition scoring – they ended the day with 51 points from chains starting in their defensive half, compared to Richmond’s meagre 15.
That goal was part of a five-goal avalanche in ten minutes, including two from the red-hot Massimo D’Ambrosio, who had himself a quarter. The dynamic left-footer ended the match with 2 goals, 9 score involvements, and a match-high 661 metres gained, carving Richmond up like a deli ham.
Jack Gunston added his third (and nearly his fourth), Mabior Chol snagged a second, and James Trezise slotted a late consolation goal for the Tigers – though plenty of fans had left to catch the early train by then, which is a bit of a shame as Trezise looked like he was one of the players who worked his backside off once he was subbed into the game to replace Maurice Rioli.
Tom Lynch, meanwhile, clanged one off the post and finished the game with 0.3 – scoreless last time these teams met, and this time only marginally better. He’s still taking the best defender, but he needs a lot more help in that forward line, and if I channel my inner cynic, I might be tempted to say that while he’s shown he can play as the spearhead, I’m unconvinced that he has the on-field presence to be a forward line general that Richmond need him to be.
Hawthorn controlled stoppages again (5–1 clearances for the quarter) and recorded four of the last five inside 50s during their final-quarter surge. Jai Newcombe was a force all day, finishing with 11 contested possessions, 5 clearances, and 9 score involvements, while Jacob Hopper battled valiantly on a tough afternoon, posting 28 disposals, 5 clearances, and 5 score involvements for the Tigers.
Josh Battle was the game’s top ball-winner with 33 disposals and 4 intercept marks, mopping up Richmond’s messy entries like a man with 30 wet towels and nowhere to be.
Midfield Matchup
Hawthorn’s midfield operated like a well-oiled machine, leaving Richmond chasing shadows. Jai Newcombe led the charge with 27 disposals, 5 clearances, 5 tackles, and 11 contested possessions, consistently driving the Hawks forward. James Worpel was equally impactful, amassing 24 disposals, 8 tackles, and 6 clearances, ensuring the Hawks maintained dominance in the centre.
On the flip side, Richmond’s midfield struggled to match the intensity. Jacob Hopper was a lone warrior, recording a team-high 28 disposals, 5 clearances, and 5 score involvements, but lacked sufficient support. Tim Taranto added 24 disposals and 5 tackles, yet the Tigers’ midfield cohesion was as elusive as a clean public toilet at a music festival.
The Australian Blue Blood
Henry Hurst Hustwaite (Aka, Triple H) came in for his second game in 2025 after a 24 disposal outing last week against West Coast, and looked to be fitting into the squad nicely. His game this week saw him gather fewer disposals, but increase his tackling pressure and was often in space for a chip kick that he’d then move quickly to a teammate.
It could be that he’s finding his feet, but his approach to his role looked a little different to me, so while it could just be a player gaining experience, it could also be that he’s taken any instructions from the coaches to heart and is enacting them directly, which won’t hurt his career at all. If there’s one thing a team loves, it’s a young, coachable player. They won’t get the plaudits of the guys going in the top few spots in the draft, but they are the lifeblood of a quality side.
‘That’ Stat
Yep. Free kicks.
There is always a bit of controversy in a free-kick count. On one hand, there is no reason why the count needs to be even. If one team infringes more often, they’ll get more kicks.
On the other hand, 23-10 is a pretty big discrepancy, and Hawthorn have enjoyed the most free kicks of any team this year, especially Newcombe and Watson benefitting from the whistle with the equal most frees for a midfielder and a forward respectively.
I’m sure it’d be easy to generate some clicks here by going in on the umpires for the margin between the numbers here, or pointing the finger, but the truth is that every team plays in a way that will give them some sort of edge. Hawthorn have leveraged a game that gives umpires a reason to award them the ball more often than other sides. We can argue all day about individual decisions and the logic of some of the umpiring decisions in 2025, but it’s still up to the guys on the field to make the most of their chances.
Ruck Battle
Toby Nankervis was one of the few Richmond players who can say he gave it a dip all day. Lloyd Meek is a fair lump of a lad, but Nankervis used his experience to get to the ball first whenever he could, though he really only managed to make a significant impact once Meek was rested and Weddle or Chol took over the taps.
Meek’s physicality and second efforts were crucial to setting the tone for his teammates, and while Nankervis did shade him in raw stats for the game, whenever they were matched up it looked like Meek got the better of him more often than not. If he’d been able to hit the scoreboard for a major, it’d be easily a win for Meek, but as it is, I’ll give the nod here to Nanakervis for taking on three opponents and still managing to put in a yeoman’s effort.
The Stats That Sting
- Disposals: Hawthorn 428 – Richmond 311
- Inside 50s: Hawthorn 61 – Richmond 39
- Contested Possessions: Hawks 117 – Tigers 84
- Turnover Score: Hawks 9.8 (62) – Tigers 2.3 (15)
- Marks Inside 50: Hawks 21 – Tigers 13
- Uncontested Marks: Hawks 97 – Tigers 58
- Turnovers: Tigers 70 – Hawks 57
Next Up
Hawthorn face Melbourne at the MCG. Melbourne have been in and out of form, and will face a tough test here. With Gawn looking like he’s back to delivering the sort of performance we know he’s capable of, Melbourne will be in with a strong chance here, but I just don’t have the faith in them to hold back the free-flowing scoring ability of this Hawthorn side for a whole four quarters.
Prediction: Hawks by 12.
Richmond returns to the MCG to face West Coast in what might be Spoonbowl 2025. Anything can happen here. Lalor vs Reid will be worth keeping an eye on, and both teams should be hungry for an elusive win. It could turn out to be a brilliant game to watch as two desperate sides dig deep and show some pride against an opponent that they know they can beat. It could also turn into a comedy of errors.
Here’s hoping it’s the former, because there is plenty of young talent in both squads. Let’s see some highlight moments.
Prediction: Richmond by 25. They already have North’s first rounder for the draft, so will be happy to leave pick 1 on the table if they can.
