Hawks swoop on Crows to continue finals push
Hawthorn’s once-unlikely charge towards a first AFL finals berth in six years continues to gather steam after an emphatic 66-point win over Adelaide on their home turf.
Sam Mitchell’s charges had an 0-5 start to the season but are now 11-8 and just percentage outside the top eight after their 19.10 (124) to 8.10 (58) win at the Adelaide Oval.
After Josh Rachele kicked Adelaide’s sixth for the day early in the second term, Hawthorn piled on 13 unanswered goals to record an ominous thumping.
Hawthorn also kept the Crows goalless for almost all of the entire second half until the home side kicked two consolation goals in the last four minutes of the match.
Smooth-moving midfielder Will Day was prolific for the Hawks, excelling from the opening whistle alongside the superb Connor Macdonald (28 disposals, two goals).
Jarman Impey and Karl Amon delivered plenty of drive and quality footskills off half-back while Jai Newcome provided grunt.
Skipper James Sicily celebrated his 150th game with three goals while Mabior Chol (two goals, seven marks) grew better as the match went on.
They were among 11 individual goalkickers for Hawthorn, including Nick Watson (two goals), Newcombe (two), Calsher Dear (two), Macdonald (two), Jack Ginnivan and Luke Breust.
Taylor Walker kicked three goals for Adelaide, while Jake Soligo (30 disposals), Lachlan Sholl (29) and Rory Laird (29) fought hard around the ball.
Adelaide’s Max Michalanney is likely to attract match review officer scrutiny for a scuffle in which he appeared to shove Watson’s head into the ground several times.
The typically energetic Hawks snagged three of the game’s first four goals, with evergreen veteran Breust kicking two.
Adelaide youngster Billy Dowling thought he had toe-poked the Crows in front late in the term but the ball was ruled to have come off his knee.
Then, Riley Thilthorpe gave Adelaide a six-point lead at the first change.
The second term was a see-sawing affair, highlighted by a wonderful sidestep and goal on the run from Day, as the Hawks nudged out to a 15-point lead at halftime.
Hawthorn then added four more goals to extend their lead to 30 points at three-quarter time.
In the final quarter, the Crows appeared out on their feet while the Hawks kept coming, racking up six more goals to turn the game into a thrashing.
Luckless Hawthorn defender Changkuoth Jiath came off sore late in the game.
Hawthorn next face tough tests against GWS in Canberra and Carlton at the MCG, followed by clashes with cellar dwellars Richmond (MCG) and North Melbourne (Launceston).
Adelaide, who sit 15th and out of finals contention, next play Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.
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