HAWTHORN 2.1 Â 6.4 Â 8.10 Â 12.14 (86)
GOLD COAST 4.4 Â 6.5 Â 6.8 Â 8.12 (60)
Goals: Hawthorn: J. Sicily 3 B. Hartung 2 B. Hill J. Ceglar J. Gunston J. Lewis L. Breust S. Burgoyne T. Duryea. Gold Coast: T. Lynch 3 B. Matera G. Ablett J. Harbrow P. Wright S. Day.
Best: Hawthorn: S. Mitchell, J. Gibson,  J. Sicily, J. Lewis, B. Hartung, G. Birchall, J. Gunston. Gold Coast: G. Ablett, T. Lynch, J. Harbrow, A. Sexton, P. Wright
Umpires: Troy Pannell, Simon Meredith, Sam Hay, Jordan Bannister.
Official Crowd: 10,121 at Aurora Stadium.
It is a quirk of Australia's political system that parties don't launch their campaigns until the campaigns are almost over. Hawthorn haven't really launched yet in 2016. They have been in layman's terms: "Just going."
Rarely has their football reached great heights. But with their skipper Luke Hodge back, and having accounted for Gold Coast by 26 points at Aurora Stadium on Sunday, they might just be premiers elect. Their home and away campaign is nearly two-thirds over, they have ascended to the most important place of all this time of year: The top of the ladder.
A host of streaks loomed large over this encounter. The first was Hawthorn's 17 straight wins in Launceston, dating back to 2012. At the time of their last loss, Boris Johnson was London mayor, and was looking ahead to his city hosting the Olympics. Now the Rio Games beckon, and Johnson could be weeks away from becoming Britain's next prime minister.
The second was the Hawks' perfect record over Gold Coast: seven wins from seven starts. The third was Gold Coast's nine consecutive defeats, which had left them near the foot of a congested ladder. And the fourth, and perhaps most powerful, was Hawthorn's three premierships in a row, a mental millstone for any side that dares to challenge their throne.
But one statistic indisputably favoured the Suns. All six matches this weekend pitted a team coming off a bye against a team that had played last week. Aside from Carlton, all of the refreshed sides had beaten their more wearied opponents.
Early signs suggested that trend could continue on a chilly, windswept and rainy day in Tasmania, which resulted in a crowd of 10,121 - the lowest AFL crowd at the venue.
The Hawks made the perfect start, with Shaun Burgoyne banging the ball from the centre for Jack Gunston to crumb and goal inside the first 20 seconds. But thereafter Gold Coast took control of the opening stanza. Losing the contested possession count hasn't troubled Hawthorn too much thus far in 2016 – they had won it just twice in 13 games heading into Sunday's match.
But not only did they trail by eight in that category at the first change, so too were they being trounced in clearances and tackles. Most crucially on the scoreboard, the Hawks found themselves 15 points in arrears, which quickly became 21 after Tom Lynch took an all-too-easy mark on the goal line 90 seconds into the second quarter. Yet again, Lynch and Peter Wright and Sam Day were proving to be a difficult trio to handle, while Gary Ablett's first half was a virtuoso showing, highlighted by a dazzling goal on the run in which he shrugged a Josh Gibson tackle and  wove around Jordan Lewis.
But steadily the Hawks worked their way into the contest. Gibson provided his customary drive from defence, while Billy Hartung, Jordan Lewis and Sam Mitchell were industrious. Fresh from his five-goal haul against North Melbourne, James Sicily imposed himself on the contest, with his second of two second-quarter goals drawing the reigning premiers to within a point of the Suns at half-time.
The third quarter was, quite frankly, a scrap. The sides traded behinds early before the Hawks finally hit the front after Jonathon Ceglar converted a set shot at the eight-minute mark. Skills deteriorated in the slippery conditions, best evidenced by a Lynch kick on the wing that floated out of bounds on the full. Luke Breust added another for the Hawks midway through the quarter, but while they took control of both territory and possession, Hawthorn couldn't punish the Suns, with Ceglar spraying a couple of shots before the final change, the margin creeping to 15 points.
Lynch's third of the day gave his team life at the start of the last quarter. Brad Hill responded, but Jarrod Harbrow provide a retort. Sicily wasn't done with though. With Trent McKenzie badly out of position 40 metres out from goal, the emerging forward drilled his third, leaving him a result-altering haul when the conditions are taken into account. Ablett ended up with 40 disposals – 15 more than the next-best Sun, but the Hawks did enough to gain the four points.
So despite a system designed to prevent monopolies, an ageing list, the loss for the season of Jarryd Roughead and the extended absence of Hodge – who had 28 disposals at half-back in his return game – Hawthorn again led all-comers. Notwithstanding that Sydney have a game in hand, it is a remarkable turn of events given the challenges they have faced and the patchiness of their football.
Pink stripes replaced gold on the Hawthorn jumper as part of a promotion for Tasmania's Cancer Council. But no matter their colours, the Hawks remain a force. Soon they may again lead the polls for premiership favouritism.
Votes
G. Ablett (GC) 9
S. Mitchell (Haw) 8
J. Gibson (Haw) 7
T. Lynch (GC) 7
J. Sicily (Haw) 6
Poll
Who was the AFL player of round 14?
Poll closed 3 Jul, 2016
Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
0 comments
New User? Sign up