It’s a minute into the third quarter on the MCG.
A wobbling kick inside 50 from Sam Frost is nicely judged and marked by Bailey Dale, the Western Bulldogs’ greatest and most damaging kick.
Assessing his choices whereas being knocked barely off steadiness by Jack Ginnvin within the marking contest, Dale stumbles a number of metres to his aspect, coming off his mark; then, when he rightens, spots a goal down the wing.
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The ball appears to maneuver from hand to foot in sluggish movement as he prepares; as a result of each one of many 97,000 filling the MCG to its buttresses can see what’s about to occur subsequent.
Nick Watson, the goalsneak who was a meme for the primary few months of the 12 months for guaranteeing objectives disappear, the electrical junior whom the Bulldogs moved heaven and earth final 12 months to maneuver up the draft order to attempt to nab, has discovered himself within the excellent place to have 70,000 screaming Hawks followers out of their seats.
Blissfully unaware of what’s about to unfold, Dale sedately prepares to kick… and is mown down from behind by a textbook Watson deal with, pinning the arm controlling the ball and spilling the footy free. Holding the ball.
Watson didn’t kick a objective from his free kick, although he’d ship 4 others over the objective umpire’s hat in a primary closing he’ll always remember.
However of all the various moments to savour for Hawks followers who, let’s face it, can hardly be known as long-suffering of their ninth 12 months of ready for an additional finals to win, it was this one that completely encapsulates the essence of a staff that has risen from nowhere to develop into probably the most watchable, spectacular, irresistible staff in footy.
And with due respect to what Geelong did on the Adelaide Oval on Thursday evening, I’m ready to make the decision: proper now, the Hawks are one of the best in it.
For starters, they’ll be hefty favourites, with out a shadow of a doubt, after they head to town of church buildings subsequent Friday evening to face the Energy. How might they not be, after a efficiency of their first prime time look in 18 months of that calibre.
To indulge somewhat – and hey, I simply watched on grimly as my staff received totally swamped by a brown and gold tidal wave for 3 quarters after lining up for a seat since 1:45, I’ve earned that – I’d say I’ve watched extra of Hawthorn since I labelled them one of the best dangerous staff you’ll see in April 2023 after a lionhearted however fruitless afternoon in opposition to the Bulldogs, than anybody that doesn’t really barrack for them.
A number of months later, after they tore a premiership-bound Collingwood to smithereens on the hallowed turf, my summation of Sam Mitchell’s staff was that they had been ‘an inconsistent however harmful lot who, on their day, are totally terrifying’.
I tipped them within the eight to begin the 12 months, watched on defeatedly as they slumped to 0-5 after which 1-6 to look each bit the bottom-four aspect that almost all earmarked them as.
I’ve written about them this 12 months as they turned probably the most watchable staff within the AFL; after they formally earmarked themselves as a finals certainty by pulverising the Magpies; and now, I’ve witnessed their spectacular arrival onto the September stage that fits them as in the event that they had been born to it.
What’s outstanding is that, for the reason that nadir of the primary three months of 2023, the Hawks’ biggest strengths stay decidedly comparable.
James Sicily remains to be a colossus behind the ball, plucking intercept marks at will and spoiling or disrupting each time that isn’t an choice: he clutched 4 intercept marks within the elimination closing, and when the sport was on a good keel as much as half time he was a transparent greatest afield with daylight second.
It’s simply inconceivable to consider that the person is a shade over six ft tall, as a result of regardless of who he’s against aerially, he’ll discover a approach to mark it.
It helps him now {that a} extra skilled, assured again six does much more in the way in which of blocking and jostling larger opponents to permit him a transparent run on the ball – Sam Frost particularly, who nudged Sam Darcy below the ball so many occasions on Friday evening that I feel the Canines large ended the sport with a crick in his neck from bending it again so usually, did this with aplomb.
Jai Newcombe and James Worpel nonetheless burst via tackles with devastating ferocity, or use subtler power to free arms from the clutches of 1 and even two opponents to win clear a handball to a teammate left free in the identical movement.
Newcombe isn’t any stranger to massacring the Bulldogs, having gathered 41 disposals – and dealt Adam Treloar a don’t argue so brutal that I’m satisfied an imprint of his hand nonetheless stays embedded in his chest – of their win in Launceston late final 12 months.
This was much less a one-man band than that day, however 35 disposals, six inside 50s – a mark overwhelmed solely by Worpel – and a pearler of a objective from a ahead 50 stoppage that gave the Hawks a second-quarter lead they by no means relinquished – make him exhausting to prime for participant of the match honours.
There’s nonetheless an incredible quantity of belief within the ball-winners at stoppages, whether or not it’s the established Newcombe and Worpel or a teen like Josh Ward solely on this staff by the grace of the harm gods (and now all however inconceivable to maintain out if and when Will Day and Cam Mackenzie are able to return).
In 2023, the Hawks had been one of the best staff at successful centre bounces for a lot of the season: within the premiership quarter, after they stranglehold on the sport reached Thanos on Loki proportions, that they had eight extra clearances than a Canines staff with that on the core of its gameplan since 2016 at the least.
And an excellent chunk of it’s right down to belief: Lloyd Meek wins the faucet right down to one of many on-ballers, repeatedly Ward on Friday evening. Opposition midfielders are drawn to the person with the footy, and one or two extra are even in a position to wrap him up; meantime, his Hawks teammates fan out in all instructions.
They’ve religion that man can have the power and the sound thoughts to get palms free from the would-be tacklers and launch and handpass to a free brown and gold jumper; from there, there’s an overlap.
Meek is the addition that has modified the sport fully: since coming in for Ned Reeves firstly of the 12 months, he has not solely proved a hulking tower of power over the footy, each in ruck contests and following up with tackles and clearances; however his across the floor work is extraordinary for somebody of his construct.
46 hitouts to 23 in opposition to Tim English isn’t a shock; 23 disposals and eight marks to fifteen and two rattling nicely is. Backing himself to be concerned in transition performs the place most ruckmen would head for the hills the second the ball motion turns into fast, taking big pack marks and drilling objectives in assault, and naturally serving to out defensively, the massive cult hero embarrassed the reigning All-Australian large man – and it’s not the primary ruckman he has comprehensively bossed this season.
That is how the Hawks dominated the territory battle; however with simply three of their objectives from stoppages in opposition to the Bulldogs – although with loads extra behinds – it’s not what gained them the sport.
What did that’s the addition to what Mitchell is doing together with his staff in 2024; the methods affectionately dubbed ‘Hokball’ however which just about do their method of play a disservice by making a meme out of what ought to be totally terrifying for the seven groups remaining within the finals hunt.
Six of the Hawks’ objectives got here from chains beginning in defensive 50, whereas 11 of them got here from turnovers; freakish stats in opposition to a Bulldogs staff who, up till Friday evening, appeared to have labored out the way to defend in transition.
In contrast to most attacking groups, it’s not the hall the place the Hawks are at their greatest: it’s on the far wing. Except there’s an apparent likelihood to overlap run by way of a teammate operating previous – and it’s extraordinary how daring Hawthorn’s defenders are to repeatedly again themselves to run previous the mark-taker, obtain the ball, benefit from the stand rule freezing the person on the mark, and proceed to hit up targets additional afield – the following transfer is at all times to go laterally.
It’s why the Hawks racked up 60 extra uncontested possessions than the Canines, and a gargantuan 117 marks: 12 had been taken by Blake Hardwick, usually the final man again and the primary hyperlink within the swap chain; whereas shut behind him with 11 was Sicily, who stays the primary backman the Hawks need the ball within the palms of.
With 9, Massimo D’Ambrosio, one of the best reverse wingman within the recreation proper now, the king of bolting into area quicker than any opponent, getting used just about each time, after which utilizing the footy, by and huge, immaculately. Of his 32 disposals, seven led to scores.
Then, additional afield, there’s the roaming half-forwards of Dylan Moore and Jack Ginnivan; one an All-Australian debutant this season, the opposite placing paid to the notion that he was a one-trick goalsneak with out the tank to push up the sphere like he has from day one for the Hawks.
Neither had their most dominant days, with 17 and 15 disposals respectively; however the different of these rangy, swift speedsters throughout the half-forward line, Connor Macdonald, positive did, ending with 23 disposals and two of the evening’s extra cherished objectives.
The best standout of all, although, was the kicking. Hawthorn’s machine of the early 2010s was the best kicking aspect the sport has seen; these Hawks don’t fairly match these lofty heights simply but, however so immaculate is their work by foot AND so high-risk and high-reward the choices they take that it feels like they’re.
Throughout the second and third quarters, the Hawks went at 72 per cent by foot – and I’d wager a good chunk of the errors had been them spurning photographs at objective within the third time period that meant the scoreboard didn’t fairly replicate their utter dominance for some time – whereas the Canines, pressured into oblivion by the Hawthorn smalls and crunched by their ultra-powerful midfielders at each stoppage, might solely muster 61 per cent.
It was inconceivable to not admire the laserlike accuracy of Sicily or Jarman Impey throughout half-back; the shrewd intelligence of each Ginnivan possession; the kick off the skin of the boot from Newcombe to seek out Watson within the third quarter that at the beginning I assumed was a shank, however after watching the replay makes me assume it is likely to be probably the most good kick of the season.
Or Josh Weddle, the speedy half-back and part-time ruckman, in some way, who wears probably the most well-known of Hawthorn numbers and does it justice each time he runs out. He went at 92.9 per cent from his 14 disposals, and I truthfully couldn’t inform you which one didn’t discover a man.
The distinction between what unfolded on the MCG on Friday evening and the hard-working however rabble-adjacent staff that butchered targets inside an inch of their lives in opposition to the Canines in April 2023 was merely extraordinary; the work that has gone in to recruiting D’Ambrosios and Ginnivans to assist out matched in effectiveness by the sheer enchancment from the remainder of the staff throughout all traces.
I’m undecided I’ve ever seen a aspect enhance their abilities a lot in so little time.
And I haven’t even talked about the ahead line but. Granted, such was the overwhelming provide on Friday evening that it might have been tough to not rack up a rating, however nonetheless, it’s nearly inconceivable to close them down even when you limit the provision.
At floor stage, there’s menace in every single place: with Ginnivan, Watson, Macdonald and Moore lurking round, little marvel 36 of the Canines’ defensive 50 disposal chains had been intercepted by the Hawks and led half of their 14 objectives. The likes of Dale, Taylor Duryea, Joel Freijah and Lachie Bramble, nice or at the least cheap kicks in any respect, weren’t given the area no transfer, and nor had been their supposed targets additional afield – as Dale discovered to his memorable detriment.
Nick Watson celebrates a objective. (Picture by Dylan Burns/AFL Pictures by way of Getty Photos)
If the ball makes it to floor stage – and on Friday evening, that got here just about each time the Hawks prevented kicking to Rory Lobb – there was simply no escape. I wrestle to consider how the Hawks solely ended up laying 9 tackles inside 50 – perhaps it’s as a result of each deal with introduced with it two or three Hawks inflicting it on the identical time.
Put that every one collectively – elite kicking, repeat entries via suffocating stress, and a territory dominance by advantage of midfield power and belief – and also you get 16 marks inside 50 from a staff whose three spearheads are a first-year father-son that nobody else needed, a triple-premiership star most thought was over the hill, and the big-name recruit who performed a recreation so weird he received Bronx cheered halfway via the third quarter.
I don’t assume anybody might probably have foreseen Calsher Expensive coming. He broke into the aspect solely as a result of Mitch Lewis’ accidents meant there was just about nobody else to choose as a key ahead firstly of the 12 months; he’s remained in as a result of he’s been so good Mitchell is content material with a three-tall ahead line.
He’s slight and gangly, nonetheless, however there’s a presence about him that, to be brutally frank, the far, much more extremely touted Jamarra Ugle-Hagan doesn’t have. He appears like a stiff breeze may buffet him over, however he has the knack of constructing the drop zone his area and being very tough to budge.
Plus, after all, he reads the ball sensationally within the air: his spectacular one-handed mark flying in on the boundary line early within the third, to show a looming Bulldogs on the total free kick right into a 50m shot at objective he nailed only for good measure, was the second it turned inescapably clear the Hawks had been going to tear this recreation aside.
Realistically, since bursting into life mid-season, the Hawks have been a top-four, even top-two-worthy staff; if not for his or her closing 30 seconds choke in opposition to the Energy again in Could, they’d have completed second, and that’s just about the place they sit within the pecking order.
Their one Achilles heel, and it reared ever so barely once more amid the carnage of their elimination closing spectacular, is their tendency to take the foot off the pedal firstly of final quarters the place the sport is of their management, however the margin not fairly unassailable.
It’s price them video games in opposition to Energy and GWS outfits throwing warning to the wind in opposition to them; and it’s price noting the Hawks’ ball use is way sloppier when attempting to take care of possession than when attempting to assault, as evidenced by the beforehand uncommon as hen’s tooth shanks and miscues all of the sudden popping up within the first fifteen minutes of the ultimate time period.
The Bulldogs had been wasteful throughout a interval during which that they had management for the primary time for the reason that opening quarter, which means the margin by no means drew nearer than 4 objectives and allowed the Hawks treasured time to regular and reassert themselves to finish up successful the time period.
However when you’re heading right into a semi closing during which your biggest enemy is yourselves, you’re doing loads proper. And on the steadiness each of what we noticed on Friday evening and what we’ve realized throughout the final two months of the home-and-away season, it’s that the Hawks deserve to enter any closing they qualify for from right here as a good cash likelihood at greatest.
The seventh seeds are one of the best staff in it. And the Hawthorn journey, you sense, is just simply starting.