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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has hit out at an umpiring call that robbed forward Nick Watson of a half-time goal on a night the Marvel Stadium surface came under fire for being too slippery under a closed roof.<\/p>\n Mitchell said he was glad Watson\u2019s overturned goal did not affect his side\u2019s 52-point victory \u2013 18.11 (119) to 9.13 (67) \u2013 but said the club would be going to the AFL looking for an explanation.<\/p>\n Watson booted a goal after the half-time siren from the right forward pocket, but the umpires ruled he had run off his line – disallowing the score.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no common sense about that,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cI would hope that we get an answer from the AFL, I\u2019m sure we will.\u201d<\/p>\n Mitchell said the rule made sense when players were swinging into the centre of the ground to open up the angle, but not when a right footer was kicking from the right-side pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is absolutely no reason that a player would go wider (on that side) to give themselves an advantage,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe vision doesn\u2019t look like he goes off the line much, but that\u2019s the umpire\u2019s call, and I can accept that, but the fact that you can go off the line towards the boundary, and it be called play on \u2026 there\u2019s no common sense about that.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would he run wider to give himself a harder shot and get called play on? It didn\u2019t make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad it was in a game where individual tiny scores didn\u2019t matter, but I hope that\u2019s something they rectify.\u201d<\/p>\n Watson spoke to Kayo Sports in the rooms after the game.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get me started,\u201d he said when asked about the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re pretty keen to get the whistle out.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, I won\u2019t say anything about the umpires. I might get a fine.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked how the Hawks had managed to force St Kilda into so many costly turnovers and hold them goalless in the first half, Mitchell pointed out that the conditions were slippery.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure why exactly \u2026 it was quite wet,\u201d he said. \u201cSeems funny that we played inside and it was wet, but even in the warm-up, it was quite slippery underfoot.\u201d<\/p>\n Saints coach Ross Lyon had also noticed the wet conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, I just roll my eyes,\u201d he said after the game. \u201cBut both teams had to play in it.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked if the ground was wetter through the middle of the ground and drier on the wings, Lyon said, \u201cI\u2019m not sure. I didn\u2019t dive into it. I knew it was wet, but.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon said he could not comment on whether the conditions had played any part in Sam Flanders suffering what appeared to be a season-ending achilles injury during the match.<\/p>\n Flanders had received a handball in midair but as he landed on his right foot pulled up almost immediately and crumpled to the ground. He later hobbled to the bench with help from the St Kilda trainers.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cI\u2019ll leave that to the sports scientists and medicos,\u201d Lyon said of the reason for Flanders\u2019 injury.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t comment, to be honest. I think it\u2019d be remiss of me, and wrong of me.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just really trying to stay in my lane, in lots of places.\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon joked that the reason he was continually feeling the Marvel Stadium surface before the start of the match, while his players were warming up, was nothing to do with the state of the ground but was for \u201cgood luck\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it didn\u2019t work,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, I think it\u2019d be detracting from [how good the Hawks were], they played really well tonight, they were really clean, they were tough, and that\u2019s the level [we need to get to].\u201d<\/p>\n Lyon said the Saints were going too quick with \u201ccomposed ball use\u201d during the first half, considering the conditions.<\/p>\n Hawthorn kicked eight goals to none across the opening two quarters \u2013 four of them to the evergreen Jack Gunston, who leads the Coleman Medal tally at the age of 34.<\/p>\n But the Saints wrestled back some momentum after the long break by moving Jack Silvagni forward (three goals), Jack Sinclair into the midfield, Darcy Wilson to the wing, Brad Hill to half-back, and Callum Wilkie higher up the ground off the last line of defence.<\/p>\n At times in the first and second quarters, Gunston dragged Wilkie so deep into the Hawthorn attack they were standing behind the goal line.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll keep fighting, and we know we want to play more like the second half,\u201d Lyon said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor our fans, we let you down, and that starts and stops with me and the team.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hawks showed their dominance and versatility by being able to rest five-goal forward Gunston for the final term.<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1233f766b02cea23a3b7598140cb132b1c4184b7.jpeg\")
Sam Mitchell addresses his players during the clash with the Saints at Marvel Stadium.AFL Photos<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ea8592476b4807fb163d6d93a603e8c25027b0cb.jpeg\")
Nick Watson finished the game with 21 touches and two goals.AFL Photos<\/p>\n![\"Ross](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cbca02214f8a025754f6aebd0a9dd4f2c23eb23f.jpeg\")
Ross Lyon speaks with young gun Alix Tauru.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Essendon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fa17dbe4028d4ffc11b017171d636d87d5208d0c.jpeg\")
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Sam Flanders was helped from the Marvel Stadium surface by the Saints trainers.Getty Images<\/p>\n
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