Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nThat made it a 24-point game with just under three minutes to go, before Melbourne kicked the final two majors to bring back the full-time margin to 35 points, 19.11 (125) to 14.6 (90). <\/p>\n
\u201cThe scoreworm has just gone ballistic,\u201d Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said on Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cPretty hard to sum this up. But Melbourne was the dominant side until they dropped the pressure, and Hawthorn took advantage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think they were ever going to win, but I think they gave us a bit of enjoyment on the way back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saints great Leigh Montagna added: \u201cThe Hawks were nowhere midway through the third quarter, they had two goals on the board to 17 for Melbourne. Then all of a sudden they ignited and were able to kick 12 in a row.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demons skipper Max Gawn also struggled to make sense of the club\u2019s lade fadeout. <\/p>\n
\u201cI dunno. We\u2019re off the bye, and I know when I play teams off the bye, you know you can really get them in the last. We addressed that,\u201d he told Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir third quarter was immense and I think it set up their fourth, to be honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMomentum is a funny thing … there\u2019s a bit of luck there, but when you have momentum, the luck goes your way sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gawn struggles for words after Dees win | 00:44<\/p>\n
Melbourne, which had never previously played at UTAS Stadium, snapped a 12-game Hawthorn winning streak at the venue as Jacob van Rooyen led the way with five goals from 24 disposals in a career-best showing. <\/p>\n
The Dees kicked the game\u2019s first four goals in a seven-goal-to-one opening term, forging their biggest quarter-time lead of the season.<\/p>\n
Going into Saturday\u2019s fixture, Hawthorn\u2019s biggest-ever half-time deficit at UTAS Stadium was 31 points. But that was blown out of the water by the Dees, who slammed home six unanswered majors in the second term to make it a 77-point game. <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the ball goes inside 50, their pressure is just relentless,\u201d Hawks great Jordan Lewis said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir defensive hunger, to go with their offensive threat, is just combining really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Granted, the Hawks were undermanned on Saturday \u2014 without Nick Watson, Josh Battle, Jarman Impey, Josh Weddle and Karl Amon – but their intensity at the coalface and inability to stop the Dees\u2019 transition were concerning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It saw the Dees improve to 10-6 overall and sit half a game behind the third-placed Hawks. <\/p>\n
3. \u2018STUNNED\u2019: HAWKS \u2018SO FAR OFF\u2019 IN SHOCK \u2018BRUTALISATION\u2019 \u2026 BEFORE BIZARRE FIGHTBACK<\/p>\n
As four-time Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis noted on Fox Footy\u2019s exclusive coverage, it\u2019s been a long time since the Hawks have been \u201cbrutalised\u201d in this fashion. <\/p>\n
And putting aside their 12-goal-unanswered run when the pressure was out of the game, the Hawks didn\u2019t come to play early enough on Saturday afternoon. <\/p>\n
At what\u2019s long been considered a home-away-from-home, the Hawks\u2019 UTAS Stadium fortress was breached in a big way. <\/p>\n
The hosts looked off the pace from the get-go, as the Demons quickly asserted themselves at contest and built their game out from there. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the body language of the senior players that\u2019s the bigger concern – they are getting smashed on the inside, and getting whacked on the outside,\u201d Gerard Healy noted early. <\/p>\n
Hawthorn conceded seven first-quarter goals and kicked just one of its own, and there wasn\u2019t a lot that changed in the second, with Sam Mitchell\u2019s charges unable to excite with their ball movement when they did have the footy in their hands. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey just can\u2019t handle the pressure, it\u2019s as simple as that,\u201d Lewis declared in the second term. <\/p>\n
He later added: \u201cThey\u2019re just not challenging (with their ball movement) at the moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey look so far off, Hawthorn, with their ability to move the ball, and then their ability to defend. I think it\u2019s one of those games. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe class level, right now, between these two teams, visually, is so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘Only one team came ready to play’ | 04:46<\/p>\n
Gerard Healy chimed in: \u201cSam Mitchell can\u2019t believe it \u2026 it\u2019s just the lack of energy from their best players. Their best group of players, they are getting brutalised at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fox Footy caller Leigh Montagna added: \u201cTheir fans at UTAS are stunned by what they\u2019re witnessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a seven-goal Melbourne opening quarter, it was a six-goal-unanswered second term from the Demons, who didn\u2019t relent in their onslaught. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t remember a game like it,\u201d Jordan Lewis said on the eve of half-time. <\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially down here, where it\u2019s been such a happy hunting ground for the Hawthorn Football Club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gerard Healy added: \u201cThis is just embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
At half-time, in stunning reading, Hawthorn was -30 for contested possessions, -16 for clearances, and -15 in the pressure factor comparison. <\/p>\n
\u201cNewcombe has been shut out by Steele, Will Day hasn\u2019t had much of a say around the ground,\u201d Lewis said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the moment where you (want to) look to Nick Watson, so you can deploy him into the middle of the ground to get a spark.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until halfway through the third quarter – when they trailed by a jaw-dropping 96 points – when the Hawks finally got their ball movement game going. <\/p>\n
They moved far more freely with ball in hand and punished more off Dees turnovers en route to a run of 12-straight goals. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe body language has just changed; the Hawks have got more energy,\u201d Montagna said. <\/p>\n
Crazily, they got to within four goals of the Dees with a few minutes left – to have the visitors sweating – but it was too late. <\/p>\n
The only real consolation is that their percentage only dropped 3.7 points. <\/p>\n
2. \u2018DON\u2019T KNOW\u2019: EERIE DEES FEELING AFTER WILD SWING\u2026 BUT WHY THEY \u2018CAN\u2019T BE UPSET\u2019<\/p>\n
It was a first-half rampage of epic proportions from Melbourne at UTAS Stadium, and it paved the foundations of yet another upset win in a finals-bound season. <\/p>\n
And despite Hawthorn\u2019s thought-provoking run of 12-straight goals in the second half, make no mistake, this was a win of high quality from the Dees. <\/p>\n
Even if captain Max Gawn found it hard to feel that winning feeling in a raw post-match interview with Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t know,\u201d Gawn said when asked to sum up the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir third quarter was immense, and I think it set up their fourth, to be honest. <\/p>\n
\u201cMomentum is a funny thing \u2026 when you have momentum, the luck goes your way sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Healy said: \u201cIt (the game) is pretty hard to sum this up \u2026 but Melbourne was the dominant side until it dropped the pressure, and Hawthorn took advantage. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really impressive win by Melbourne down on a ground they had never been to before, led by an incredible captain \u2026 there are a lot of positives for Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dees piled on seven of the game\u2019s first eight goals to claim their biggest quarter-time lead of the season. <\/p>\n
The visitors owned the clearance (14-4), contest (49-24 cont. possessions) and territory (21-12 inside-50s) battles early, with their defensive pressure also suffocating the Hawks. <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the ball goes inside 50, their pressure is just relentless,\u201d Jordan Lewis said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an unbelievable start by Melbourne, it really is \u2026 the ball has lived down the left-hand side. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir defensive hunger, to go with their offensive threat, is just combining really well at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their form continued into a six-goal-unanswered second quarter, to take a commanding – and shocking – 77-point lead into the main break. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt starts at the contest,\u201d Nick Dal Santo said at half-time on Fox Footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cPlus-30 (contested possession) – that\u2019s 30 occasions the ball has been up for grabs, and the Dees have won it 30 more times. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen to complement that is the clearance game. When you put those two factors together, it\u2019s either a score or they\u2019re getting field position and able to set up really strongly defensively behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis added: \u201cThey look really active off the back of what Max Gawn\u2019s been able to do to Lloyd Meek.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gawn, whose tapouts were typically advantageous and whose positioning behind the ball frustrated the Hawks, was the difference in the midfield against a Ned Reeves-less Hawthorn side. <\/p>\n
He finished his day with 22 disposals, 10 clearances, eight score involvements and five intercepts. <\/p>\n
\u201cGive him the three votes, at the moment,\u201d Lewis said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s so dominant. And everything that he\u2019s done so far in this match – he\u2019s put himself in positions to win the ball when Hawthorn has it \u2026 he\u2019s been able to impact in the air, in and around the stoppages, nearly every tap that he\u2019s got he\u2019s been able to tap forward. <\/p>\n
‘We want to play like that everywhere’ | 05:29<\/p>\n
\u201cHe continually puts himself in positions that will (positively) impact his team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demons detractors will look unfavourably on the side\u2019s inability to drive the nail home in the second half, but there aren\u2019t a lot of times in the AFL where you can learn a valuable lesson while still walking away with the four points. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, if the siren sounds after this goal, and the lead\u2019s the same, Melbourne walks away with a 29-point victory. You cannot be upset with that,\u201d Healy said. <\/p>\n
Montagna: \u201cYou take that every day of the week pre-game, (but) I\u2019m not sure you take that when you\u2019re 96 points up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Healy replied: \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting challenge for the coach, (but) I think you take the positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dees, unfortunately in their top-six race, only gained 2.1 percentage points in their win. <\/p>\n
1. \u2018SHINING LIGHT\u2019 IN DEMOLITION JOB AS BIG \u2018FIND\u2019 STARS ON DEBUT<\/p>\n
On a dirty day for Hawthorn, the \u201cshining light\u201d was one of its debutants, Noah Mraz, who showed he\u2019s got a bright AFL future. <\/p>\n
The 20-year-old, a second-round draft pick in 2024, caught the eye with his intercepting ability, taking numerous strong marks. <\/p>\n
He finished his day with 16 disposals, 12 marks – six contested and seven intercept – an equal-team-high nine intercept possessions, and four score involvements. <\/p>\n
With five minutes left in the third quarter, Mraz took his sixth intercept mark – a beautiful pack grab – which instantly prompted plaudits from the Fox Footy panel. <\/p>\n
\u201c(He) has been the absolute shining light for Hawthorn today,\u201d Leigh Montagna said. <\/p>\n
Halfway through the last quarter, Mraz rose once again for his sixth contested mark, and seventh intercept grab. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a debut performance from Noah Mraz,\u201d Montagna said. <\/p>\n
\u201c(He) has been a find for Sam Mitchell.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man nicknamed \u2018Jason\u2019 certainly didn\u2019t look out of place on an afternoon where the Hawks were without Josh Battle.<\/p>\n
Re-live Hawthorn vs. Melbourne in our live blog below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Melbourne has held off a fast-finishing Hawthorn in a bizarre late turnaround in Launceston as Steven King\u2019s side…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":778837,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-778836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=778836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/778837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=778836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=778836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=778836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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