Ladder-leaders flex muscle to continue Hawthorn’s slide
Oliver Caffrey |
Rampaging Collingwood have blown Hawthorn away by 51 points at the MCG, inflicting a third-straight defeat upon the Hawks.
Under more pressure than any other team during the week after a 33-point loss to Brisbane, Hawthorn just couldn’t go with the red-hot Magpies in front of 83,706 fans.
Collingwood slammed through six straight goals from late in the second quarter to midway through the third term, setting up the 16.11 (107) to 8.8 (56) win.
In an added blow for the Hawks, ruckman Lloyd Meek is facing a suspension after making late contact with Collingwood’s Patrick Lipinski in the third quarter.
Meek crashed into Lipinski from behind and the winger was forced from the field, where he later failed a concussion test.
Collingwood players immediately flew the flag for Lipinski, sparking a mini melee, before kicking an easy goal from the goalsquare after a 50m penalty paid.
The match review officer is unlikely to look kindly on an incident in which a player arrived late, resulting in the injured rival entering concussion protocols.
Refreshed Magpies veteran Steele Sidebottom (27 possessions and two goals) was superb, banging through long goals and going on one run down the wing which included four bounces.
Superstar Nick Daicos (32 disposals, one goal) was typically influential, while veteran forward Jamie Elliott continued his outstanding, career-best season.
Elliott’s five-goal haul took him to equal top of the Coleman Medal, level with Geelong star Jeremy Cameron on 33.
The 32-year-old is set to smash his highest goal tally in a season of 39 back in 2023.
Not even a lively outing from Jack Ginnivan against his former team could spark Hawthorn into action.
After blitzing the Magpies with two goals and 31 possessions last year, Ginnivan turned it on early with three first-half majors.
But unlike last year when Hawthorn cantered to a 66-point win, Ginnivan refrained from over-the-top goal celebrations.
The Magpies premiership player was still routinely booed by the parochial Collingwood crowd.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell highlighted Ginnivan’s performance as the only positive from the match.
“We’ve got some work to do where we can get our players in positions to tackle more often, because you’re not going to beat a side like that if you can only lay 38 (tackles),” Mitchell said.
Dubbed the ‘Hollywood Hawks’ following their brilliant run to last year’s finals, Hawthorn suddenly find themselves in a rut at 7-5.
After missing the finals last year following their 2023 premiership triumph, Collingwood have surged to 10-2, sitting atop the AFL ladder.
“It’d be close to it,” McRae said when asked if it was Collingwood’s best game of the season.
“The game up in Brisbane was really strong … I just really loved our maturity tonight, and particularly the last quarter.”
Shown up by the last two premiers in consecutive weeks, Hawthorn have more challenges to come in the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
AAP
