Chol takes epic hanger as Hawks end Blues’ hot streak
Oliver Caffrey |
Carlton’s perfect start to life under Josh Fraser has come to an end, Hawthorn responding from their Launceston nightmare to belt the Blues by 64 points.
At a sodden MCG, Jack Ginnivan relished the wet weather to kick the Hawks’ first three goals and stand out in what was a low-scoring scrap until the torrential rain eased in the third quarter.
Hawthorn handled the wet and dry weather better than the Blues to win 15.13 (103) to 6.3 (39) in front of 70,341 fans on Saturday night.
In a sloppy match, Mabior Chol provided a genuine highlight with a serious contender for mark of the year and one of the best this decade.
Late in the third quarter, Chol leapt high in the goal square and managed to sit on the shoulders of Blues defender Nick Haynes.
The laconic left-footer went back and slotted the goal to solidify Hawthorn’s dominance and ensure they had an unassailable lead at three-quarter time.
“That man can do some freakish things,” Hawks star Will Day told AAP of Chol’s mark.
“If that isn’t mark of the year, then I don’t know what is.”
The Hawks’ 11th win of the season means they will stay third at the end of the round.
It was the perfect response by Sam Mitchell’s team, who were embarrassed by Melbourne last Saturday when they trailed by as much as 96 points.
Ginnivan had a brilliant first half with 15 possessions to go with his three goals, while Will Day thrived after halftime as he builds into his best form following another long injury layoff.
Carlton were dealt a blow early in the second quarter when gritty midfielder George Hewett was ruled out with a back injury, which Fraser admitted “didn’t look great”.
Hewett was the Blues’ leading possession-winner (eight) in the first term.
It was a stark reality check for Carlton, who entered the match on a seven-game winning streak after Fraser took over as coach when Michael Voss exited the club in May.
Suddenly thrust into contention for a finals spot, the Blues face a season-defining run of games against Collingwood, Gold Coast and Brisbane to conclude July.
“They (Hawthorn) adapted to the conditions better than what we did early,” Fraser said.
“We haven’t been faced with those conditions for a long time.
“We’ve had to learn how to handle winning over the last seven weeks, and I think it’s really important we don’t catastrophise a (poor) result.”
Umpiring was again in the spotlight after a bizarre 50m penalty in the first quarter.
Blues midfielder Adam Cerra was penalised for moving on the mark, giving Ginnivan a certain goal, despite the Hawks forward faking to handball and the umpire initially calling “play”.
Richmond great Jack Riewoldt, commentating on Fox Footy, labelled the situation a “disgrace”.
One of Carlton’s only highlights was the debut of ruckman Flynn Riley, replacing the injured Marc Pittonet, as he kicked a stunning goal in the first quarter and celebrated accordingly.
AAP