Dees Unable To Rein In Soaring Hawks

Liam Chambers

Hawthorn dominates in wet conditions

In an ominous sign for the Dees, Dylan Moore was awarded the first goal, despite both Melbourne and Hawthorn acknowledging that the sherrin had been touched off Moore’s boot.

Then a minute later, Jack Gunston was on the board after marking in the pocket and making short work of the 30m conversion. With only six minutes played, Gunston took another mark, this time directly in front. Again, no bother with the 30m set shot.

At the nine minute mark, Harrison Petty put Melbourne on the scoreboard when he took an uncontested mark inside 50 and went back to slot the 50m set shot. Melbourne finally started to gain some territory, after Hawthorn had dictated terms for most of the quarter. Unfortunately, they were unable to chart a path through to goal, with the Hawks continually repelling the Demons’ efforts.

Jack Gunston was almost omnipotent at times, popping up everywhere in and around inside 50. His control of the bouncing ball 55m out, and well weighted kick to Nick Watson, 30m in front, gave Hawthorn their fourth goal of the term.

Then, just before quarter time, Calsher Dear took a one handed contested mark in the rain. The 25m set shot, was successful and extended the lead to twenty seven points.

Better effort from Demons but Hawks still prevail in low scoring quarter

Melbourne started the second term more aggressively and worked well to get the ball inside 50, where Christian Petracca was eventually able to take a mark. His attempted set shot was good, but sadly the upright got in the way.

Dylan Moore once again kicked the opening goal of the term, when he marked 35m out and converted the set shot. Despite adjustments made by Melbourne at quarter time, Hawthorn continued to dominate, controlling the ball and placing pressure on the Dees at every opportunity.

Jack Gunston was everywhere in the first term, but was having a more subdued second quarter. However, when he saw a half chance in front of goal, he acted immediately and snapped his third major of the game. With the Hawks now leading by forty points, the forecast was not good for Melbourne.

Fortunately, a rare error by Hawthorn caused a turnover and presented the visitors with a scoring opportunity, which Chandler, Petracca and finally Oliver took full advantage of; Clayton Oliver’s shot on goal only just sliding through by the skin of its teeth.

Hawks consolidate their lead

Trailing by thirty four points at the start of the second half was not ideal, but Melbourne knew it could have been a lot worse, and they were still in the game. It got better when Kade Chandler’s kick towards goal saw the sherrin land in the square and bounce the correct way and across the line.

Then just when it looked like the Demons were starting to building a little momentum, up popped Jack Gunston. His mark just inside the arc and deep in the right hand pocket was perfectly timed. Having missed several recent attempts from a similar position, Gunston was spot on with the 50m set shot.

Luke Breust may be playing his last season with Hawthorn, but he is still capable of taking advantage of a scoring opportunity. Having come on a substitute a few minutes earlier, the veteran took possession just inside 50, then ran on and launched from 40m, giving his side a forty one point advantage.

Harrison Petty gave Demon fans something to hold on to when he made sure with his 30m set shot from the pocket. While Melbourne was making continuous efforts to get down the ground, the Hawks were so well set up behind the ball, the Dees’ options were severely limited.

When Jack Gunston was impeded while attempting to mark just inside the arc, he was able to line up for his fifth of the afternoon. The 50m set shot was on target and the margin was back out to forty one points.

Very late surge from Melbourne gives the scoreboard a more respectable look

At the start of the final quarter, Hawthorn was leading by forty three points. Unless Melbourne could launch a comeback along the lines of St Kilda’s run down in Round 20, the odds appeared to favour a home win.

Jacob van Rooyen had only four disposals for the entire game when he marked the ball 40m from goal, but his finishing was perfect and brought the deficit back under forty.

The elation was short lived however, as Jack Gunston seemed unrealistically determined to overtake Jeremy Cameron on the Coleman ladder. This time he had acres of space to run onto the ball and mark it 35m out. From there it was an easy kick to notch up his sixth of the game. He almost had a career equaling seventh when he again marked in the right hand pocket, just inside the arc, but a review deemed that the ball connected with the post. He did however manage a seventh five minutes later when he took a mark just to the left of the square and converted.

With a game high lead of fifty one, it now looked all over for Melbourne. Even the most optimistic of us was resigned to our fate. At the five minutes remaining mark, Connor MacDonald was able to find enough space in front of goal to snap and send the sherrin floating low over the line.

Then in a moment that summed up the Demons’ afternoon, they kicked their fifth minor score in a row when Harry Sharp’s shot hit the post. With less than one hundred seconds to go, Harvey Langford pulled one back when he scooped up the ground ball, before turning and snapping from just to the right of the goal square, giving his side a consolation major.

We had another consolation when Jacob van Rooyen took a mark deep in the pocket, then converted with an around the corner set shot. Kozzy Picket saved the best for last when he took a mark just on the boundary line. His 20m round the body shot just slid inside the upright, and the Dees had three goals in ninety seconds.

The flurry at the end made the final score a more respectable fifty six points.

The last game of the season is against Collingwood. They’ve had their own slump over the last six weeks, but if they play the way they did against the Crows, then we will have our hands full getting over the line. Still, never say never.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!