A dominant Gold Coast outing on their home turf has thrown Hawthorn’s season from bad to worse, delivering a thumping 53-point win.
Consistenly ahead of the Hawks all game, Damien Hardwick’s men increased their margin over the visitors every quarter; never really entertaining the idea of an upset.
Now with a club record not seen since 1970 – Hawthorn have gone winless from their first five games, and are now desperate to change things with a match-up against the also-winless North Melbourne next Sunday evening.
Noah Anderson was sensational in the engine room for Gold Coast, registering 36 disposals, eight tackles and a goal from his four-quarter effort.
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He was well-accompanied by the usual suspects in the Suns engine room – Touk Miller (28 disposals, 5 clearances) and Matt Rowell (23 disposals, 5 clearances and a goal) while Sam Flanders (33 disposals) starred across halfback for the second straight week.
Up forward it was tall Ben King who took the reigns, who kicked 4.4 from his 10 disposals, the Suns displayed a level of poise and control that continues to keep opposition teams in the all-important top eight on their toes.
A hamstring injury to Malcolm Rosas Jnr slightly soured an otherwise smooth performance from the home team, as veteran David Swallow kicked three goals in just over a quarter in the match.
AS IT HAPPENED…
(Jai Newcombe’s) so critical to the midfield and how they do go about it as a side… he’s the target player that needs to be clean on exit,” Fox Footy analyst and former Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson told the broadcast pre-game.
Academy gun Ethan Read opened the account for Gold Coast just 51 seconds into the match, given a free kick and converting nicely on a slight angle to draw first blood.
Malcolm Rosas Jnr followed suite from a much tighter angle three minutes later, slotting one from the right forward pocket with precision on his left boot.
The crafty Jack Ginnivan and gritty Finn Maginness missed gettable set shots in the first six minutes, with the latter identified as playing a tagging role on the Suns’ Sam Flanders.
“Finn Maginness playing an unusual defensive forward role on Flanders, we saw Flanders go to half-back last week to great effect, and obviously Hawthorn want to nullify his impact,” Channel Seven’s Campbell Brown highlighted boundary side in the first quarter.
“Finn Maginness has started well this game… he has been a standout early in this game,” play-by-play caller Luke Darcy added minutes later.
Darcy’s comments were well-timed, with Maginness breaking Hawthorn’s drought in front of goal less than a minute later.
“This game’s being played at extraordinary speed,” Darcy added in the second part of the first term.
After a somewhat quiet start to the match, Ginnivan and his relationship with the umpires has again a talking point.
The Hawthorn small forward gave Suns key defender Mac Andrew a light push on the wing, before Andrew retailiated with a bump that smoked Ginnivan to the floor.
“We know when a player flops, and Jack Ginnivan didn’t flop – Andrew hit him far and square in the middle of the back and put him to ground, and that should’ve been a free.”
The whole Channel Seven commentary team was in agreeance over the incident.
“You can’t do that in (the) modern game, hit someone from behind and they go to ground – I don’t think he’s faking that, that’s genuine body contact,” fellow commentator Jobe Watson said.
“Any other player and they’ll pay a free kick,” added Shaun Burgoyne.
“He’s just that great pest Jack Ginnivan, he tries to seduce a free kick, and I totally get that the free kick was there… it’s a fascinating watch, you can’t keep your eyes off it,” Luke Darcy finished by saying.
“That happened right in front of me, and that is a free kick every single day of the week to Jack Ginnivan – so the umpires are saying there’s no preferential treatment against him, that is absolutely incorrect,” exclaimed Brown.
Gold Coast 4.4 (28) led a wasteful Hawthorn 1.4 (10) at quarter time.
Another Suns Academy player Sam Clohesy nailed his second goal for the night, piercing the big sticks on the run from just inside the 50 metre arc.
Maginness then slotted his second set shot of the evening for Hawthorn’s reply, joining opponent Clohesy as a multiple goal kicker and bringing the margin back in to 21 points.
“Multiple goals for Finn Maginness for the first time (in his AFL career) – it’s great reward for his effort, always playing the team first role (and now) he’s getting on the end of a couple,” Luke Darcy said.
There was just one score after Maginness’ goal before half time, falling the way of Gold Coast via a rushed behind.
At the main break, Gold Coast 6.8 (44) leads Hawthorn 3.4 (22).
Speaking on Fox Footy’s half-time coverage of the match, AFL greats Ben Dixon and Eddie Betts were complimentary of the synergy Gold Coast have had so far in defence.
“Mac Andrew, he can do no wrong – last week (he had) 16 intercept possessions, every time he comes out there, he has that long fist (for spoiling)… he can do no wrong,” Betts said.
“When you’re looking at Sam Collins, he’s doing such a good job on Mabior Chol that he gives that freedom to Mac Andrew to say ‘You go, you intercept,’ – he’s finding himself down at half-forward,” Dixon added.
“And that’s what it is, when Collins is locking down on Mabior Chol, he can roll off, play in front of his opponent; hoping that the midfielders can put on that pressure of a high kick,” replied an impressed Betts.
Young Hawk Cam Mackenzie was subbed out tactically at half time, with coach Sam Mitchell choosing to inject Henry Hustwaite earlier than expected.
Ben King kicked two goals in two minutes to start the third term, putting Hawthorn on the back foot with their fast start much like the first half.
Ginnivan eventually replied for the Hawks, snapping beautifully on the run from 40 metres out to bring the margin back in to 29 points.
“Ginnivan loves this opportunity – that’s what they pay him for; he loved it off the boot, and there’s his celebration,” Darcy said during the play-by-play.
On fire to start the third term, Ben King slotted this third at the halfway mark of the quarter to kick his fourth, and push the Suns to a six-goal lead that looks harder and harder for the Hawks to chase down.
In less positive news for Suns fans, Malcolm Rosas Jnr hobbled from the ground with a hamstring injury, instantly ending his time in the game and bringing veteran David Swallow into the match as his replacement.
Swallow tonight passes brother and former North Melbourne gun Andrew Swallow in career games, notching up his 225th game in red and yellow for Gold Coast.
He is also the only player to play over 200 games for the franchise since their establishment into the competition in 2011.
Maginness kicks his third goal for the match, in what may be a unique find up forward for the Hawks in an otherwise stagnant performance so far.
Ethan Read was the last to trouble the scorers in the third term, kicking his second for the match with a beautiful soccer off the ground; pushing Gold Coast’s score out to 11.10 (76) over Hawthorn’s 5.6 (36) – a 40-point lead at the last break.
David Swallow brought immediate impact in the final term, kicking two goals in as many minutes to push out his side’s lead to 52 points.
Incredibly, the 31-year-old then kicked his third for the term before the halfway mark of the last quarter, slotting a beautiful set shot from long range to well and truly push his case for a spot in Damien Hardwick’s starting 22 next weekend against Sydney.
After a quiet game, Mabior Chol kicked his first goal against his old club in reply, with just six disposals and a mark to his name.
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