Hawthorn has battled back from 35 points down to overrun GWS in Launceston to stay undefeated in 2025, prevailing 10.16 (76) to 9.10 (64) in a tense affair.
Against what Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon called a “four-to-five-goal” breeze to the left of screen, the Hawks conceded five unanswered goals in the first quarter before responding with six-straight of their own in the second to lead at the main change.
FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.
“It’s a tornado heading down that (left) end of the ground, so it was good to get on the scoreboard in that (second) quarter and capitalise a little bit,” star Hawks defender Tom Barrass told Fox Footy at half-time.
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE ABOUT TO LOSE. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
“They gave us a good pantsing in the first quarter there, so we’ll … have a look at that and adjust our positions accordingly.”
And while the sides kicked a combined 11 majors going to the left of screen, the Giants managed only two in the third term as Hawthorn stamped its authority with four goals against the breeze to put itself in a match-winning position.
GWS threatened with the first goal of the final term against the wind, but the Hawks continued their territory dominance in key moments to make it four wins from four on the season.
Will Day fought Toby Bedford attention to produce 24 disposals and a goal from four scoring shots, while Lachie Whitfield’s 34 disposals led the way for the visitors.
Nick Watson told Fox Footy post-game: “We knew it was going to be like that, the boys fought hard, and it was a tough start. (The third quarter) was an adjustment, we knew us forwards needed to start moving and we were a bit slack in the first quarter.”
THE 3-2-1 (what we learned) …
3. HOT HAWKS RESPOND TO ‘PANTSING’ TO STAY PERFECT
The Hawks overturned a 35-point deficit to prevail by 12 points at their second home in Launceston, moving to 4-0 on the season in a show of “great maturity”.
They started slow, however, with the Giants recording 16 more inside-50s, 13 more contested possessions and 22 more points from turnover in the first term en route to a 5.7 (37) to 0.2 (2) quarter-time scoreline.
“They gave us a good pantsing in the first quarter there, so we’ll be able to have a look at that and adjust our positions accordingly,” star defender Tom Barrass told Fox Footy.
Hawthorn responded in the second stanza, though, with its half-forward stars Dylan Moore and Nick Watson starting to involve themselves.
The Hawks booted six unanswered of their own to lead at half-time.
“I think the high half-forwards have really had a say in terms of the scoring chains … he (Watson) shows great strength, he’s had some really good moments in terms of the tackle pressure and certainly the marking contests,” four-time Hawks flag-winner Jordan Lewis told the Fox Footy broadcast.
“But if you can win the centre bounce and be able to take that ball forward with some speed and give your forwards a chance to react one-on-one, it certainly means you get a great advantage forward of the ball.”
After 11 combined goals to the left of screen in the first two quarters, the Hawks limited the Giants to just two goals in the third with the breeze as the hosts piled on four of their own to put themselves in a match-winning position — and they held their nerve in a tense final term.
Post-match, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley praised Hawthorn’s “great maturity” in the early stages of the season.
“I was concerned about the expectation coming in (this year) off the back of what they swept to in the back half of last year, but they’ve handled that with aplomb,” Buckley said on Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live.
“They haven’t worried about the past or what’s coming, they’re just dealing with the moment, and they’ve played really solid football.
“The first 16 quarters have been excellent. Rarely have they been bested, and when they have, they’ve found a way through it in the next period of time to be able to knock their opposition over. Excellent start.”
Should Mansell cop 3-weeks for shove? | 01:46
2. ‘FOUR-TO-FIVE GOAL’ TASSIE ‘TORNADO’ CAUSES CHAOS
Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon called it a “four-to-five-goal” breeze at the outset, and the Giants took full advantage in the first, kicking five unanswered goals.
Hawthorn, predictably, hit back in the second quarter with the breeze in its favour, booting six consecutive goals of its own.
Hawthorn’s Barrass said at half-time: “It’s a tornado heading down that end of the ground, so it was good to get on the scoreboard in that (second) quarter and capitalise a little bit.”
It was a starkly different story in the second half, however. After 11 combined goals to the left of screen in the first two quarters, the Giants managed just two goals in the third quarter kicking with the breeze as the Hawks snagged four of their own against the flow to put themselves in a match-winning position.
Then, up 20 points going into the final term, the Hawks were held goalless by GWS in the fourth as the visitors jagged two goals against the breeze to make the hosts sweat.
And on a night where one of the UTAS Stadium light towers momentarily went out, it’s probably fair to say both sides will enjoy returning home in the coming rounds.
1. GIANTS FALL AWAY AFTER ‘REALLY STRONG’ START
The visiting Giants applied their trademark pressure and surging end-to-end ‘tsunami’ ball movement to produce a 35-point quarter-time lead, but they couldn’t sustain that output for the rest of the contest.
“They (the Giants) have been able to force Hawthorn into error,” former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told the Fox Footy broadcast at quarter-time.
Coach Adam Kingsley also said: “It was really good, obviously we’re kicking with a really strong breeze so that certainly helped our cause, but I thought the way that we played was really strong — when we won the ball back, we were able to use our handball really well, but if we didn’t, we used our kick well, so it was good.”
But there wasn’t a heap of good from then on as the Hawks progressively were able to force them into errors and play their territory-dominant style of game.
In the forward half, it was far from an impactful display on a night not suited for attackers, but high-profile Giants recruit Jake Stringer showed signs he will add to an already potent forward set up once he finds his feet.
He missed a couple of chances early and went goalless with three behinds, but finished with 14 touches and worked hard. Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan kicked four goals, but two of those came early and he was kept relatively quiet for the rest of the game.
— with NCA NewsWire
Relive Hawthorn v GWS in our blog below!
The Giants, who were coming off their bye, were at full strength for the first time this season as marquee off-season recruit Jake Stringer made his club debut alongside recalled tall timber Jesse Hogan and Kieren Briggs.
It’s evidently a different environment for Stringer in New South Wales than it was in Victoria with the Bombers.
“(I) come here, train, go home (and) not really talk about footy,” Stringer told reporters on Friday.
“(I can) go to the supermarket and just be a normal human, it’s nice. (I can) go to the beach with the kids and no one will even notice me — it’s quite nice actually.”
Discussion about this post