Hot Hawks overwhelm dampened Dogs to book semi-final meeting with Power

Hawthorn’s incredible 2024 season has continued, as Sam Mitchell’s Hawks won 14.15 (99) over the now-eliminated Western Bulldogs’ 9.8 (62).

The Hawks have now won 14 of their past 17 games after an early-season slump that saw them as low as 17th on the ladder – highlighting the incredulous nature of their charge towards a once-inconceivable premiership tilt.  

And unfortunately for the Bulldogs, who had also enjoyed a major spike in form towards the end of the home-and-away season, their season is now over as a result of the 37-point loss.

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MATCH CENTRE: Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn Second Elimination Final scores, stats and more

FINALS FIXTURE: Every game, time and venue plus how the bracket works

Friday night’s win gave Hawthorn its first finals win since the 2015 Grand Final.

The energy emitted from the 97,282 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was at times inexpressible, particularly amid Hawthorn’s rampant second and third terms that made life awfully difficult for Luke Beveridge’s brigade.

At just 19 years of age, emerging spearhead forward Calsher Dear played undoubtedly the best game of his 16-game career, tearing the Bulldogs defence apart with three goals from seven scoring shots, including a dead-eye drop punt from the left forward pocket to leave the Dogs in awe.

The three-goal haul was the third of his short time in the big league and is ultra-exciting for Hawks fans as they envision life down the track without Jack Gunston and Luke Breust.

At 195 centimetres, Dear’s three contested marks gave the Hawks serious aerial presence in a forward line missing Mitch Lewis through an ACL injury.

And not far behind Dear in the livewire column was fellow first-year gem Nick Watson, who bagged four goals himself; well and truly capitalising on the electric atmosphere that so many insist he was born to thrive off. 

Connor Macdonald also continued his stunning form in the second half of ‘24, snagging two goals of his own from 23 disposals and 10 score involvements.

2021 mid-season draftee Jai Newcombe was clearly the best midfielder afield, amassing 35 disposals, nine marks, six inside-50s and a goal in his first ever AFL final.  

It took just 23 seconds for Aaron Naughton to throw the MCG into hysterics, kicking the game’s first goal and catching Hawthorn off-guard at the first bounce.

Momentum ebbed and flowed throughout the opening quarter, but the Sons of the West took early honours thanks to unanswered goals from Adam Treloar and Tim English.

It was at that exact moment, however, where the fun and frivolity for Beveridge’s Bulldogs ended. 

Early returns weren’t promising — and later substantiated — for Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli, who evidently wasn’t at his best for the must-win match. 

The six-time All-Australian and was held to just six disposals and one score involvement in the first half, as the Hawks gained the ascendancy in the second quarter.

Sam Darcy led all Dogs in the first half with three score involvements, while, on the other hand, eight Hawks had three or more.  

While the Dogs’ leader was quelled in the early going, Hawthorn’s captain was making his presence felt — James Sicily led allcomers in the first half with 16 disposals, nine marks and 413 metres gained, playing a typically pivotal sling-shotting role.  

Tom Liberatore and Bontempelli combined for eight clearances in the first half, but Hawthorn was able to notch nine more inside-50s.

The Hawks restricted the Bulldogs to just seven points in the all-important premiership quarter — but despite leading by six goals with a quarter to go — really should have been further ahead, kicking a wayward eight behinds to go alongside their four goals.

Leading by six goals at the final break, the Bulldogs needed something miraculous to wind down the daunting deficit — and with the way the Hawks continued to play, it wasn’t going to happen.

WESTERN BULLDOGS vs. HAWTHORN — AS IT HAPPENED (scroll down for full blog!)

There were no late changes at the MCG, with Jack Macrae (Bulldogs) and Luek Breust (Hawks) the subs for the respective sides.

After being spotted at the London Tavern last night, Jack Ginnivan spoke with Channel 7 pre-game to address his Richmond sighting the night before his side’s elimination final.

“Sam (Mitchell) has a lot of trust in me, and I text him before I went to the pub,” the 2023 premiership player told Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary.

“(I) just had a few waters with my mates and I was home by half time, so pretty cruisy from Sam’s end and Rob (the GM of Football).

“(I’m) laughing and ready to go.”

Coach Mitchell was just as jovial pre-game, telling Fox Footy that “half the team probably went out for dinner last night.”

Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli was held to just six disposals and one score involvement in the first half as the Hawks gained the ascendancy in the second quarter.

Sam Darcy led all Dogs in the first half with three score involvements, while, on the other hand, eight Hawks had three or more.

While the Dogs’ leader was quelled in the early going, Hawthorn’s captain was making his presence felt — James Sicily led allcomers in the first half with 16 disposals, nine marks and 413 metres gained, playing a typically pivotal slingshotting role.

Tom Liberatore and Bontempelli combined for eight clearances in the first half, but Hawthorn as able to notch nine more inside-50s.

Brisbane legend Jonathan Brown noted on Fox Footy: “they (the Dogs) have got to fix that territory up”. The Hawks led the uncontested possession count 120-82.

Jack Ginnivan had the perfect celebration after he dribbled through his first goal of the evening.

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