A spirited Hawthorn Hawks team finally recorded their first win of the season, defeating a very poor West Coast Eagles by 51 points at MCG.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Hawthorn Hawks 19.11.125
West Coast Eagles 11.9.75
In the Sunday twilight game the Hawthorn Hawks will take on the West Coast Eagles at the MCG. Join The Roar for live scores from the game and a live blog of the match, starting from 4:40pm AEST.
Hawthorn’s fall from grace has been much steeper than expected. Most punters and experts expected the Hawks to fall to around the 7-10 position but seems that the Hawks are going to finish much lower, starting the season 0-4.
The last two weeks they have lost to Gold Coast by 86 points and on Easter Monday they were defeated by Geelong, also by 86 points.
West Coast have been hard to read this season. In patches they look like a premiership side but then look really ordinary at other times. The Eagles have managed to get to 3-1 with their only loss being to Richmond at the MCG.
Hawthorn have really missed the experience and effectiveness in the middle of Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis and have had many players play well below their best including Josh Gibson, Shaun Burgoyne, Cyril Rioli and Jarryd Roughead.
West Coast have struggled at the MCG having lost four of their last five at the venue. The only time the Eagles have defeated the Hawks at the ‘G was back in round 14, 2006. The Eagles need to prove that they can play well at the ‘G if they are to be taken as serious finals contenders.
The Hawks have brought in young defender Daniel Howe for Ricky Henderson who has been omitted from the side. The Eagles have brought in forward Jack Darling for former Hawks star Sam Mitchell who has an ankle injury.
The key matchup of the game will be Josh J Kennedy matching up against James Frawley. Frawley will need to shut down the two-time Coleman Medalist for the Hawks to have a real chance of winning this game.
Prediction
The Eagles don’t have a great record playing at the MCG but should still get over the line as the stronger team against a struggling Hawthorn side.
Eagles by 17.
Join The Roar for live scores from the match and a live blog of the game, starting from 4:40pm AEST.
Bob
Guest
Eagles got belted by Hawks and Dogs end of last season, exposing their lack of pace and disposal skills under heat. They had an offseason and trade season to address those problems and what did they get - a slow old senior with good footskills!? But guess what - theyre still slow in the midfield...go figure? It's Priddis, Shuey and Gaff, same old-same old. They needed to import at least another Shuey, another linebreaker with pace. Instead theyve got Redden, Jetta, Duggan - not much movement at the station? At their worst, they just look old-school. Do some players need to go. Is it the coach? does Clarkson simply have the wood on his former assistant? its hard to believe that an inert footy oval can have a hoodoo on players..mucho commentator mumbo jumbo. Is the hoodoo in an isolated culture in a faraway sunny clime, or between the ears? oh well, next weeks Derby takes a new twist.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
That's interesting. It shows how poor the Eagles are at the 'G.
Peppsy
Roar Guru
If he'd missed it would've been 3 in a row at the mcg by 46
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Sorry 51 points. Match Report willl be up soon
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
» Click here to read the full match report Full time The Hawks dominate the Eagles and get their first win of the season winning by 52 points. Match report will be up soon.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Hawks Goal Jack Gunston kicks his third as the Hawks extend their lead to 51.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Hawks Behind Shiels sells the candy to an Eagles defender and then kicks at goal but misses to the near side. Hawks by 44
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Hawks Goal Gunston lines up from 43 metres out and makes no mistake. Hawks by 43
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Cripps being carried off by trainers, he has a leg injury of some sort.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Eagles Goal Josh Hill ducks and weaves past a Hawks defender and kicks a goal from the goal square. Hawks lead by 37 points.
Kurt
Guest
Wow, quite a turn around for the Hawks compared with the first 4 rounds. That's the level of effort and performance this team should now deliver for the rest of the season. Finals are a definite possibility and that's what we should be targeting with the objective of continuing to develop our younger players, maintaining a winning culture and evolving our style of play.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Hawks Goal Hardwick boots it inside 50 to a contest where Big Boy McEvoy takes the grab. He kicks it from 20 and makes no mistake. Hawks by 43
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Eagles Goal Shuey unloads from 60 metres and splits the middle after winning a free kick for in the back. Hawks: 16.9.105 Eagles: 10.8.68
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Cyril!!! He takes an absolute screamer over a pack but lands awkwardly, although he looks to be okay. Hawks still lead by 43 points
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Hawks Goal The Hawks reply straight away with Burgoyne kicking the goal. Great effort from Rioli to force a contest with two Eagles players, the valley ends up with Roughead who gives off the hands to Burgoyne who runs into the open goal. Hawks by 43
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Eagles Goal Redden kicks his first for the afternoon after winning a free kick for in the back just outside the Eagles goal square. Hawks by 37
S
Guest
Why on earth is he still playing. I'm the most positive eagles supporter in the land but I can't defend him at all. Why the fffffff is he playing. He runs all day yeah, but the more they give him the ball then the more it's turned over
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Should be a good but sorry FreoFan I think the Eagles might just get the chocolates. Can't wait for the contest though and you never know what Eagles will turn up.
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Eagles Goal Gaff gives off the hands to Shuey who runs into the fifty and kicks a goal for the Eagles... finally. Hawks by 43
Callum Thomson
Roar Guru
Another Hawks Goal Another goal for Roughead. He contests the boundary throw in and then receives the hands from Hodge and then makes to in a row for himself. Hawks by 49