Veteran goal sneak Luke Breust kicked three majors and helped Hawthorn snatch a thrilling draw with AFL flag fancies Melbourne.
Alastair Clarkson’s 17th-placed side trailed by 27 points midway through the second term and looked gone for all money against the near unbackable flag fancies.
But the Demons were ultimately left to rue missed opportunities in the 11.13 (79) to 12.7 (79) draw, played in front of empty stands at the MCG amid Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdown.
Angus Brayshaw and Kysaiah Pickett both had set shots in the final few minutes that could have sealed a win for Melbourne, before Breust pounced at the back of a pack at the other end.
Neither side could manage a score in the dying stages after the next centre bounce.
Brownlow Medal fancy Christian Petracca was outstanding for Melbourne, particularly in the first half, on his way to racking up 33 disposals, 23 contested possessions and nine clearances.
Clayton Oliver (34 disposals and eight clearances) and Jack Viney (32 and six) were also busy and Bayley Fritsch kicked three goals.
But it was the plucky Hawks who were arguably more impressive, taking it up to their highly-rated opponents in a spirited display.
Hawthorn’s prolific on-baller Tom Mitchell continued to rack up big numbers with 39 disposals and six clearances, while James Worpel and Jaeger O’Meara were also influential.
Breust kicked three goals and tall forward Mitchell Lewis added two in his first game back from several weeks on the sidelines through a concussion sustained in a boxing incident at training.
Melbourne kicked six of the first seven goals, with starting on-ballers Petracca, Viney and Oliver at the heart of their early dominance.
But the Hawks hit back and closed to within five points when Worpel kicked the first goal of the second half, benefiting from a contentious 50-metre penalty against Max Gawn for running through the protected zone.
Hawthorn deserved to be close, pegging the margin back to one point moments before three-quarter time when Mitchell finished a scrappy passage of play.
They hit the front for the first time when Lewis kicked the opening goal of the final term with a set shot from the pocket, teed up by Tyler Brockman’s neat distribution.
It was tight from there and a draw seemed a fitting result, though it could prove costly for Melbourne as teams jostle for finals spots near the top of the ladder.
© AAP
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