Slow kill, but Hawks do the job

Cyril Rioli clears the congestion. He scored 57 SuperCoach points. Picture: Michael Klein

DAVID Attenborough would have marvelled at the devourment.

While those around him at Etihad Stadium may have found this serve of regular season fare hard to digest, the documentary maker would likely have been fascinated by the sight.

The top of the AFL food chain - Hawthorn - awoke from its first-quarter slumber to overcome and eventually overwhelm bottom-feeder St Kilda by 46 points.

In football's version of mother nature, it was inevitable.

The final score was 14.18 (102) to 7.14 (56).

The Hawks kicked 11 goals to five after quarter-time, amassed 320 disposals to 273 in the same time and finished with 32 scoring shots to 21.

It was dominant, if not clinical. Hawthorn's sloppy kicking for goal prevented the sort of blood bath Attenborough sees on safari in Africa, while the Saints were no dead-eyes either.

It was just that sort of game.

After a promising start St Kilda went goalless from the five minute mark of the second term to the 16 minute mark of the third when debutant Darren Minchington kicked one on the run.

They had a crack, St Kilda, but class was always going to prevail.

A Hawthorn side with no Lance Franklin and no Luke Hodge got an even contribution from everyone else to post its 16th win.

Jarryd Roughead finished with five straight and appeared to relish the extra space afforded by the withdrawal of Buddy.

Roughead was a constant threat against an undersized and understrength St Kilda defence that operated without James Gwilt after he was subbed out at half-time.

Gwilt was joined not long into the second half by Jack Gunston, who limped off with a quad injury in the only low-point of the night for the Hawks.

The Hawks had 10 players with 20 disposals or more, headed by Shane Savage who finished with 30.

Mitchell formed one half of the game's most fascinating match-ups opposed to Leigh Montagna. The Hawk midfielder again started at half-back and finished with a typically efficient 24 touches.

But in a move opposition coaches may take note of, Montagna helped himself to 35 and was his side's prime mover.

Nick Riewoldt offered a reminder of his relentless work ethic and played like a man who deserved a bag of six.

The St Kilda skipper had 21 touches and ran himself into the ground for nine marks, but his 1.3 return meant he once again didn't get maximum reward for effort.

Jack Steven added another chapter to his excellent season, Adam Schneider had an impact after coming on as the sub and youngsters Minchington, Josh Saunders, Jack Newnes and Tom Curren showed a bit.

The Saints' run dried up, as it does with young sides, and star power got them in the end.

The Hawks had started with a whimper rather than the snarl we would expect of a premiership contender coming off a humiliating loss the week before.

It was a first quarter in which Alastair Clarkson's mob were made to look ordinary by a hungry young Saints outfit.

The Hawks were smashed in contested ball 39-18 after the opening half hour and had only four hardball gets at the first break - an equal low for them this year.

St Kilda had eight of the first 11 inside 50s and 15-8 for the quarter, but couldn't take full advantage.

Riewoldt had eight disposals and four marks to his name in a flash and was running both Brian Lake and Josh Gibson into the ground.

He had worked so hard, the Saints skipper, he vomited his drink back up at the quarter-time break.

Further up the ground the Hawks were sloppy. Taylor Duryea wasn't looking when Isaac Smith fired a handball his way, Jordan Lewis dropped an easy mark and more handling errors followed.

But it wasn't a script that was going to last. Clarkson might not have even needed to say much at quarter-time, for the tide was always going to turn.

Roughead created a goal out of nothing and when Gunston drilled his second the Hawks were away.

Brad Sewell, fighting for his spot in this side and eager to impress in the absence of Hodge, kicked a brilliant snap 17 minutes into the second term.

Franklin's replacement Matt Spangher volleyed a goal off the ground five minutes later to put the Hawks out of sight, but they were two moments of colour in a largely grey affair.

It was a second term played almost exclusively in Hawthorn's half. The Saints didn't go inside 50m for the last 15 minutes of the first half.

The second half was a slow kill. The only thing missing was the Attenborough voiceover.

SAMMY'S VOTES
3 Jarryd Roughead
2 Sam Mitchell
1 Leigh Montagna

BEST
Hawthorn: Roughead, Mitchell, Savage, Smith, Burgoyne, Gibson, Lewis
St Kilda: Montagna, Riewoldt, Steven, Ray, Dal Santo, Schneider
 

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