Round 12: St Kilda v Hawthorn: Hawks’ Day made at Marvel

 

Round 12
St Kilda v Hawthorn,
Thursday 28 May 2026,
Marvel Stadium

 

Goalless halves in football are rare. Until last night, we’d only seen three of them in the last three years. That all changed with an impressive performance under the roof at Marvel, which saw the Hawks hold the Saints goalless to half-time, cruising to a fifty-two-point victory as they leapfrogged Geelong into third. 

 

The win saw Hawthorn secure the Blue Ribbon Cup, their third triumph in a row. The cup, which the Hawks and the Saints have competed for annually since 1999, honours Victorian Police officers Gary Silk and Rodney Miller, who were killed in the line of duty. 

 

In addition to the winning side getting the cup, the best player on each team is awarded the Silk-Miller Memorial Medal. For both Hawthorn and St Kilda, it was one of their co-captains who took out this honour, with James Sicily and Jack Sinclair awarded the medals respectively. 

 

Both defenders started like a house on fire, dominating a first quarter defined by sloppy skills and poor execution. Sicily controlled play, finishing the quarter with eleven touches, nine of them kicks, and six marks. That rebound allowed the midfield, led by Cam McKenzie in what was arguably the best game of his short career, to transition the ball with lightning-fast speed down the ground, with Jack Gunston being the beneficiary. 

 

After sitting out two weeks with a foot complaint, the veteran looked as though he hadn’t missed a beat, presenting well and kicking two early goals. He was supported by fellow forwards Nick Watson, Connor Macdonald, and Jack Ginnivan, who were tireless all game, working up and down the ground to create chances. 

 

The Saints had opportunities but were sloppy, dropping easy marks and missing simple passes. In contrast, the Hawks, at times, made the impossible look easy. Ginnivan mongreed a kick off the side of his boot, floating a ball into the fifty, which was met strongly by Mabior Chol, who, off an incredibly slow run up, converted to give his side a three-goal lead. 

 

Though undermanned, few would have expected St Kilda to play as badly as they did. The second term started just as poorly as the first, with Gunston wasting no time in putting through his third. 

 

On his return, Will Day showed what he added to this Hawthorn side, looking strong in the contest and even getting on the end of a kick inside fifty. He was unable to convert his set shot, however, kicking every bit like a player who’s only managed twenty-odd games over the last three years. Despite his goalkicking woes, he ticked every other possible box on return, getting through the game unscathed and giving himself a solid foundation to build off of in the coming weeks. 

 

One of the more interesting moments of the first half came right at the death, with Watson marking with seconds left on the clock. The Wizard went back and appeared to have nailed his side’s ninth after the siren, celebrating hard with the Hawks faithful in the stands. Confusion ensued after the goal was ruled out, with umpire Brett Wallace ruling that Watson had run off his line while taking his kick. Sam Mitchell has confirmed that the Hawks will seek clarity from the AFL on the decision. 

 

The controversy didn’t dampen the mood for brown and gold fans, with the Hawks taking a fifty-point lead into the main break. Despite the Saints being goalless, the Hawks’ trio of talls having seven between them and the midfield and defensive dominance, it still felt as though the team hadn’t really left second gear. 

 

This would remain the case in the second half, as St Kilda roared to life, kicking six third-term goals. Second gear would prove more than enough for the Hawks, who comfortably batted off the challenge, kicking five of their own for the quarter. Those five included the now-weekly Nick Watson major, where he combined with Mitch Lewis to, as he so often does, use his electric pace to break a contest and run into an open goal. 

 

The Wizard was on fire, finishing with a season high twelve score involvements. He was supported all over the ground, with Cameron Nairn, Bailey Macdonald, Massimo D’Ambrosio, and Jai Newcombe all having impressive games. 

 

Then there’s Blake Hardwick. After being a part of the backline that kept a team goalless in the first half, he was swung forward with Mitchell electing to rest Gunston for the fourth. What followed was pure offensive domination. Hardwick, goalless to that point, finished the game with four majors, making full forward look easy as he flexed his quality. 

 

Hawthorn finished the game fifty-two-point winners, consolidating their spot in the top four. 

 

They’ll face the Bulldogs next, this time at The ‘G, on Friday night, as they look to make it three wins in a row. The Bulldogs will be bolstered this week with Tim English, who, should he make it to the Hawthorn game, will present Lloyd Meek and Ned Reeves with a genuine challenge. The Hawks will hope they don’t have to make any forced changes, with Mabior Chol perhaps in doubt after leaving the ground with trainers and missing much of the last. 

 

No one really put a foot wrong for the Hawks, but if anyone has to make way, most likely for Conor Nash, it’ll probably be the late in, Flynn Perez. If Chol can’t get up, will we see another tall get an opportunity? Will McCabe has been close for weeks now, and there is much hype around draftee Aiden Schubert. While picking who, if anyone, goes out is a challenge, if Jack Scrimshaw’s knee is ok, he too will be in line for a return, with Ollie Greaves and Matt Hill also positioning themselves well to debut. 

 

The Dogs have had their season curtailed by injury, losing Sam Darcy, Tim English, and Tom Liberatore for extended periods. While English may play, the other absentees have been sorely missed, with the Bulldogs winning just two games after going undefeated over the first four rounds. The Hawks, as they did in Gather Round, simply must win if they want to be considered genuine contenders this week. Expect more fast handball movement and another tall forward line as Mitchell looks to keep in touch with the top two.

 

 

ST KILDA       0.2   0.5   6.7     9.13 (67)
HAWTHORN   3.2   8.7  13.11  18.11 (119)

 

GOALS
St Kilda: Silvagni 3, De Koning 2, Wilson, Tauru, Marshall, Windhager
Hawthorn: Gunston 5, Hardwick 4, Lewis 3, Chol 2, Watson 2, Ginnivan, C.Macdonald,

 

BEST
St Kilda: Hall, Silvagni, Wilson, Sinclair
Hawthorn: Gunston, Watson, Sicily, Newcombe, Lewis, Mackenzie

 

INJURIES
St Kilda: Flanders (right Achilles)
Hawthorn: Nil

 

LATE CHANGES
St Kilda: Nil
Hawthorn: Conor Nash (neck soreness), replaced in the selected side by Flynn Perez

 

Crowd: 33,476 at Marvel Stadium

 

More Round 12 Reports HERE

 

Read more from Louie Cina HERE

 

 

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