Round 4 – Hawthorn v St. Kilda: Saints outfly the Hawks in a scintillating display at the ‘G’

 

Hawthorn v St. Kilda

3:20PM, Sunday April 10

MCG

 

The game begins and the Hawks had two goals on the board in the first 80 seconds of play. To prove that this was no fluke, they also kicked the last two of the game in the last 80 seconds of the game. The first of these latter two was from a contender for Mark of the Year by Mitch Lewis. He propelled himself into a pack with one knee on the back of Ben Paton and stretched out his left arm to grab the ball which he then controlled with his right on his chest as he fell to the ground. Ben Paton who had been somersaulted in the process looked up, and smiled in disbelief. How did he do it? This was Lewis’ third for the game. However, both he and the rest of the Hawks had problems with their accuracy in front of goal.

 

Except for these first and last two minutes the Saints were on top for rest of the game, kicking 22.10 (142) to 10.13 (73); their highest score since Round 6 of the 2016 season when they defeated the Demons 20.15 (135) to 15.6 (96). This was a whole team performance with everyone contributing. After conceding the first two goals the Saints kicked six of the next seven in the first quarter. They then scored six to two in the second, two to three in the third and seven to three in the last. Play in the third quarter, especially the first half became quite scrappy with both teams finding the going difficult. Things picked up in the last few minutes of the quarter.

 

Jade Gresham, Brad Hill who played as a half forward flanker, and Tim Membrey chimed in with a goal each in every quarter, all finishing with four for the game. Max King kicked one in the first. He also took a contested mark on the 50, quickly swiveled around and squared the ball on his right with a neat pass to Brad Hill who strolled in for an easy goal. King kicked three in the last to finish with four. All of his goals were from marks on a lead.

 

The Saints’ victory was built on relentless pressure and stopping the Hawks’ ability to run the ball out of the back half. Seven of the goals were from intercepts and turnovers and two were lonesome strolls into the goal square; the second being to Dan Butler in the first quarter. Other than for the grab by Mitch Lewis, Jade Gresham probably kicked the best two goals of the game. The first, the Saints’ opening goal, was from a throw in on the forward 50 where Paddy Ryder palmed the ball to Gresham who from wide out on the boundary line kicked a left footer which curled nicely and then bounced through the big sticks. His second was late in the game where he is on the boundary line in the forward pocket; he received a handpass, baulked an opponent and kicked an easy goal.

 

The Saints played seven Indigenous players: Jade Gresham, Nasiah Wangerneen-Milera, Brad Hill, Marcus Windhager, Paddy Ryder, Ben Long and Jarrod Lienert – the highest number since the Dockers approximately a decade ago. Jarrod Lienert, recruited this year, has been solid at the back and has a good leg on him. Nasiah Wangerneen-Milera and Marcus Windhager, another two recruits, manned the wings. This was Nasiah’s fourth game and his form is steadily improving. Marcus, on his debut had a solid game and made a valuable contribution.

 

The only sad note was Paddy Ryder’s bump on the Hawks’ Will Day, early in the third, which resulted in Day being concussed. After kicking the ball forward Day ran into Paddy who tensed up his body to protect himself. There was nothing malicious in what happened. Hopefully, Paddy won’t be forced to have a rest next week.

 

This was an important win for the Saints. They beat, what many pundits regarded as a team on the rise, quite easily. Whereas against the Dockers and Tigers, respectively, they dug themselves out of trouble and found a way to win, this was a victory based on a four quarter effort, forgetting the first and last two minutes of the game! It is only the fourth round into a long season. We will see what we will see. Suns at home next week on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Hope springs eternal.

 

Go Saints!

 

HAWTHORN    3.3   5.8   7.11   10.13 (73)

ST KILDA      6.1   12.3   15.8   22.10 (142)

 

GOALS

Hawthorn: Lewis, Bruest 3, Moore 2, Reeves, O’Meara.

St. Kilda: Gresham, King, Hill, Membrey 4, Ryder, Butler 2, Steele, Long.

 

BEST: 

Hawthorn: Mitchell, Sicily, Newcombe, Jiath, O’Meara.

St. Kilda: Sinclair, Steele, Crouch, Hill, King.

 

Crowd: 30,926

 

Malarkey Votes: Crouch 1 (StK), Steele 2 (StK), Sinclair 3 (StK).

 

 

 

 

 

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