Round 6 – Hawthorn v Port Adelaide: Hawks edge past Port in a thriller

 

Round 6

Hawthorn v Port Adelaide

4.15pm, Saturday 18th April, 2026

Marvel Stadium

 

A rampant Hawthorn Hawks were in Hockball execution mode in an electric first quarter and put Port Adelaide Power to the sword but not without a massive scare in the second half.

Port key forward Mitch Georgiades had the chance to win the game, but his shot went to the left of the big uprights. The Hawks held its nerve in the frenetic final seconds to close the game out under a closed roof at Marvel Stadium 13.11 to 11.8.

Three of the best small forwards in the competition – Nick Watson (five goals), Dylan Moore and Jack Ginnivan kicked the first three goals of the game for Hawthorn to set the home side alight in the first quarter. “The Wizard” Watson was spellbinding and booted three goals in the first term in ex-Power wingman Karl Amon’s 200^th AFL game. Six inside-50s for five scoring shots yielded four goals via nippy small forwards Moore, Watson and Ginnivan before key forward Mitch Lewis (three goals) added another.

Ewan Mackinlay earned a free kick after Tom Barrass’s high tackle, scoring the Power’s first goal despite Hawthorn’s momentum. Corey Durdin, lively early for Port, hit-up by Ollie Wines made it his team’s second goal on the bit.

The returning Calsher Dear was on the end of a fortuitous kick from Cam MacKenzie. The Hawthorn midfield machine was simply smashing Port Adelaide’s mids.

There was a lift in intensity as the Power worked its way into the contest and Zak Butters, with three touches to this point, kicked Port’s third out of the previous four goals before the ‘Wizard’ Watson earned his second goal via a free kick from a Kane Farrell high tackle.

Mitch Georgiades and Jack Whitlock were the beneficiaries of quick corridor ball movement with successive goals to drag the deficit to 13 points. A third major in a row and a second to Georgiades closed it to seven in a spirited turnaround.

It continued and a pinpoint pass by Todd Marshall resulted in Jason Horne-Francis slotting another. Whitlock then rose above a pack to get his second and Port hit the lead and Horne-Francis made the lead 11.

After an arm-wrestle to start the second half, that little man Watson booted goals four and five, a career high and suddenly the Hawks wrested back the lead. The home team’s intensity lifted back to what it was early in the piece.

It was classic Jekyll and Hyde Port and Lewis booted his second to what is the ‘scoring end’. Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines made the margin within a kick as the trend of the game was pure one-on-one footy. A rushed defensive kick from Amon ended with Mackinlay’s second goal and Port were one-point behind at three-quarter-time.

Butters overcooked a kick after a crunching tackle on Moore and it was a matter of which team would take its opportunities. Ginnivan kicked a snap out on the full while earlier Jordan Sweet missed chances either side of the final quarter break.

Josh Burgoyne marked a quick and clever kick by Horne-Francis and he calmly put the Power one goal ahead. Hawthorn debutant William McCabe marked and booted a long-bomb from more than 50-metres out. A Hawks centre clearance gave Lewis a free kick, and he scored his third goal to restore his team’s six-point lead.

The hosts had the chance the lock away the win minutes before the final siren. Lochie Jones attacked the ball and then gathered it to kick an inspirational goal for Port before Georgiades’ miss.

 

THE WIZARD PUTS ON A SHOW

There was witchcraft aplenty in the Hawthorn forward line and Nick Watson was the star of the group. He booted three goals in the Hawks’ spellbinding first quarter on way to a 26-point quarter-time lead. Watson proved to all as to why he’s the best small forward in the AFL.

POOR(T) START PROVES COSTLY

Just like against St Kilda last week at Adelaide Oval, Port Adelaide were powerless a first-quarter assault by Hawthorn. It was 25-0 in a blink of an eye and Nick Watson set the early tone and there was much for the Power to do.

To Port Adelaide’s credit, the team fought back and even had a golden opportunity to win via Mitch Georgiades late set shot on goal. Port coach Josh Carr would lament poor starts to games. Fix that and then the Power will be a dangerous proposition.

 

HAWTHORN  7.3   7.5   11.6   13.11 (89)

PORT ADELAIDE  3.1   9.2   11.6   13.8 (86)

GOALS

Hawthorn: Watson 5, Lewis 3 Dear 2, Ginnivan; McCabe; Moore

Port Adelaide: Georgiades; Horne-Francis; Whitlock; Mackinlay; Durdin 2 Butters; Wines; Burgoyne; Jones

BEST (Nick’s best)

Hawthorn: Watson, Barrass, Newcombe, Lewis, MacDonald, D’Ambrosio, Battle

Port Adelaide: Horne-Francis, Butters, Wines, Aliir, Marshall, Jones, Berry     

Injuries

Port Adelaide: nil.

Hawthorn: nil.

Crowd: 37, 070

 

Read more from Nick Kossatch (KOSSYPOWERMAN) HERE.

Visit Nick’s website HERE.

 

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