Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
AT the 25-minute mark of the third term Collingwood looked right in the contest and was coming hard at Hawthorn.
But three minutes and a couple of moments of individual brilliance later, the Pies were 27 points down and the game had realistically slipped from their clutches.
The Magpies were grinding away in the third quarter, and drew to within two points midway through the term.
Even a highly unusual intervention by the umpire 50 metres from play, which ultimately led to a superb Brad Sewell left-foot snapped goal, did not halt Collingwood's charge (skipper Scott Pendlebury was penalised on the wing for a throw, even though the umpire 10-metres from play seemed satisfied he had actually fired a slick handpass out of traffic).
Hawthorn's Brad Sewell had 26 disposals in a stand-out performance. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia
But the decisive moments of the match came between the 25 and 28-minute marks of the third term, when Hawthorn slotted three team-lifting goals in a row.
First Luke Breust, who looked a threatening forward all day, ran on to a crumb at the back of a pack 30 metres from goal.
Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
A minute later Cyril Rioli, who had been relatively quiet, made the Sherrin sing by gathering a loose ball in the forward pocket and delivering a remarkable overhead handball that allowed Brad Hill to run into an open goal.
Just moments later, the 173-centimetre Paul Puopolo leapt onto a pack that included ruckmen David Hale and Lachlan Keefe to pluck in a grab and convert from 45 metres.
Magpie tagger Brent Macaffer played on Hawthorn speedster Brad Hill. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia
Although the Pies toiled away in the final term, Hawthorn had seen off their challenge and were never going to lose from a 21-point lead at the final change.
It was an entertaining match with absorbing man-on-man contests all over the field.
In the centre square, Hawthorn's midfield generals Sewell, Jordan Lewis and Luke Hodge took on Pendlebury, Dayne Beams and company, and while they returned similar statistics, the Hawks mids were more influential.
Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
Pendlebury's class notwithstanding, the Hawthorn combination also used the ball more precisely.
Sewell, who continually seems to have to prove his worth, certainly did so here, winning 11 contested possessions and moving to quell Pendlebury when the Pies playmaker was beginning to have a real influence in the second half.
Scott Pendlebury amassed 35 disposals. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia
From the outset Collingwood elected to send its primary stopper, Brent Macaffer, to dangerous Hawks wingman Brad Hill, and the pair played out an intriguing and, at times, niggly duel in the first half.
At times Macaffer looked unable to go with Hill, whose silky disposal and searing pace set up several scoring chances. But the Pies tagger looked to push into dangerous positions himself, and persisted so well that by the final siren he had taken the honours.
In attack Hawthorn's ability to share the load between 10 goalkickers was more potent than Collingwood's reliance on Travis Cloke and a handful of goalsneaks.
Jarryd Roughead kicked three goals. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia
From the opening bounce the Hawks looked the more organised outfit. They were prepared to play on, run and back themselves and were outstanding in the way they worked the ball into their forward 50. Their kicking was incisive and difficult to counter.
When the Hawks lost possession they were disciplined in the way they set up a zone defence and filled space, forcing Collingwood to travel route one and bomb it long to Cloke. Jesse White was disappointing, not just because he had little influence, but also because he allowed Matt Spangher to drop back to help Brian Lake double-team Cloke.
Early on Collingwood had to rely on manufacturing goals. Its first three goals came from: a 55-metre bomb from Clinton Young after he ran on to a handball out the back; Brent Macaffer running into an open goal after a Brad Hill turnover in the middle; and a Jamie Elliott set-shot after Matt Suckling elected to bump instead of tackle Paul Seedsman.
Travis Cloke was one of the best players on the ground in a losing side, kicking five goals. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia
But Cloke fought on gamely. He almost single-handedly dragged the Pies back into the contest with three goals in the second quarter, including one on the half-time siren that reduced the margin to nine points.
He converted a brilliant 45-metre set shot from the boundary in the final quarter, and showed an impressive workrate, such as the time early in the third quarter when he put in a fantastic chase as Isaac Smith took three bounces streaming into the Hawks forward line, forcing a rushed kick.
In the end Hawthorn's class, superior ball use and moments of brilliance were the difference between the teams.
Hawthorn had too much firepower for Collingwood's inexperienced defence. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia
HAWTHORN 17.13 (115)
COLLINGWOOD 13.8 (86)
WARWICK GREEN'S BEST
HAW: Sewell, Breust, Birchall, Hodge, Lewis, Spangher.
COLL: Cloke, Pendlebury, Elliott, Macaffer, Ball, Beams.
VOTES
3 — Sewell (Haw)
2 — Cloke (Coll)
1 — Breust (Haw)
