Hawthorn have introduced the most vital card to their premiership pack Will Day at the right time of the season only to sub out last year’s finals star Jai Newcombe after he passed a fitness test ahead of the game with Sam Mitchell saying the midfielder would be fine to play Adelaide next week.
It was that sort of night for the Hawks who comfortably won a flat encounter by 24 points in a game that carried as much tension as a morning cup of tea on a beach holiday.
Calsher Dear of the Hawks takes a spectacular mark over Harry O’Farrell of the Blues.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Day, the club’s best player, was the final, and most important cog, to be re-introduced to the fray after being sidelined with a navicular injury since round three.
His return followed last week’s reappearance of key forward Mitch Lewis, just one round after the hugely talented Calsher Dear found form against Fremantle in his second game for the season.
It was the first time the three players had played together.
The match against Carlton was a perfect tune-up as the disjointed and dispirited Blues aren’t capable of providing the sort of resistance the Hawks can expect if they make it to September for the second season in succession.
At least the Blues can take one small win from the night as Charlie Curnow declared he would be staying at the club after reports he had explored a possible trade.
Day received a cheer when he won his first touch in the opening quarter as you’d expect for a player who is so important to the Hawks who have won 17 of the 21 matches he has played since the start of 2024.
Oliver Hollands of the Blues and Will Day of the Hawks wrestle.Credit: Getty Images
He is skilful and tough with his tackling a feature early.
Dear is a future star, his spectacular mark on the quarter time siren a contender for mark of the year. He was exciting in the air taking three memorable grabs in the first half and then a huge grab in the final quarter. He is a lock for one of the key forward posts.
Lewis was impressive too, kicking his first goal since round 18 last season after taking a strong grab early in the game.
He is mobile and demands the ball and will be challenging Mabior Chol for a key forward post in the finals. Jack Gunston kept winding back the clock in an outstanding season with the key forward trio combining for seven goals between them.
Despite all that happening the Hawks were not convincing. Once they opened up a five-goal margin in the first quarter they seemed content to turn the match into a holding pattern.
It was disappointing as there was an opportunity to build percentage in a season where it actually matters when they were 40 points up early in the match.
They won by just four goals when the lead seemed to be more than 10 goals for most of the match.
The Blues may have wanted to put on a show for veteran Sam Docherty’s retirement and Jacob Weitering’s 200th match but they were incapable.
Sam Docherty of the Blues is chaired off the ground following his final game.Credit: Getty Images
The Blues dominated contested ball early but were torched on the outside of the contest with Hawthorn running them ragged.
They threw Tom DeKoning forward alongside Harry McKay while Charlie Curnow roamed far and wide but it didn’t work.
Tom Barrass, Jack Scrimshaw and James Sicily thrashed them taking intercept mark after intercept mark before distributing the ball to any of their runners Jarman Impey, Karl Amon and Massimo D’Ambrosio.
It was Barrass and Sicily’s best games for the season.At half-time McKay had one disposal, Jesse Motlop just two and DeKoning five disposals.
But their midfield was competing, young defender Harry O’Farrell was having a serious dip and Will White showed enthusiasm when he kicked the first of his two goals.
The sting seemed to leave the game until Docherty provided a nice moment when he kicked a goal in the third quarter and took a bow in front of an appreciative crowd.
He played well giving his all as only he can but his teammates weren’t quite on the same page with Curnow having just one touch in the second half, his mind seemingly on sun and surf. He finished the game on the bench.
But the main interest lies in Hawks who are hanging in the top eight and hoping for a lift in performance.
They will hope Newcombe’s injury is minor and that Day, Lewis and Dear can recover and help the team build momentum into finals.
