Cyril Rioli sparks Hawthorn to 51-point win over West Coast after week of criticism
HAWTHORN and Cyril Rioli answer the critics in emphatic fashion with an extraordinary 51-point win over a spiritless West Coast at the MCG.
THE F-word is a bridge too far at 1-4, but sprigs of regrowth suggest Hawthorn is not a spent force yet.
Old and new Hawks combined to relegate West Coast to a fifth loss from six games at the MCG since the 2015 Grand Final.
Cyril Rioli did the damage then and again on Sunday.
Tom Mitchell channelled the four-time premiership namesake he replaced in the Hawks engine room with a masterful display, while Tim O’Brien emerged in the famous No.23 by booting three goals.
It is a pity only 28,997 fans filed into the MCG to watch Hawthorn wind back the clock against a spiritless West Coast.
Rioli sliced and diced, ducked and weaved, and while not able to affect the scoreboard as heavily as he might have liked, he created chances for others.
His speccie in the first quarter would have brought the Southern Stand down if Rioli had been able to glove the Sherrin.
Rioli, 27, chased and tackled like a Hawk on a mission just days after pundits of all shapes and sizes were lining up to manufacture potential trades for the 2015 Norm Smith Medal winner that could help fast-track the rebuild.
If Sunday night was anything to go by, the rebuild is nothing but a brown and gold renovation.
Luke Breust and Jack Gunston were the beneficiaries early of Rioli’s work in the clinches up the ground, before O’Brien, James Sicily and Jarryd Roughead cashed in on the scoreboard.
Roughead finishing with three majors and in doing so become the fifth Hawthorn player ever to kick more than 500 goals.
The Eagles had no answers for the assault, manufacturing goals in one of two ways.
Dodgy frees and coast-to-coast goals after Hawk errors.
A 50m penalty Josh Kennedy milked in the second quarter would not have been out of place at the Logies down the road.
And one can only imagine the F-word Alastair Clarkson might have muttered watching the replay in the coach’s box.
Jack Darling also got a gift when the umpire ignored a blatant push in the back at the top of the goalsquare.
The Hawks, truth be told, were never truly bothered after quarter-time.
The usual suspects, who realistically, might not be there next time legendary coach Clarkson holds aloft one side of the premiership cup, lifted.
Luke Hodge was possessed in the third quarter, repelling wave after wave of Eagles attacks.
Shaun Burgoyne, who surprisingly started the game on the pine, collected 24 classy disposals in three and half quarters, while Josh Gibson stood up in defence.
But the night belonged to Rioli and the Footy Gods smiled on him once more in the last quarter.
An intercept mark and goal, the death nail to any Eagles comeback, evoking a familiar sound as the “Rioli, Rioli, Rioli” chant echoed over the hallowed turf.
HAWTHORN 3.4 9.8 12.9 19.11 (125)
WEST COAST 2.2 5.5 7.8 11.8 (74)
GOALS
Hawks: O’Brien 3, Breust 3, Roughead 3, Gunston 3, Sicily 2, Shiels, Puopolo, Burgoyne, McEvoy, Rioli
Eagles: Darling 4, Shuey 2, Hill 2, Cripps, Kennedy, Redden
BEST
Hawks: Mitchell, Rioli, Gunston, McEvoy, Shiels
Eagles: Shuey, Cripps, Priddis, Gaff, McGovern
INJURIES
Hawks: James Sicily (corked thigh), Isaac Smith (ankle)
Eagles: Sheppard (knee), Cripps (leg)
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 28,997 at the MCG
Originally published as Cyril Rioli sparks Hawthorn to 51-point win over West Coast after week of criticism