Hawthorn overcomes inspired Nat Fyfe performance to keep faint finals hopes alive

Fremantle skipper Nathan Fyfe threatened to single-handedly will his side back into the contest before Hawthorn kicked clear to keep its finals hopes alive on Saturday.

Mitch Lewis flies high to pull down a pack mark during Hawthorn’s victory. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images.

A herculean effort from Nathan Fyfe was not enough drag Fremantle across the line against Hawthorn as the Hawks continue to inch their way closer to the top eight.

In a critical match for both team’s finals aspirations, Hawthorn withstood a stirring Fyfe-led comeback from the Dockers to back up last week’s upset of Collingwood 12.12 (84) to 8.5 (53) in Launceston.

MALTHOUSE: LETHAL TIGERS STILL A FLAG THREAT

GOLDSACK: WHY THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN FOOTY

The win was aided by invaluable contributions from returning duo Grant Birchall and Chad Wingard.

Playing his first match in more than two years, Birchall showed exactly why he is so highly rated within the walls at Hawthorn with 21 disposals, while off-season recruit Wingard kicked two goals and gathered 15 possessions on his return from a hamstring injury which had sidelined him since round 11.

Coach Alistair Clarkson said if the duo can get some continuity, they could provide the X-factor as the Hawks look to make their charge in the last month of the season.

“Just seeing how they go in the last six or seven rounds of the season could give us a bit of hope and belief they can make really strong contributions for us,” Clarkson said.

“We haven’t seen Birch for two years, which is a long time out of footy and prior to that he had a broken jaw and that PCL injury which interrupted his 2017 season too.

“He has effectively missed three years of footy and people are saying Birchall is over 30 and will you make a decision on him at the end of the year.

“Well if he hasn’t played for effectively three years, we have three years of a fresh player up our sleeve in a sense as long as his knee can cope with the rigors of the game.

“That’s a little bit of an if because he had a serious PCL injury and they are nasty injuries, but we think we have a fresh player now.

“He is [a vital cog] and we saw a bit of that quality today… he is a high quality performer that played in a side that a lot of others got the credit for being outstanding footballers, and they were, but he is one that within the walls of our footy club we rate really highly.”

With his side goalless and trailing by 30 points midway through the second quarter — and having left the field for treatment on his troublesome right shoulder — Fyfe returned and booted three goals in the term to drag his side back into the contest.

The skipper broke free from a Daniel Howe tag to twice convert set shots from strong marks, before snapping another brilliant major under pressure deep into time on.

The visitors then jagged the opening goal of the third stanza through Cam McCarthy to inch within three points, and had the opportunity to take the lead only for Brandon Matera and Adam Cerra to miss golden chances.

Having been pinned in their back half for 15 minutes the Hawks finally surged forward where Conor Nash crumbed a clever goal and when Luke Bruest latched onto a loose ball 30m from goal shortly after and snapped truly the home side had restored order.

Daniel Howe puts the clamps on Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe. Picture: AAP

A pair of goals to impressive forward Tim O’Brien pushed the advantage out to 21 points at the final change, which proved enough with the home side coming home with the aid of the breeze.

Recruit Chad Wingard, who had one of his better games for his new club, sealed the victory when he marked uncontested 35m in front at the 14 minute mark of the final quarter after Fremantle gave away a 50m penalty on the wing.

In a tightly fought affair it was Hawthorn’s ability to penalise the Dockers’ mistakes which proved the difference, with four of the Hawks first six goals coming from a scoring chain which began with a turnover from the visitors.

Emerging midfielder James Worpel and Jaeger O’Meara collected 29 contested possessions between them and 56 in total, as well as 14 clearances, to lead the onball unit, with Ricky Henderson (25 touches, 11 marks) pivotal with his outside run and carry.

Mitch Lewis flies high to pull down a pack mark during Hawthorn’s victory. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images.

Lewis and Luke Bruest finished with three goals apiece, Wingard and Oliver Hanrahan kicked two and in his first AFL game in more than two years local star Grant Birchall slipped seamlessly into his halfback role with 21 disposals.

Fyfe’s game high 16 contested touches among his 24, six marks and eight tackles will see him vie for best afield honours, while Brad Hill had 37 as the Dockers slumped to a fourth straight defeat to see their own finals hopes slip further away.

SCOREBOARD

HAWTHORN 3.1 5.5 9.8 12.12 (84)

FREMANTLE 0.3 4.3 6.5 8.5 (53)

GOALS

Hawthorn: Lewis 3, Breust 3, Hanrahan 2, Wingard 2, Hardwick, Nash

Fremantle: Fyfe 3, S.Hill, McCarthy, Tucker, Matera, Lobb

BEST

Hawthorn: Worpel, Lewis, O’Meara, Henderson, Breust

Fremantle: Fyfe, B.Hill, Walters, Blakely, Langdon

INJURIES

Hawthorn: Nil

Fremantle: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Deboy, Whetton, McInerney

Official crowd: 13,006 at University of Tasmania Stadium

Originally published as Hawthorn overcomes inspired Nat Fyfe performance to keep faint finals hopes alive