Hawthorn Hawks defeat Richmond Tigers by 46 points at the MCG in Round 7

DESPITE missing its superstar trio of Mitchell, Hodge and Roughead, Hawthorn kicked its highest score of the season in its win over Richmond.

Shaun Burgoyne celebrates the win over Richmond in Round 7. Photo by Robert Cianflone.

HAWTHORN played for the first time in the Alastair Clarkson era without the superstar trio of Mitchell, Hodge and Roughead — and somehow they managed to kick their highest score of the season.

Conclusive evidence on whether the Hawks can seriously challenge for a fourth successive flag will have to wait for another day.

But one thing is certain — Richmond’s 2016 season is all but over.

The Hawks, featuring a new-look side with five players with 10 games or fewer to their names, and with Sam Mitchell as a late withdrawal, took three quarters to shake off the Tigers before powering away in the last term.

It wasn’t pretty, and it was an arm-wrestle for a considerable period of time, but the powerful nine-goal final term pushed the final result out to a comfortable 46-point victory.

The margin may have flattered the Hawks in the end, but it barely mattered. The triple premiers kicked 12 of the last 15 goals of the game to produce a fifth win in a season punctuated by injury and inconsistent form.

Luke Breust kicked his team’s first three goals and last three goals as the perfect bookends.

After the Tigers had kicked the first three goals of the game, it was left to Breust to reel off a string of goals to kick start the Hawks when it was required. And when the Tigers needed to be closed out in the final term, he stepped forward to deliver the last rites to Richmond’s season.

Hawthorn ran away with the game in the final quarter. Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Josh Gibson was outstanding in defence, constantly providing the rebound action required for the Hawks. Jack Gunston bagged three second term goals as the Hawks gained an advantage at a crucial stage of the match before closing out the game with a fourth goal in the final term.

Isaac Smith and Jordan Lewis clawed their way back into form, with Smith providing great run for his team and Lewis digging in with a strong third term after a slow start to the game.

Billy Hartung responded with a fine performance after being dropped last week, Cyril Rioli made a strong impact every time he went near the ball and Paul Puopolo kicked three goals and provided yet another mark of the week candidate as the Hawks’ forward showed too much for their opponents.

The Tigers, themselves missing captain Trent Cotchin and star defender Alex Rance, were competitive for most of the game, but were too easily brushed aside in the avalanche of goals in the final term.

They remain 1-6 on the ladder, and winless since Round 1.

James Sicily takes a third-quarter mark over Kamdyn McIntosh. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Dustin Martin was tireless for his side, and gained the first clearance of the game to give his side the kick inside 50m to find Nick Vlaustin who goaled within the first 20 seconds of the game.

The Tigers had three on the board before the Hawks could get settled, but Breust and his fellow forwards changed all that.

The Hawks led by four points at the first break and opened it out to 15 at the main change. And the game was delicately poised at three-quarter time when they led by only nine points.

But Richmond reverted back to bad habits and too many turnovers proved costly. Hawthorn opened up with its most prolific quarter of the season to score 9.2 to 3.1 in the final term.

And it doesn’t get any easier for Damien Hardwick’s team as it faces Sydney next week, while the Hawks return to their Tassie haven to take on the winless Fremantle.

HAWTHORN 4.2 9.4 12.8 21.10 (136)

RICHMOND 3.4 6.7 10.11 13.12 (90)

GOALS

Hawthorn: Breust 6, Gunston 4, Puopolo 3, Smith, Sicily, Shiels, Rioli, Lewis, Ceglar, Hill, Hartung

Richmond: Vickery 3, Riewoldt 3, Short 2, Miles 2, Lloyd, Vlastuin, Griffiths

BEST

Hawthorn: Gunston, Breust, Lewis, Gibson, Smith, Hartung, Rioli, Puopolo

Richmond: Martin, Vlaustin, Miles, Vickery, B Ellis, Grigg

Originally published as Hawthorn Hawks defeat Richmond Tigers by 46 points at the MCG in Round 7