AFL Round 16 West Coast v Hawthorn: Hawks within two points of top eight after dismantling Eagles in Perth

They lost their first five games and looked like the rebuild had failed. Fast forward 10 weeks and Hawthorn are just two points outside the top eight. Is finals on the cards?

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said he thought his side took a step forward in its maturity on Sunday, by winning their first game outside of Victoria or Tasmania,

The Hawks looked a class above West Coast at Optus Stadium, running away with the contest after half-time, winning by 61 points.

With big games coming on the road, starting next weekend with a clash against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, he said it’s something his young Hawks have to do more often.

“It’s a step forward for our maturity today that we’re able to get a win on the road and hopefully that’s the first of a run because we’re gonna have to play more games coming up,” he said.

“And we need to be able to win them on the road.

“That’s what the best sides do. It doesn’t matter where they play, they can perform and we haven’t been that just yet.

“We went into this season thinking we need to put ourselves in winnable positions much more often than we have and we’ve been able to do that for the most part.

“You can’t afford to be a team in this national competition that that loses away all the time. And that’s has been us unfortunately.”

Not that the Hawks have to pack too many times over the remaining qualifying games.

Of the eight games they have left to play before finals, only three aren’t at the MCG or in Tasmania.

After playing Geelong next week, they head to Adelaide in round 10 to face the Crows and to Manuka Oval in round 21 to take on Greater Western Sydney.

Sam Mitchel speaks to the Hawks at the three-quarter-time huddle. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos

Mitchell said his team also needs to be mindful about becoming complacent.

As well as winning on the road, the Hawks have now won five consecutive games and seven of their past eight.

Since starting the season 0-5, they have only lost two of their past 10 games.

“You know, we deserve to feel confident, but that doesn’t give you the right to be complacent and that sometimes can be a fine line,” he said.

“I love that our players play with an enormous amount of confidence and so long as we keep it as confidence and not as complacency, then I’m all for it.

“And I think that’s when we’ve played our best footy and that’s going to continue to be a challenge for us over this next block.

“Certainly, in my coaching time, we’ve never been in a position like this, where every game really matters for your season.

“The players actually are loving that.”

Mabior Chol kicked two goals on Sunday. Picture: Jack Foley/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

MATCH REPORT: HAWKS’ CLEAR RUN TO FINALS

Hawthorn’s 61-point win over West Coast on Sunday was the Hawk’s fifth on the trot and their seventh victory from their past eight games.

But this one was a bit different. It was away from home, at Optus Stadium.

Forget the fact it was against the 16th placed Eagles. They’ve beaten Fremantle and Melbourne there this season.

They were also welcoming back midfielders Tim Kelly and Harley Reid back into the team.

The Hawks had lost all three games outside of Victoria and Tasmania this season before Sunday’s 14.10 (94) to 4.9 (33) result.

Jack Ginnivan shushes the crowd after kicking a goal Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Their previous away wins were at Marvel Stadium, against North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs and at the MCG, against Richmond.

After sitting in 17th position with one win and six losses, after their round 7 loss to the Sydney Swans, they are no win 13th place, but only two premiership points behind eight-placed Brisbane.

The only concern for the Hawks was a shoulder injury to James Sicily just before three-quarter-time. He didn’t take to the field in the final term and told Fox Sports after the game it was too early to tell if he’ll play against Geelong next week.

MADE LIFE TOUGH FOR THEMSELVES

That 17-point quarter-time lead the Hawks held should have been much larger.

They wasted so many chances early, while dominating general play.

The standard was set from the opening bounce when Conor Nash won the clearances and belted it deep inside Hawthorn’s forward line, straight to Jeremy McGovern.

At quarter-time, McGovern had taken six marks, four of those intercepts. Tom Barrass had taken three.

Jeremy McGovern takes an intercept mark. Picture: Jack Foley/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

If it wasn’t for that pair, who each took nine marks, the margin would have been much greater than 10 goals.

Jack Ginnivan, twice, Maboir Chol, Jack Gunston and Nick Watson all had shots on goal in the first quarter that could have resulted in goals, but either went out of bounds, or to one of those two Eagles defenders.

Dylan Moore had a shot on goal on the quarter-time siren, from 45, but fell short.

All ended up among the Hawks 10 goal scorers.

ON YOUR MARKS

West Coast went with a tall forward line, with Jake Waterman, Oscar Allan, Jack Darling and Bailey Williams all there to aim for.

But they reaped no benefits from that height advantage.

Five minutes into the fourth term, Allan took the Eagles first mark in their forward line.

At three-quarter-time, they trailed 17-0 for marks inside 50m.

They’d had six set shots, all from free kicks, only two of them were goals.

Jeremy McGovern kicked the Eagles only goal in the third term, his first goal in five seasons.

He did mark the ball to get the shot, but needed a 50m penalty to get within scoring range.

On the flip side, seven of the Hawks nine goals to three-quarter-time came from marks.

Matt Flynn of the Eagles leave the field on crutches after the team’s defeat after his side’s loss to Hawthorn. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

RUNAWAY SECOND HALF

With all the stats going against them in the first half, West Coast did well to be just 17 points behind at half-time.

But within five minutes of the second half starting, the Eagles job became much more difficult, with ruck Matt Flynn subbed out with an ankle injury.

Waterman was also benched for an extended period with a knee injury. He returned to the field, but had very little impact.

The Hawks opened that lead up to 29 points with the first two goals of the third term and had extended it to 39 points at the last break.

Even with Yeo, Kelly and Reid playing, the Eagles could not get their hands on the ball at stoppages.

Hawthorn led clearances 29-14 and centre clearances 10-1 in the first three quarters.

James Worpel had done most of the dame with 10 clearance by himself. He finished with 11.

Originally published as AFL Round 16 West Coast v Hawthorn: Hawks within two points of top eight after dismantling Eagles in Perth