The Hawks won 15.9 (99) to 12.6 (78) and all but shut the door on the Demons’ slim hopes of making the finals for the first time since 2006, with the Dees two games and percentage outside the eight.
It wasn’t until the final term the Hawks broke free of the tenacious Demons after an arm-wrestle of a match where the lead changed four times in the third term alone.
Brad Sewell was the Hawks’ best with 27 touches and six clearances, while Lance Franklin was important in the wet conditions with 22 possessions - 13 contested.
After lagging in the contested count early in the first quarter, Sewell got the Hawks moving to break even by the first change.
The scores were level at quarter-time after the Demons led by 12 points halfway through the term, but the Hawks were on top in clearances despite limited input from Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell at the stoppages.
In the second, the Demons regained Liam Jurrah after it looked like the goal sneak’s day was done owing to a broken finger but lost Aaron Davey to a calf injury that had him on crutches.
The rain arrived again and the Hawks threatened to blow the game apart after Xavier Ellis, Carl Peterson and Campbell Brown were allowed to mark on the lead.
But the Dees fought back with the Hawks failing to translate their forward dominance to scoreboard pressure.
Late goals to Jurrah and Bruce - and a miss to Michael Osborne - left the halftime difference at three points Hawthorn’s way.
The lead bounced around in the third, courtesy of the Dees’ increased pressure and the Hawks’ continuing tenacity at clearances.
Franklin kicked goal of the day at the 19-minute mark - a typical left-foot snap that soared higher than the goal posts - and Ellis backed it up three minutes later after Colin Garland made a costly error in defensive 50.
It was a 10-point lead to Hawthorn at the final change, and as the clouds gathered again, Hodge left the field for the second time with a blood nose and Franklin briefly with an ankle.
That didn’t stop Hodge kicking the first goal of the quarter with Brad Green giving the Dees a glimmer of hope with the second.
However, missed opportunities to Clint Bartram and Jack Watts were costly when Shaun Burgoyne and Hodge goaled again and got the Hawks home.
Hawthorn 4.1 8.4 12.7 15.9 (99)
Melbourne 4.1 8.1 11.3 12.6 (78)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Ellis 3, Peterson 2, Roughead 2, Hodge 2, Brown, Hooper, Burgoyne
Melbourne: Jurrah 2, Jamar 2, Dunn, Green, Trengove, Sylvia, Wonaeamirri, Bruce, Watts, Green
BEST
Hawthorn: Sewell, Franklin, Burgoyne, Stratton, Hodge, Birchall, Ellis, Mitchell
Melbourne: Bruce, Jamar, Sylvia, McDonald, Frawley, McKenzie, Jones
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Hodge (nose)
Melbourne: Davey (ankle), Jurrah (finger)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Findlay, McInerney
Official crowd: 48,211 at the MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
