Brown booted four goals while Pike and Caracella constantly found space on the muddy, congested ground as the Lions slogged their way to a 8.18 (66)-6.7 (43) victory.
Returning from a four-week suspension and his eighth missed match due to suspension this season, Brown played as if he was never away.
Importantly, he took three contested marks – more than the team total last week – and brought the ball to ground to the advantage of his smaller players when he couldn’t mark the ball.
Pike claimed a season high 29 possessions despite the ground being covered in ponds of water and muddy patches, and Caracella 18 touches that really hurt the opposition.
While 28 players surrounded the ball for long periods during the game, it was Pike and Caracella’s ability to find the ball and space and set up constructive attacks that pleased their coach.
“There was just a mass of players (around the ball),” Matthews said. “The one thing I thought was good was that both our wingers Pike and Caracella held their width and got that ‘release’ ball.
“There were so many players around the ball that the possessions didn’t count a great deal. The key to today’s game was the guys who could get the ball in a bit of space. That might be keeping out and not getting drawn into the stoppage area. That was the only way you were going to score.”
Matthews was also not understating Brown’s influence.
“The fact that he could take a handful of marks was really important for us, but around the middle of the ground you only got the ball with any position if somebody was clear.”
Melbourne had received some rain in the days leading up to the game, but it rained constantly all morning and into the afternoon. A strong, icy breeze contributed to the day being the coldest many players had experienced, colder than the Round 16 clash against Collingwood when it hailed, and colder than the 8 degree day at Geelong in Round 13.
The Lions started the game with Mal Michael at full-back on Nathan Thompson, Justin Leppitsch at centre-half-back marking Simon Beaumont, Michael Voss and Luke Hodge matched in the middle, Brown initially at centre-half-forward opposed by Nick Holland, and Daniel Bradshaw in front of goal against Jonathan Hay.
The Lions booted the opening goal at the five-minute mark when Pike sent the ball quickly forward and Bradshaw cleverly tapped the ball to Craig McRae to send him into an open goal.
Angelo Lekkas replied a minute later with an intelligent soccer goal when one-on-one with Robbie Copeland, before Pike again made an attacking kick and Brown marked strongly at the 11 minute mark.
The Lions controlled much of the quarter, with Darryl White best afield at the first break, stopping several Hawk attacks across half-back. Luke Power and Shaun Hart ran harder than most others on the ground, while Jason Akermanis was also prominent as a second wingman.
Skipper Michael Voss went forward at the 10-minute mark of the term but the Hawk defence was resolute, forcing three rushed behinds, then hit the Lions on the rebound for their second goal, again through Lekkas, and the visitors led by just two points at quarter-time.
Bradshaw moved to centre-half-forward, Brown to full-forward, and Simon Black – well held by Sam Mitchell, to half-forward at the start of the second term.
The side dominated the second term, locking the ball forward for long periods but struggling to set up close set shots for goal from close range. The breakthrough finally came 13 minutes in when Brown took a super contested mark against Holland and kicked truly from 25m on a difficult angle.
But it was to be the only joy for the term as the Lions added 1.7 to 0.0 – just the fourth time they had a held an opponent scoreless for a quarter – to take a handy 15-point lead into the long break. They had enjoyed 10 more scoring shots to that stage, although half of them were rushed behinds.
Nigel Lappin and Michael Voss, back in the midfield, took full control around the packs, with Mitchell playing almost a lone hand for the Hawks.
From the least productive quarter of the match, Hawthorn bounced out after halftime to post the most productive 30 minutes, adding 4.1 to 3.4. They did it courtesy of Lance Picioane coming strongly into the game, and Mitchell maintaining his strong work rate.
Nick Holland went to full-forward and, left one-out with quick ball movement, posted two goals for the term, as did Adrian Cox.
While the Lions continued to pepper the goalfront with Black joining Pike and Voss as a midfield influence, the struggled to find an avenue apart from Brown, who contributed three of his side’s first four goals.
After not goalling for 46 minutes, the Hawks drew to within four points at the 22-minute mark with their third goal of the quarter, drawing an immediate response from the Lions.
Two goals in three minutes to the lively McRae and Tim Notting, who gave his side plenty of run after spending the first half on the bench, put the visitors back in control, although a Cox free kick and goal with 30 seconds left in the quarter gave the home side some hope, trailing by 10 points at the last break.
But two goals in the first eight minutes for the final term to the Lions, including Brown’s fourth, shut the gate on any prospect of an upset by the bottom placed side.
Black personally saw to that with a dominant 12-possession final quarter, while Pike finished the game as strongly as he started it.
“It was a slog, you just slog your way in those conditions,” Matthews said. “You get wet, but the ground was churned up as well – I can’t think of the last time we played on a surface that had got wet and churned up.
“It doesn’t happen a great deal in the modern era. We were just happy to find a way to be in front.”
Pike finished with 17 kicks and 12 handballs in an even four-quarter performance.
Lappin collected 18 kicks and seven handballs and made a remarkable 13 tackles, eight more than next best - Pike, Keating and McLaren.
Voss was pivotal in providing his team with direction from the midfield and his influence was profound, collecting 14 kicks and 10 handballs. He made a team high seven hard ball gets and drove his side inside attacking 50 on a team high seven occasions. Pike, Black and Akermanis all made six.
Brown took a team high three contested marks, while he Power, Black and Pike all had five hard ball gets.
The defensive unit also deserved plenty of credit, keeping the Hawks goalless at the Punt Road end of the ground. The goalless second term was followed by a return of just three behinds in the fourth quarter.
Apart from Holland’s brief spurt in the third quarter, Michael was in control of the last line of defence, making a team high five defensive rebounds.
His lieutenant Chris Johnson gave the side great run and constantly floated across and forward to provide options for his teammates out of defence.
Vice-captain Chris Scott, recalled after a week in the reserves, was also among his side’s best with a strong defensive display opposed to Kris Barlow and several other opponents.
He was strong and disciplined in the air and on the ground.
Ash McGrath laid plenty of tackles in his 50th game coming off the bench, while none of the ruckmen on the ground had a great influence, despite Peter Everitt collecting 15 possessions. Clark Keating produced several telling knocks forward at centre bounces that helped his side win the centre breaks 9-6.
For the Hawks, Mitchell quietened in the last quarter as Black assumed control, but he still finished as his side’s second leading possession winner, making eight hard ball gets and a game high seven clearances, alongside Picioane.
Young gun Luke Hodge, opposed to Voss, made 11 tackles and finished well, while Lekkas made nine tackles but faded after his bright start.
Scores:
Brisbane Lions, 2.5, 3.12, 6.14, 8.18 (66)
Hawthorn, 2.3, 2.3, 6.4, 6.7 (43)
Goals, Lions: Brown 4, McRae 2, Black, Notting. Hawks: Lekkas 2, Cox 2, Holland 2.
Possessions, Lions: Pike 29, Black 27, Lappin 25, Voss 24, Johnson 22, Power 20, Akermanis 19, Caracella 18, McRae 14, C Scott 14, White 14. Hawks: Picioane 23, Mitchell 22, Smith 21, Hodge 19, Lekkas 19, Cox 18, Clarke 15, Croad 15, Everitt 15, Vandenberg 14.
Best, Lions: Lappin, Pike, Voss, Brown, Caracella, Power, Johnson, McRae, Black, C Scott, Michael, Akermanis, White. Hawks: Mitchell, Lekkas, Cox, Smith, Picioane.
Inside 50: Lions 57, Hawks 36
Clearances: Lions 38, Hawks 40
Centre Breaks: Lions 9, Hawks 6
Tackles: Lions 66, Hawks 84
Hard Ball Gets: Lions 62, Hawks 50
Free Kicks: Lions 11, Hawks 15
Umpires: Grun, Schmidt, Wenn,
Crowd: 17,159
