LANCE Franklin won a two-man shootout with Daniel Bradshaw at the Gabba on Saturday night as Hawthorn made it five straight wins to start the season with a thrilling 12-point victory over Brisbane.
Franklin kicked eight goals and Bradshaw seven as the Hawks won a classic match 19.16 (130) to 17.16 (118).
In a virtuoso display, Franklin saw off Daniel Merrett, Jared Brennan and Joel Patfull to kick 8.6 as the Hawks built on a two-point lead at the last change.
Brisbane simply had no answer for the Hawthorn star, who booted three final term goals to drive in the final dagger in an entertaining contest watched by 30,019 spectators.
Mark Williams and Cyril Rioli both kicked two goals for the winners.
While Franklin was the star, centre half back Trent Croad was in the same ballpark, keeping Lions superstar Jonathan Brown down to two marks and no goals for the match.
For the first three quarters of the contest, the scoreboard see-sawed with numerous lead changes, but Franklin's night to remember was capped in the last quarter with a mercurial grubbered goal from the left hand boundary line and a 55-metre bomb from near the boundary.
This came on top of an earlier memorable set shot effort where he split the posts from the left hand boundary line and 50 metre arc.
Bradshaw was no to be outdone and kept the Lions in the contest for most of the night with his strong leading and sure hands resulting in 7.4 of his own.
The battle in the middle of the ground was superb, with Sam Mitchell and Brad Sewell starring for the winners and Simon Black and 200-gamer Luke Power equally outstanding in defeat.
The match started as a shootout from the opening bounce with both teams playing man-on-man footy that resulted in a nine-goal opening term.
Despite Franklin's two goals in the first quarter, Brisbane had the answers, leading 5.3 (33) to 4.5 (29).
The Lions tried to mix up its approach to stopping the Franklin-Jarryd Roughead combination with fullback Merrett taking the man closest to goal, and Brennan marking the man further up the ground.
It did little as first Roughead, then Franklin goaled to give the Hawks an early 12-point lead.
But in his milestone game Power and fellow premiership player Black getting plenty of ball in the middle, the home team responded.
While Brown was well held by Croad, Bradshaw goaled, and when Matthew Leuenberger was on the end of a chain of handpasses in the 22nd minute, he gave the hosts its first lead.
An opening term highlight came from Franklin who outmarked Merrett and the retreating Joel Macdonald to take a strong overhead grab and go back and goal.
He was still at it in the second quarter, this time creating more than kicking himself.
Hawthorn kicked six goals to four in the quarter for an eight-point half-time lead.
The teams traded goals early, but the real fireworks came as Jonathan Brown was moved into the middle for five mintes.
When Mitchell took a mark on the attacking 50m arc, the Brisbane powerhouse crashed into him late, giving away a 50m penalty and ensuring a handful of players came in to wrestle about it.
Once Mitchell goaled and play settled down, Franklin created six pointers for both Cyril Rioli and Clinton Young as both roved packs he had spreadeagled in marking contests.
For good measure the big forward added his third on the run from 53 metres just before half-time when Chance Bateman started a chain of handballs after a Jamie Charman turnover.
Franklin started the third in stunning fashion too with a bomb from the junction of the boundary line and the arc.
Brisbane increased its intensity and regained the lead at the 15 minute mark when Travis Johnstone goaled from close range, but Franklin steadied with his fifth from a free kick to give the Hawks a two-point buffer going into the last change - a lead they would hold onto until the final siren.
HAWTHORN 4.5 10.9 14.13 19.16 (130)
BRISBANE LIONS 5.3 9.7 14.11 17.16 (118)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 8, Rioli 2, Williams 2, Mitchell, Sewell, Hodge, Osborne, Young, Ellis, Roughead
Brisbane Lions: Bradshaw 7, Johnstone 2, McGrath 2, Adcock, Corrie, Hooper, Charman, Begley, Leuenberger
BEST
Hawthorn: Franklin, Croad, Mitchell, Sewell, Crawford, Burchill
Brisbane Lions: Black, Bradshaw, Power, Johnstone, Sherman, Rischitelli
Injuries:
Brisbane Lions: N Lappin (Achilles) replaced in selected side by R Copeland. Hawthorn: Nil.
Reports: J Brown (Brisbane Lions) by umpire L Farmer for charging S Mitchell (Hawthorn) in second quarter.
Umpires: Farmer, Chamberlain, McInerney
Official crowd: 30,019 at the Gabba
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
Franklin kicked eight goals and Bradshaw seven as the Hawks won a classic match 19.16 (130) to 17.16 (118).
In a virtuoso display, Franklin saw off Daniel Merrett, Jared Brennan and Joel Patfull to kick 8.6 as the Hawks built on a two-point lead at the last change.
Brisbane simply had no answer for the Hawthorn star, who booted three final term goals to drive in the final dagger in an entertaining contest watched by 30,019 spectators.
Mark Williams and Cyril Rioli both kicked two goals for the winners.
While Franklin was the star, centre half back Trent Croad was in the same ballpark, keeping Lions superstar Jonathan Brown down to two marks and no goals for the match.
For the first three quarters of the contest, the scoreboard see-sawed with numerous lead changes, but Franklin's night to remember was capped in the last quarter with a mercurial grubbered goal from the left hand boundary line and a 55-metre bomb from near the boundary.
This came on top of an earlier memorable set shot effort where he split the posts from the left hand boundary line and 50 metre arc.
Bradshaw was no to be outdone and kept the Lions in the contest for most of the night with his strong leading and sure hands resulting in 7.4 of his own.
The battle in the middle of the ground was superb, with Sam Mitchell and Brad Sewell starring for the winners and Simon Black and 200-gamer Luke Power equally outstanding in defeat.
The match started as a shootout from the opening bounce with both teams playing man-on-man footy that resulted in a nine-goal opening term.
Despite Franklin's two goals in the first quarter, Brisbane had the answers, leading 5.3 (33) to 4.5 (29).
The Lions tried to mix up its approach to stopping the Franklin-Jarryd Roughead combination with fullback Merrett taking the man closest to goal, and Brennan marking the man further up the ground.
It did little as first Roughead, then Franklin goaled to give the Hawks an early 12-point lead.
But in his milestone game Power and fellow premiership player Black getting plenty of ball in the middle, the home team responded.
While Brown was well held by Croad, Bradshaw goaled, and when Matthew Leuenberger was on the end of a chain of handpasses in the 22nd minute, he gave the hosts its first lead.
An opening term highlight came from Franklin who outmarked Merrett and the retreating Joel Macdonald to take a strong overhead grab and go back and goal.
He was still at it in the second quarter, this time creating more than kicking himself.
Hawthorn kicked six goals to four in the quarter for an eight-point half-time lead.
The teams traded goals early, but the real fireworks came as Jonathan Brown was moved into the middle for five mintes.
When Mitchell took a mark on the attacking 50m arc, the Brisbane powerhouse crashed into him late, giving away a 50m penalty and ensuring a handful of players came in to wrestle about it.
Once Mitchell goaled and play settled down, Franklin created six pointers for both Cyril Rioli and Clinton Young as both roved packs he had spreadeagled in marking contests.
For good measure the big forward added his third on the run from 53 metres just before half-time when Chance Bateman started a chain of handballs after a Jamie Charman turnover.
Franklin started the third in stunning fashion too with a bomb from the junction of the boundary line and the arc.
Brisbane increased its intensity and regained the lead at the 15 minute mark when Travis Johnstone goaled from close range, but Franklin steadied with his fifth from a free kick to give the Hawks a two-point buffer going into the last change - a lead they would hold onto until the final siren.
HAWTHORN 4.5 10.9 14.13 19.16 (130)
BRISBANE LIONS 5.3 9.7 14.11 17.16 (118)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 8, Rioli 2, Williams 2, Mitchell, Sewell, Hodge, Osborne, Young, Ellis, Roughead
Brisbane Lions: Bradshaw 7, Johnstone 2, McGrath 2, Adcock, Corrie, Hooper, Charman, Begley, Leuenberger
BEST
Hawthorn: Franklin, Croad, Mitchell, Sewell, Crawford, Burchill
Brisbane Lions: Black, Bradshaw, Power, Johnstone, Sherman, Rischitelli
Injuries:
Brisbane Lions: N Lappin (Achilles) replaced in selected side by R Copeland. Hawthorn: Nil.
Reports: J Brown (Brisbane Lions) by umpire L Farmer for charging S Mitchell (Hawthorn) in second quarter.
Umpires: Farmer, Chamberlain, McInerney
Official crowd: 30,019 at the Gabba
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
