HAWTHORN'S perfect record against top 8teams in 2007 has come to an end with a punishing 71-point loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
In bitterly cold, windy and sometimes wetconditions the Hawks were beaten 15.12 (102) to 4.7 (31) by a Crows side firedup after recent losses at home and facing an exit from the top eight if theylost.
The Hawks managed just one goal in thesecond half, as the Crows ran away with the game. Andrew McLeod was outstandingfor the Crows with 39 possessions across half back, while Tyson Edwards amassed41 through the middle.
The tough conditions didn’t suit Hawthorn’sreliance on precise kicking skills going forward, and their four goals for thenight was easily their lowest return for the year.
Not one Hawthorn player registered doublefigure goals against the miserly Crows defence, which was tipped to suffer withthe loss of Nathan Bassett. In contrast, the Crows had five multiplegoalscorers, led by skipper Mark Ricciuto with four in a fine return to form.
The Crows were in control from the start,putting on four goals against a strong wind in the first quarter before theHawks managed a major from the recently re-signed Ben McGlynn, and things nevergot better from there.
The Crows built a 19 point lead at quartertime into 33 points at the long break, and then the floodgates opened, with thehome side scoring seven of the last eight goals of the match.
Not surprisingly the Hawks biggest ballwinners were mostly in the backline, with Rick Ladson (30 possessions), ClintonYoung (26) and Grant Birchall (28). In contrast, the Crows major possessiongetters besides McLeod dominated through the middle, with Edwards joined byScott Thompson (39) and Simon Goodwin (33).
The Hawks cause wasn’t helped when they lostChance Bateman and Danny Jacobs before half time, but it was probably nevergoing to be their night.
The Hawks lost by 86 points to Adelaide in the Crowsfirst ever match in the AFL way back in 1991 – and things at AAMI have neverreally improved for the visitors since. Hawthorn has not won at AAMI againstthe Crows for 14 years.
ADELAIDE 4.2 8.6 11.10 15.12 (102)
HAWTHORN 1.1 3.3 4.4 4.7 (31)
GOALS - Adelaide: M Ricciuto 4, K McGregor 2, S Welsh 2,N Bock 2, I Maric 2, S Goodwin, T Edwards, C Knights. Hawthorn: B McGlynn, LFranklin, J Roughead, T Croad.
BEST - Adelaide: A McLeod, M Ricciuto, T Edwards, SThompson, G Johncock, C Knights, S Goodwin. Hawthorn: R Ladson, S Crawford, BMcGlynn, G Birchall, J Lewis.
Umpires: D Margetts, S Ryan,K Nichols.
Official crowd: 34,733 atAAMI Stadium.
INJURIES - Adelaide:J Porplyzia (hamstring). Hawthorn: C Bateman (leg), D Jacobs (heavyknock).
Reports: Nil.
