HAWTHORN has taken sole possession of top spot on the AFL ladder with a tough 19-point win over bottom-placed Melbourne at the MCG.
The Hawks, who trailed for most of the first three quarters, won 14.13 (97) to 12.6 (78) to record their ninth straight win to start the season, the first time in club history that they've won their first nine matches.
The Demons, who remain anchored in 16th place with a 1-8 record, were valiant all day, leading at quarter-time and half-time and playing with a vigour that was absent earlier in the season.
Melbourne started the last term perfectly with goals to Nathan Jones and Aaron Davey, the latter giving the Dees the lead at the five-minute mark. Tim Clarke kicked his first just over a minute later to give the Hawks the ascendency once more, the lead changing hands for the seventh time in the match. Cameron Bruce made it eight lead changes when he soccered the ball off the deck in a goalsquare marking contest, giving the Dees a one-point lead.
Cyril Rioli gave the Hawks the lead once more with his third of the second half, which was the cue for Mark Williams to step up. The Hawks forward, roundly criticised for his 'choking' gesture last weekend in Launceston, kicked back-to-back goals, the second with four minutes remaining sealing the match for the Hawks.
For the Hawks, Sam Mitchell had 32 touches and Chance Bateman 28, and Bateman was at his best in the first half when the Hawks struggled. Williams, Rioli and Lance Franklin all kicked three goals.
The Demons were led by Brock McLean's 30 possessions, 20 of which came in a superb first half, while Matthew Bate had 29. Ben Holland kicked three goals.
Hawthorn took a 10-point lead into the last change after kicking four straight goals in time-on in the third term. Melbourne had eked out a 14-point lead at the 20-minute mark before a superb Rioli snap sparked the Hawks.
Williams kicked his first, and Xavier Ellis was then gifted a goal after Davey clumsily gave away a 50m penalty in a marking contest. Franklin's third for the match made it four Hawthorn goals in seven minutes.
Earlier in the term, back-to-back goals by Holland broke a run of neither team kicking consecutive goals since the 28-minute mark of the opening term, giving the Demons a handy lead before Rioli ignited the Hawks.
The Demons led by nine points at half time, 6.4 (40) to 4.7 (31), after taking a six-point lead into the first change. The Hawks lost Stuart Dew just before half time with a hamstring injury, the same hamstring he tweaked earlier in the season against Fremantle. He played no part in the second half.
The first half featured four lead changes, with Melbourne building on their quarter-time advantage with a two goal to one second term. Holland kicked the first goal of the second quarter for the Dees, but his major was answered four minutes later by Hawks forward Jarryd Roughead.
Roughead had two late second-term chances to narrow the margin but missed consecutive set shots in the shadows of half time.
Melbourne led 4.3 (27) to 3.3 (21) at quarter-time after Russell Robertson kicked his second goal of the opening term from an acute angle after the siren.
Both teams made late changes, with lead ruckman Jeff White missing for Melbourne with a back injury; he was replaced by Mark Jamar. Jordan Lewis withdrew for the Hawks with a corked thigh, and was replaced by first-gamer Jarryd Morton, who had 19 possessions.
Hawthorn 3.3 4.7 10.9 14.13 (97)
Melbourne 4.3 6.4 9.5 12.6 (78)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Rioli 3, Williams 3, Ladson, Campbell, Roughead, Ellis, Clarke
Melbourne: Holland 3, Robertson 2, Wonaeamirri 2, Jones 2, Johnson, Davey, Bruce
BEST
Hawthorn: Bateman, Rioli, Campbell, Birchall, Mitchell, Franklin
Melbourne: McLean, Bate, Davey, Holland, Wonaeamirri, Moloney
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Lewis (corked thigh) replaced in selected side by Morton, Dew (hamstring)
Melbourne: White (back) replaced in selected side by Jamar, Robertson (corked thigh), Holland (shoulder)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: James, Grun, Armstrong
Official crowd: 41,341 at the MCG
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
