Hawthorn 3.6 8.9 13.11 18.15 (123)
St Kilda 3.2 7.3 12.7 13.10 (88)
A six-goal haul from Cyril Rioli as well as brilliant performances from Hawk forwards Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead saw Hawthorn win by 35 points over a fading St Kilda.
Cyril Rioli kicked six in a best on ground display - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tristenmurray/
Despite a fantastic performance from late inclusion Justin Koschitzke, who kicked five goals, the Saints fell away in the final term due to a mix of tiredness and having had Sam Fisher go down with injury.
The Hawks, however, had injury concerns of their own, with Ben Stratton and Grant Birchall colliding, Luke Hodge having injured his lower back and his knee and both Rioli and Franklin coming off at times with complaints.
St Kilda also had David Armitage go down after having Hodge’s knee go into his back in the final term, which hurt their defence and meant that they couldn’t stop the final quarter blitz.
It was a disappointing night for the Saints, who were 10 points down heading into the final term, and could have been closer again had Nick Riewoldt slotted a goal just before three quarter time, however the miss proved costly and the break gave Hawthorn time to regroup and sink in the boot.
Ultimately, it was a few good men who won the day for Hawthorn, with players such as Liam Shiels, Brent Guerra, Franklin and Rioli being the true winners.
However, the Hawks will want to see much more from their other players, such as Issac Smith and Luke Breust, if they are going to prove their September credentials.
Votes:
3 – Cyril Rioli (Hawks)
2 – Jarryd Roughead (Hawks)
1) – Lance Franklin (Hawks)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Rioli 6, Franklin 5, Roughead 2, Whitecross, Hale, Smith, Breust, Puopolo.
St Kilda:Koschitzke 5, Riewoldt 3, Saad, Stanley, Fisher, Milne, Milera.
BEST
Hawthorn: Rioli, Franklin, Roughead, Shiels, Guerra, Mitchell, Whitecross
St Kilda: Koschitzke, Riewoldt, Hayes, Steven, Fisher
CROWD
42,289 at the MCG
