The emerging Hawks have pulled off their hottest performance of the year yet, blitzing a sorry Blues outfit to usurp them on the ladder on what looms as a mightily costly day for Carlton.
After an arm-wrestle of a first quarter, the Hawks booted 13 goals to two for the final three quarters of the match to register a whopping 74-point victory, 16.16 (112) to 5.8 (38).
The win saw Hawthorn, which started the season with a 0-5 record, leapfrog Carlton on the ladder into eighth spot in another giant step towards an unlikely finals appearance.
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“What a performance,” four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis told Fox Footy post-match, “It was as complete as you could’ve imagined or hoped for pre-game.
“They dismantled them early, their pressure was fantastic and the way they moved the ball was fantastic.”
As for Carlton, its season descended into complete and utter disarray as superstar Charlie Curnow suffered a seemingly serious lower leg injury.
Curnow limped heavily from the MCG field early in the third quarter in agony and couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he was helped to the bench by a pair of trainers.
He more than likely took with him the Blues’ finals chances, let alone their premiership hopes, because worryingly it looked like his foot collapsed underneath him behind the play with no contact from an opponent.
It capped off a nightmarish afternoon for the Blues who finished the match with just one player on the bench, after star defender Adam Saad (hamstring) left the game in the final quarter while Jack Martin (hamstring/cut head) and Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) both exited the game in the first half as well.
Meanwhile, Jordan Boyd was forced to play out the game hampered by a hip injury because of Carlton’s personnel crisis.
“Nothing went right … That is a dejected group,” Lewis said.
“That is a heavy loss.”
The Blues are officially in free fall. For so long touted as the second-best team in the competition this year, having occupied second spot on the ladder seven weeks in a row at one stage, and as recently as Round 19, the Blues are now ninth on the ladder after losing five of their last six matches.
It was both Carlton’s biggest loss and lowest score in the Michael Voss era in front of 84,773 fans which was the biggest ever home-and-away crowd for a game between the Blues and Hawks.
Hawthorn’s finals fate is now well and truly in their hands. They face bottom-two Richmond and North Melbourne in the final two games while the Blues face West Coast (away) and St Kilda.
With percentage looking likely to be the decider between the two teams, the advantage seems to be with Hawthorn.
It’s been quite an incredible turnaround from the Hawks who started the year 0-5 and now loom as a legitimate finals wrecking ball after winning 11 of their last 14 games.
And they showed again on Sunday why they could potentially be a premiership dark horse in one of the most open seasons the VFL/AFL has ever seen.
LIVE MATCH UPDATES
Final teams are in for this afternoon’s massive clash at the MCG, and there’s a big late out for the Hawks — Changkuoth Jiath (injured) has been replaced by Harry Morrison.
Alex Cincotta (CAR) and Luke Breust (HAW) are the substitutes.
The Hawks started fast, with Lloyd Meek and Nick Watson setting up the first goal of the afternoon for emerging key forward Calsher Dear. Positive start.
Harry Morrison, this afternoon’s late inclusion, ran into an open goal shortly after to make it two quick ones for Hawthorn.
Jack Martin delivered inside 50 to Charlie Curnow, who kicked the Blues’ first of the afternoon to stem the early bleeding.
Harry McKay kicked Carlton’s second before Mabior Chol got off the ground with his first of the day.
Four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis noted the Hawks’ transitional handballing chains were troubling the Blues in the early stages.
Elijah Hollands snapped Carlton’s third to keep the sides neck-and-neck late in the opening term.
“This game is being played at a frenetic pace!” exclaimed three-time Richmond premiership forward Jack Riewoldt on Fox Footy.
Jack Martin was assessed by Carlton medical staff for a suspected hamstring injury.
The Hawks took a two-point lead into the first change, as news filtered through that Martin has been substituted out of the game. Alex Cincotta is into the action.
Early in the second quarter, Blues forward Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) was ruled out of the game.
Jordan Boyd (undisclosed) is also in the wars, noted Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones from the sideline. If he were to go down, the Blues would be down to two players on the bench.
The Hawks exploded in the second quarter, slamming home five unanswered goals — including a Josh Weddle stunner — to open up a game-high 32-point lead. Danger signs for the injury-hampered Blues.
Hawthorn took a game-high 33-point lead into the main change, with Fox Footy caller Anthony Hudson noting the “frustrations are evident” in the Carlton camp.
Blake Acres booted the first goal of the second half for Carlton, but its injury strife worsened after spearhead forward Charlie Curnow went down with a lower leg injury.
However, Hawthorn livewire Jack Ginnivan responded with his first goal of the afternoon.
Incredibly, there’s another casualty for the Blues, defender with Mitch McGovern (shoulder) going down to the rooms for medical assessment.
Charlie Curnow (ankle) won’t return, while Adam Saad (hamstring) has also been ruled out.
Ginnivan snapped his second major of the afternoon, before a stunning end-to-end play that resulted in another goal to Dear and a 55-point win at three quarter-time.
“That is Hawthorn to a tee. They are coming to a ground near you in September,” Hudson said.
Matt Owies gave Blues fans something to cheer about early in the fourth term, kicking just Carlton’s second major since quarter-time.
But the joy was short-lived as sub Luke Breust kicked two goals, which put the Hawks in the top eight.
“It’s like a training drill,” Hawks great Jordan Lewis told Fox Footy.
THE 3-2-1 …
3. HAWKS PUNISH BLUES TO CLIMB INTO THE TOP EIGHT
It was proper party time at the MCG for Hawthorn and its supporters as the club’s shock finals push continued with a thumping win.
It was an onslaught not many saw coming as the Hawks won by so much to take Carlton’s finals spot.
A game billed as a mini final given the stakes, the Hawks were able to rise to the occasion in a major way.
All of Hawthorn’s exciting elements were on show - from its frenetic ball movement and intense pressure to showman goals including Calsher Dear booting a career-best three majors.
Sam Mitchell’s side really separated the game in the second quarter with five unanswered goals to charge ahead and never look back.
Heck, during the third quarter domination, Hawks fans would’ve had more than half an eye on the live ladder, such was the beatdown and percentage shift with it.
Well, a Luke Breust goal in the fourth quarter extended Hawthorn’s lead to 63 points as a live ladder on the MCG screen showed the club had officially jumped into eighth place.
Hawks fans cheered around the ground as Blues fans could be seen exiting in the stands in a mighty contrast of fortunes.
“It feels to me like Richmond 2017 the way they are exposing Carlton on the spread,” Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt said on Fox Footy at half-time.
“It looks really easy because Hawthorn is working so hard on offence and Carlton is using all its energy on defence.
“They’re not just relying on one part of their scoring origin game, they’ve got everything up and going. They’ve matched Carlton at centre bounce and Carlton is a very good centre bounce side.”
2. CARLTON CARNAGE AS CURNOW STRUCK DOWN
It was a day of carnage for the Blues including Charlie Curnow getting struck down in worrying scenes to rock the already sliding club’s finals hopes.
It was one of many injury blows to Michael Voss’ side including Adam Saad (hamstring), Jack Martin (hamstring) and Lachie Fogarty (shoulder) as the Carlton bench - which ended with just one fit body - became a horror sight as the day went on amid widespread casualties.
Blues hearts were in their mouths when Curnow fell to the ground in an innocuous incident in the third term, clutching his ankle and punching the ground in pain.
The superstar forward, who’d been hampered by an ankle issue during the week, was helped from the ground by medicos as he couldn’t put any weight on his left leg.
“This is the Carlton story in one frame,” Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson said.
“No one wants to see that.”
The two-time Coleman medallist was soon ruled out for the rest of the game as Carlton will anxiously await scans to determine the severity of the injury.
“He’s been struggling with the ankle for a couple of weeks now, it’s in the joint, so we’ll have a look at it over the next 24 hours. But he’s pretty sore,” Blues footy boss Brad Lloyd told Fox Footy at three-quarter time.
“It’s too early to tell (if it could be season-ending).”
Curnow sits second in the Coleman Medal leaderboard with 57 goals.
“We don’t know the extent of the injury, but if it’s season ending, Carlton’s chances might go with it,” four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis said.
Martin was earlier subbed out of the game in the first term with a hamstring injury to cast doubts around the out-of-contract forwards future, while Fogarty’s day also ended prematurely due to a collarbone problem following a heavy collision between the teammates early in the game.
Jordan Boyd was also proppy after a hip knock in the first quarter he played through, limping from the ground in the second term and receiving treatment on the bench.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, Mitch McGovern left the ground in the third quarter pointing to his shoulder before he was able to return, while Saad in the fourth term was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a hamstring issue.
And so the injuries continue to pile up at Ikon Park at the wrong time of the year, with Adam Cerra (hamstring) and Tom De Koning (foot) also sidelined and Matt Cottrell (shoulder) out for the season.
1. MASSIMO AN ALL-AUSTRALIAN CONTENDER?
There were several highlight performances from Hawthorn, but Massimo D’Ambrosio’s rise continues to be one of the great stories of the season.
The wingman has emerged as an All-Australian contender amid a tremendous first season in the brown and gold since being traded from Essendon for just Pick 61.
Yes, Pick 61.
The 21-year old, who was this week named in the AFLPA’s 22 Under 22 side, produced one of his best performances yet at AFL level on Sunday, finishing with a career-best 31 disposals to go with eight score involvements and six marks.
“If the All-Australian selectors opt for speciality wingmen, he has to be in consideration, which is extraordinary,” Fox Footy caller Anthony Hudson said.
Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt credited D’Ambrosio’s ability to link up Hawthorn’s play around the ground.
“He’s been fantastic today, he’s owned the width of the wing and been so crucial linking their back half movement into forward half,” he said.
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