Hawks breeze into lead
With a southerly wind in their favour during the first quarter at Aurora Stadium, the Bulldogs started in remarkable fashion up forward, returning 2.1 from their first three forward entries. The problem, however, was that by quarter-time they'd managed just one more entry for no further score and trailed the Hawks by two points. Exacerbating the situation, the Hawks slammed on the first three goals of the second quarter before the Dogs could manage their first into the wind and by half-time the Hawthorn lead had stretched to 35 points as the home team kicked 9.3 for the quarter and showed the young Bulldogs how to make the conditions work in their favour.
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Injuries mount for Dogs
While Luke Beveridge may have been slightly disappointed by the way his side's positive start faded during the latter part of the first quarter, he would have been justifiably worried about injuries to key defender Dale Morris and inside midfielder Mitch Wallis shortly before quarter-time. Despite having his left shoulder worked on for some time, Morris was unable to recover and was subbed out early in the second term. Wallis, meanwhile, limped to the Bulldogs' rooms, returning soon after but only to hobble along the boundary line before donning his tracksuit at half-time and bowing out for the afternoon. With Marcus Bontempelli also failing to take his place in the side due to a minor calf complaint, the Dogs were undermanned for much of the afternoon and will be sweating on a number of reports from the medical staff during the week.
Hodge to the fore
In the wake of last weekend's loss to Essendon, Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge bemoaned his side's lack of composure and questionable decision making, so it was no surprise to see the inspirational leader showing the way forward. The 30-year-old started in the centre square and took no time to establish a foothold in the match, helping himself to a dozen possessions in the opening term. By half-time he'd added a pair of long-range goals as well as another 13 touches and led the way with seven clearances, including three from the centre. As the afternoon carried on, so did Hodge, finishing with 44 disposals and clearly deserving his best on ground tag.
Master and apprentice
As the Hawks racked up their 12th consecutive victory at Aurora Stadium, Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge might have been forgiven for feeling slightly out of sorts. As well as losing his first match as an AFL coach, Beveridge would be leaving Launceston without a win under his belt – a feeling he experienced just once in three seasons as a Hawthorn assistant coach from 2012-14. Despite the margin blowing out to 70 points by the final siren, the Bulldogs again showed glimpses of the free-flowing play that has served them so well during victories in each of Beveridge's first two matches in charge.
Pretty in pink
Although there was little sign of Hawthorn sending any charity the Bulldogs' way on Sunday, the club's commitment to Cancer Council Tasmania was there for all to see. As well as sporting the usual assortment of brightly coloured boots, Hawks players abandoned d their brown and gold socks in support of Pink Ribbon Day. Pre-match, a guard of honour formed by cancer survivors, family members and support workers – all of them draped in a pink poncho – welcomed the Hawks onto Aurora Stadium in front of 15,559 spectators. The Hawks also took the chance to parade their 2014 premiership flag for the second time, again underlining their commitment to the island state.
