1. Fast break footy
Just when the second term was at its most dour, Freo forward Chris Mayne managed to bring a little bit of spark to an otherwise scrappy affair. Having been lucky to receive a free kick to make amends after missing an open goal early in the first term, Mayne may have felt a sense of déjà vu as he tried desperately to reel in a kick over the top as the ball kept running away to the left forward pocket. But rather than rush a snap at goal when he finally gathered on the boundary, Mayne managed to think his way beautifully through the situation, skidding a handball into the goal square for the on-rushing Ed Langdon to slot home from point-blank range. It was the start of a good run for the Dockers who booted four-goals-to-two for the term to lead by two points at the long break.

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2. Hawks dominate the count – not the scoreboard
The inside 50m count was a whopping 22-5 in favour of the Hawks at quarter time, a reflection of the three-time reigning premiers being favoured by a stiff breeze and the Dockers being unable to use the ball effectively on rebound. That said, though, Freo had managed three goals during the opening term and were just nine points adrift – and yet to have their chance with the breeze. They managed to win the count in the second quarter, but still trailed overall by 30-17 at the long break. Their 17 entries had yielded seven goals, though, keeping them just in front of the Hawks at half-time and right in the running to leave Launceston with what had appeared an unlikely first win for the season when they touched down in Tassie.

3. Ballantyne’s touch-up from Taylor
As is his way, Hayden Ballantyne had started to get under the skin of Hawthorn’s normally cool and calm defenders by midway through the second term. As well as chalking up a beautiful check-side goal on the run following a stoppage deep in the Dockers’ forward zone, Ballantyne was involved in a rather less elegant passage that saw him wear a loose Taylor Duryea elbow somewhere around the side of the face. Duryea swung his arm back as Ballantyne applied pressure from behind and the whistle blew to signal a ball-up during a scrappy sequence midway through the term. Ballantyne reeled back and lay on the turf as players from both sides came to grips. He immediately left the field for treatment, but appeared to suffer no lasting effects as he soon returned to keep giving the Hawks defenders their fair share of headaches.

4. Never miss a milestone
Tendai Mzungu had been named as an emergency for the Dockers but came into calculations for his 100th AFL game when Tommy Sheridan was a late withdrawal through illness. Far from letting the milestone slide by unnoticed, however, the Freo fan club was right on top of its game, managing a tribute to the versatile utility on the matchday banner and simultaneously begging the question as to how they’d known he’d be playing. Perhaps it was a case of superb preparation and a spare banner making the journey from WA, perhaps it was a genuine last-minute rush-job or perhaps it was something they’d seen written in Ross Lyon’s morning tea leaves, although he insists there was no shenanigans. Either way, Mzungu was serviceable rather than superb on the day with 14 disposals and six tackles to his name. 

5. Mundy missed in the middle
David Mundy was among Freo’s better players all afternoon, but it wasn’t always in and under the packs where he’s so often found doing his best work. The big-bodied midfielder started the match loose in defence and for most of the first three quarters positioned himself expertly behind the ball, playing a prominent role in the Dockers’ rear-guard as the Hawks repeatedly pounded the ball forward. While he certainly played a part in keeping the score close early and allowing the Dockers to take a narrow lead into half-time, the visitors sure missed Mundy’s grunt in midfield during a third quarter they lost by 53 points. With the damage done, Mundy moved to the middle in the final term to add steel around the contest and even booted a tidy goal as the game meandered to a long foregone conclusion.