HAWTHORN has a huge round one scalp, staving off a frenzied finish from Brisbane to defeat the two-time champions by four points at Brighton Homes Arena on Sunday.

In control for so much of the warm afternoon, the Hawks looked winners when Aine McDonagh kicked her second goal early in the fourth quarter to open a 13-point advantage.

LIONS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

But Ellie Hampson got the home fans back into it with a long-range goal, before Dakota Davidson hit the post with a chance to level the scores and Charlie Mullins had her accurate snap touched off the boot.

The Hawks held off an avalanche of late inside 50s and deserved their 4.9 (33) to 3.11 (29) victory.

Although the game had none of the fireworks of last year’s qualifying final, won by the Lions, it was just as intense and pressure packed.

Eliza West was prolific around the ball, gathering 25 disposals and laying six tackles to help the visitors gain the ascendency around the contest.

Tilly Lucas-Rodd (27), Emily Bates (20) and Ainslie Kemp (nine intercepts) were also influential, while McDonagh was a handful all day.

Jas Fleming sent a scare through the camp when she was helped from the field with a lower leg injury in the third term, but she returned to play the game out.

Hawthorn started the quickest, peppering the goals early for no reward, kicking four behinds from five entries, and were punished by the hosts in the blink of an eye.

After Belle Dawes and Bre Koenen linked up on the wing, the Lions skipper kicked long into the path of Taylor Smith who pounced to kick the game’s first goal.

Greta Bodey answered back moments later when she put a lovely step on a lunging Nat Grider, but Brisbane established a four-point lead at quarter-time after Dakota Davidson's contested mark in the goalsquare.

The second quarter was an arm wrestle, with both teams struggling to move the ball.

Hawthorn’s ability to slow Brisbane’s run-and-gun gamestyle was a feature of their victory.

McDonagh was on the end of a clever handpass from Bodey and when Casey Sherriff kicked a goal after the half-time siren, the Hawks had a nine-point advantage they would not relinquish.

Minimal touches, maximum impact from Bodey
The Hawks have a distinctly Brisbane flavour with Emily Bates, Greta Bodey, Kaitlyn Ashmore and coach Daniel Webster all former Lions at some stage. Bodey is one of the cleverest forwards in the competition and although she had just seven disposals for the game, had a major impact. Her shimmy to shake Nat Grider for Hawthorn’s opening goal was a delight, as was her overhead handball to send McDonagh on her way for the team’s second.

Brisbane's round one hoodoo continues
For the third straight season at their Springfield home base, the Lions have lost their opening round match. Richmond, North Melbourne and now the Hawks have got the better of Craig Starcevich’s team to open their seasons. In fact, it’s the fourth time in the past five seasons the Lions have lost their first match. Their coach warned things could be “clunky” to begin 2025, and again, he was proven correct.

Up next
The Hawks will look to make it two-from-two when they host Carlton at Frankston next Saturday night from 7.15pm AEST. Brisbane has the longest trip in the game ahead of them, taking on Fremantle in Perth at 3.05pm (AWST) next Saturday.
 
BRISBANE        2.3    2.4    2.7    3.11 (29)
HAWTHORN     1.5    3.7    3.8    4.9 (33)
 
GOALS
Brisbane: Smith, Davidson, Hampson
Hawthorn: McDonagh 2, Bodey, Sherriff
 
BEST 
Brisbane: Ellenger, Koenen, O’Dwyer, Anderson, Hartill, Dawes
Hawthorn: West, McDonagh, Lucas-Rodd, Kemp, Bates, Ashmore
 
INJURIES 
Brisbane: Nil
Hawthorn: Fleming (leg)
 
LATE CHANGES
Brisbane: Nil
Hawthorn: Aileen Gilroy replaced in selected side by Keely Coyne
 
Reports: Nil
 
Crowd: 4,208 at Brighton Homes Arena