HAWTHORN has recorded a hard-fought 15-point win over Fremantle at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night to continue its impressive start to the season.
Hawthorn showed that its 104-point demolition over Melbourne was no fluke with the 16.16 (112) to 14.13 (97) win over a desperate Fremantle, after at one stage having a 34-point lead cut to less than a goal in the third term.
In the end, a four-goal burst in the opening 10 minutes of the final quarter was enough to seal the victory.
Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin kicked four each, Tim Boyle added two and small man Cyril Rioli also chipped in with a double.
Clinton Young was superb running off half-back and had 21 possessions and 13 marks before sitting out the final quarter. Brad Sewell worked hard for 27 touches, Sam Mitchell also had 27, Travis Tuck 25, Brent Guerra 23, Xavier Ellis 22, Michael Osborne 22 and Luke Hodge 19.
The disappointing aspect for the Hawks was a hamstring injury to Stuart Dew in the final quarter after he again played well to collect 17 possessions.
Captain Matthew Pavlich was superb for Fremantle. He booted three goals, collected 18 possessions and spent plenty of time in the midfield as well as in his customary forward role.
Peter Bell again worked hard for 26 touches, Josh Carr was also solid with 19, Daniel Gilmore had 19 and Des Headland 31 to be Freo's best.
The Dockers also blooded debutants Rhys Palmer and Chris Mayne, as well as playing second-gamer Garrick Ibbotson, and all showed encouraging signs.
Palmer finished with 22 touches and a goal, Mayne two goals and Ibbotson 12 touches.
The Dockers came out firing after copping a barrage of criticism following last week's loss to Collingwood with the first two goals of the game, but only managed two more for the half as the Hawks got on top.
Ryan Crowley kicked the opening goal and then Pavlich saw Fremantle out to an early lead.
Jeff Farmer then put the Dockers back in front heading into time-on, but that would be the last lead Fremantle experienced. The first four goals of the second term saw the gap open up to 26-points and it was 27 at the main break.
When Franklin kicked his third to start the second half the Hawks looked well on the way to victory but the Dockers were desperate to not let the game slip and put up a fight to the end.
Fremantle piled on five of the next six goals and closed within three points when Josh Carr kicked truly. Luke McPharlin also went forward to kick two goals after spending the first half on Franklin, with Bell and Mayne chipped in with majors.
Roughead then ran onto a ball in the goalsquare that Fremantle's defenders kept alive to get his third and that restored a 10-point lead for Hawthorn at the last change.
Hawthorn again got a goal within the first minute of the final term when Cameron Stokes snapped truly. Roughead managed his fourth soon after and the margin was back out to 27 after Franklin turned on the magic to get around Josh Carr and Grover to boot his fourth.
Robert Campbell then marked and goaled a minute later to stretch the lead to 33 points, but Mayne kicked his second and Palmer a superb running goal for his first in AFL football to reduce the final margin to 15.
Fremantle remains in Perth the next two weeks to take on West Coast in the derby and Richmond, while Hawthorn takes on North Melbourne next Saturday at Telstra Dome.
HAWTHORN 3.4 8.7 11.11 16.16 (112)
FREMANTLE 3.0 4.4 10.7 14. 13 (97)
Goals
Hawthorn: L Franklin 4, J Roughead 4, T Boyle 2, C Rioli 2, M Osborne 1, C Stokes 1, R Campbell 1, T Tuck 1
Fremantle: M Pavlich 3, L McPharlin 2, J Carr 2, C Mayne 2 , R Crowley 1, J Farmer 1, A Sandilands 1, P Bell 1, R Palmer 1
Best
Hawthorn: Young, Mitchell, Sewell, Tuck, Hodge, Roughead, Franklin, Osborne
Fremantle: Pavlich, Bell, J Carr, Palmer, Dodd, Headland
Injuries
Fremantle: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Margetts, Nicholls
Official crowd: 38,022 at Subiaco Oval
