Hawthorn has shown the rest of the AFL how to beat premiership favourites Collingwood with a monumental performance on Saturday.
The Hawks kicked the first five goals and cruised to the 32-point victory with the Pies’ dirty day was compounded by multiple injuries, including Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos.
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Renowned tagger Finn Maginness followed Daicos for every second of the game and restricted the superstar to just five disposals – the lowest tally of his young career.
Daicos was also roughed up by a number of Hawthorn players and appeared to hurt his knee when he was crunched in a marking contest.
Nick Daicos looks on at the back of the bench. Credit: Getty ImagesNick Daicos gets to his feet after being roughed up. Credit: Getty Images
He was eventually benched early in the final quarter with a massive watch now on his injury.
The 20-year-old was spotted limping to the changerooms after the final siren.
But even before the injury, he was struggling to have an impact under the heavy pressure from Maginness.
His only bright spot came in the third quarter when he kicked a goal from a free kick after he was collected high during a melee.
Defender Nathan Murphy also suffered a nasty ankle injury, while Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell was also subbed off, although that appeared to be tactical.
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The loss was Collingwood’s second in a row after going down to Carlton last week.
It leaves the runaway premiership favourites suddenly looking very vulnerable.
They play reigning premiers Geelong next Friday night in a massive blockbuster.
Hawthorn made it clear from the start this would be no regulation hit-out for the top side against 16th.
The Hawks kicked the only four goals of the opening term for a 23-point lead at the first change and then another in the second.
Collingwood did not kick their first until early in the second term, but that signalled a Magpies counter-attack.
They trailled by just 11 points at the main break, but Daicos incredibly had only three disposals in the first half.
Hawthorn have posted their best win of the AFL season. Credit: AAP
The younger Daicos was also proppy after a big collision with James Blanck early in the third term, an incident that ramped up the temperature dramatically.
Soon after, Dan McStay kicked a goal and as spot fires broke up, Nick was paid a free kick and kicked another goal before the ball went back to the middle.
That brought Collingwood back to within a couple of goals, but Harry Morrison kicked a goal moments later to stop Collingwood’s surge and the Hawks had a 26-point lead at the final change.
Given Collingwood’s ability to come from behind in the last quarter, the Magpies would have been excused for thinking that had Hawthorn exactly where they wanted them.
Instead, the Hawks kicked the first three goals of the last term to kill off an absorbing duel.
– With AAP
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