Belief is growing at Hawthorn that their AFL rebuild might be evolving faster than anticipated this season.
Hawthorn managed the pressure of Dustin Martin’s 300-game milestone in Saturday’s twilight match at the MCG, ultimately defeating Richmond by 48 points.
Despite Richmond’s hopes for an upset to celebrate Martin’s milestone—bolstered by their recent win over Adelaide and competitive performances against Essendon and Geelong—Hawthorn took control after Martin’s early goal.
Following a rough start to the season with five consecutive losses, the Hawks are now 7-7 and closing in on the top eight.
“I was rapt with the way we handled that moment – it could have easily pulled us apart, but it didn’t,” said Hawks coach Sam Mitchell regarding Martin’s goal.
Mitchell noted a shift from hoping to achieve success to a growing belief within the team. However, he emphasized that Hawthorn is still a work in progress.
As they enter the mid-season bye, Mitchell expressed some disappointment, recognizing the team’s momentum and belief but also acknowledging potential late-season fatigue for his young squad.
“There’s a lot of stuff in our game that wasn’t as sharp as we’re going need to be, to play against the Sydneys of the world,” he said. “We re-set our season, and can a young group continue to drive (their progress … if I’m honest, I’m a bit disappointed we have the bye, because we have some momentum and belief.”
Former Richmond key forward Mabior Chol scored four goals, and Hawks defenders James Sicily, James Weddle, and Jack Scrimshaw excelled.
Tim Taranto, who scored an impressive goal in the opening term, was a rare standout for Richmond, while key forward Tom Lynch had a quiet return in his first senior game since round four.
Richmond, also heading into a bye, have much to address.
“Realistically, it was only a step back in the second half,” said coach Adem Yze. “Their polish was just a lot better than ours.”
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