Hawks too good as Luke Hodge kicks a goal of year contender.
The outcome might have been what most predicted but the margin wasn’t
Hawthorn continued their march towards the AFL finals after they defeated the Western Bulldogs by 19 points at Aurora Stadium in Tasmania.
Hawks skipper Luke Hodge scored a goal of the year contender, while Jarryd Roughead continued his excellent season to date in bagging three majors.
The three goals take his tally to 50 for the season as his price for the Coleman Medal continues to come in.
Hawthorn improved their record this season to 14-2 with the 19-point victory with Alistair Clarkson’s men winning 13.17 (95) to 11.10 (76).
The Bulldogs suffered their 12th loss from 16 outings but finished strongly by kicking the last four goals of the match after trailing by 44 points at the 24-minute mark of the final term.
The highlight came in the second term. With his side only 15 points ahead at the 23-minute mark, Hodge kicked a classic captain’s goal.
The 2008 Norm Smith Medallist smothered a kick by Ryan Griffen and booted the ball forward with an old-fashioned torpedo punt which sailed through the goals on the first bounce.
Hawthorn led by 15 points at quarter-time and 20 points at halftime – 6.9 to 3.7 – as both sides struggled for accuracy in the windy conditions.
The battling Bulldogs dug their claws in during the third term and outscored Hawthorn two goals to one to trail by 15 points at three-quarter time, but that would be as close as they would get.
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