Hawk forwards have day out against Pies - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hawk forwards have day out against Pies

By Adam Cooper 03/05/2008 07:10:26 PM Comments (0)

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson expects to have his AFL game plan scrutinised more closely after his potent forwards inflicted a 65-point thrashing on Collingwood at the MCG.

Lance Franklin, Jarryd Roughead and Mark Williams combined for 17 goals as the Hawks out-muscled and out-classed Collingwood 24.10 (154) to 13.11 (89).

The trio enjoyed a 10-goal, last-quarter party and fed off another dominant performance by their midfield.

Not even a hamstring injury to Luke Hodge could stall the Hawks smashing the Magpies in the middle and Sam Mitchell led the charge with 39 disposals.

The Hawks' seventh straight win, before a big crowd of 76,048, gave Clarkson a dream result given he had wanted them to perform on the big stage.

"We don't get the opportunity in front of those sorts of crowds on a regular basis and rightly so too, we haven't been a well-performed club for some time now," he said.

"But we think we're starting to deserve the opportunity to play in front of big crowds and we'd like to think we play a good brand of footy that people enjoy coming to watch."

Clarkson admitted as Hawthorn kept raising the bar, the more opposition sides would home in.

Hawthorn's zone tactics were a major talking point after last week's win over Richmond and, between now and their round eight game against Port Adelaide, Clarkson expected rivals to focus on how to stop the scoring rate.

The twin talls of Roughead and Franklin booted six goals each, while Williams proved the trio could work together - he missed most of last season with a knee injury - by booting five.

Hawthorn's win could have been far greater had Franklin and Roughead not kicked seven behinds between them before they began marking everything and found their kicking range.

"There'll be different strategies that the opposition use and they're not all going to have a day like they did today," said Clarkson, still fighting a losing battle to water down hype.

"They all got a piece of the ball, which is tremendous work by our defence and midfield to give them enough supply.

"We've been working hard over the summer months to try to work out ways that we can make sure all three of those guys (click)."

Hodge was dominant by half-time, when the Hawks already had a buffer, but hurt his right hamstring in the opening minutes of the third term.

He was barely missed as Mitchell, Brad Sewell and Shane Crawford and their ruckmen constantly won clearances.

Collingwood's forward line was pitiful in comparison as Anthony Rocca (ankle) missed again, Travis Cloke was thrashed by Trent Croad, Alan Didak was shut down by Grant Birchall when it mattered and Paul Medhurst managed one goal after six on Anzac Day against Essendon.

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse said he was not despondent, as the thrashing gave them plenty to work on either side of next weekend's break.

But he conceded rucks Josh Fraser and Cameron Wood had no impact, the onballers were "smashed" and the attack's work ethic was "sub-standard".

Defensively, it was embarrassing.

Shane Wakelin and Nathan Brown were regularly out-marked by Roughead and Franklin, who also easily out-bumped Tyson Goldsack for goal No.4.

Harry O'Brien also could not keep up with Williams.

"Wakes has been pretty good but he made some fundamental errors for a bloke who's nearing 250 games," Malthouse said.

"Browny did pretty well until they controlled the ball and then he lowered his colours badly in the last half."

Malthouse said he left Brown on Franklin so the young Magpie could learn something, and because there was no one else.

"It was more let Browny have a taste of the medicine than serve it up to someone else," he said.

"O'Brien and Goldsack are just off their game and not ready at all."

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