A final term fadeout has seen Richmond defeated by Hawthorn 21.10 (136) to 13.12 (90) at the MCG on Friday night.
The endeavour and application couldn’t be faulted for much of the match, but skill execution on the outside and winning key contests at key times separated the two teams in front of 49,678 on the night.
Trailing by 15 points at half-time, having conceded the final three goals of the first half, Richmond clawed their way back to a two-goal lead at the 17-minute mark of the third term following two well-taken goals by Tiger midfielder Anthony Miles.
Leading contested possessions, clearances, tackles and inside 50s at the time, the home side were playing their best football of the season.
As they have so many times before, though, the Hawks upped their game to kick the final three goals of the third quarter to take a nine-point lead into the last change.
In the end, Hawthorn finished with 12 of the last 15 goals of the match following Miles’ left-footed second goal to power to a 46-point win.
Dustin Martin was clearly Richmond’s best player with 28 disposals, six clearances, five tackles and five inside 50s as he filled the void of absent captain Trent Cotchin.
Miles notched up 24 touches of his own to go with his pair of goals, while Shaun Hampson battled manfully in the ruck and Ty Vickery and Jack Riewoldt finished with three goals each.
Small forward Luke Breust capitalised on Hawthorn’s forward entries with six goals, coming in two spurts of three goals in the first and final quarters, while Jack Gunston (four goals) provided his own three-major burst in the second quarter.
Missing veterans Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell, Hawks’ acting captain Jordan Lewis led their possessions with 28, alongside Billy Hartung.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick promised a response from his charges during the week, and they certainly obliged, with the returning Nick Vlastuin kicking the games’ opening goal within 20 seconds.
Jack Riewoldt then followed up with a pair of goals following long, penetrating kicks inside 50 from Jake Batchelor and Jayden Short, respectively, which gave the Hawks defenders little time to adjust.
After a Vickery missed set-shot, the Hawks gave a sign of what they were capable of, as Breust got the game back on an even keel with three successive goals to himself within four minutes.
Paul Puopolo added the last goal of the first term and Gunston kicked the first two of the second quarter, before Short ended the run of six consecutive goals for Hawthorn.
Vickery twice marked strongly and converted to give the Tigers back the lead, but in what was truly a game of momentum at times, Hawthorn snapped back through Puopolo, Rioli and Gunston to go into half-time with a 15-point advantage.
Richmond 3.4 6.7 10.11 13.12 90
Hawthorn 4.2 9.4 12.8 21.10 136
Goals
Richmond – Vickery 3, Riewoldt 3, Short 2, Miles 2, Vlastuin, Lloyd, Griffiths
Hawthorn – Breust 6, Gunston 4, Puopolo 3, Rioli, Lewis, Ceglar, Shiels, Sicily, Smith, Hill, Hartung
