Hawks thump Kangaroos by 65 points
Hawthorn have scored their second huge win of the AFL pre-season after thrashing North Melbourne by 65 points in Friday’s game in Launceston.
The defending premiers started brilliantly and never looked back, winning 18.10 (118) to 7.11 (53).
Liam Shiels, Tim O’Brien and young midfielder Will Langford kicked three goals each while veteran defender/onballer Sam Mitchell was instrumental in setting up scoring opportunities.
The pace of Hawthorn’s Bradley Hill was also too much for the flat-footed Kangaroos.
Hawthorn kicked with the breeze in the opening term and soared to a five-goal lead at quarter-time, 6.2 (38) to 1.2 (8).
Shiels scored three goals in the first term as the Hawks put North’s defence under constant pressure.
North started the second term strongly and made plenty of attacking thrusts but still found themselves trailing by 30 points at half-time after both sides kicked 2.3 in the second term.
The Hawks, who had more than doubled North’s tally of inside-50s by three-quarter time, went 50 points clear at the final change after kicking five goals to North’s two in the third term.
Another five goals to North’s two in the last quarter handed the Hawks a comfortable win.
Langford, who has played only one senior game, had the better of his duel with North’s vice-captain Jack Ziebell.
Son of champion Hawthorn fullback Chris Langford, the 21-year-old Will gathered 19 disposals.
Ziebell and Ryan Bastinac, who were in such good form in North’s previous game against Carlton, were ineffective on Friday night.
Big Aaron Black kicked three of North’s seven goals while Ben Cunnington, Daniel Wells and ex-Saint Nick Dal Santo were busy in midfield.
North’s Sudanese-born ruck/forward Majak Daw, who was the subject of racial abuse from fans in 2013, was again the centre of controversy on Friday night.
A Hawthorn fan was evicted during the third quarter after fellow spectators alerted authorities to an abusive incident.
The Kangaroos, who aim to surge back into finals contention in 2014, have lost both their pre-season games.
North were beaten by Carlton by seven points on February 15, while Hawthorn thumped Brisbane by 131 points on February 13.
Hawthorn will play a practice game against Melbourne at Casey Fields on March 8 and North face Geelong at Simonds Stadium a day earlier.