Match

Hawthorn vs Melbourne

Commentary / 16 Aug 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Games involving the Hawks this season have had a pressure factor of 185 – the highest in the league – ranking No.1 for pressure applied with 187.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:24
Melbourne concedes the first centre clearance of the match. They normally average 0.9 more centre clearances than their opponents - ranked equal-fifth.
00:49
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Dylan Moore)
03:00
Dylan Moore kicks off the match with a handy goal. He has been a frequent presence on the scoreboard, averaging a goal in his last seven games.
03:50
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
04:12
Two goals in quick succession for the Hawks, with this one coming from Jack Gunston. He has now converted 54 goals this season - a career-high home-and-away tally in his 16th season.
06:48
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
07:07
Two goals from marks for Hawthorn. 46.7% of their scores this season have come from marks - the largest portion from any team.
09:24
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)
10:54
In his 100th game, Harrison Petty puts Melbourne on the scoreboard with a major. In the last four weeks, Petty has been the second-most targeted player for the Demons inside 50, averaging 6.0 targets per game.
11:23
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
13:47
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Connor Macdonald)
14:41
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
16:08
Four of Hawthorn's five scores have been launched from defensive midfield chains. Since Round 19, 22.5% of their scores have been generated from this zone - the third-most in this time period.
22:19
Melbourne has conceded a goal from 27% of its opponents inside 50s – ranked last defensively. They have conceded a goal from 30% of Hawthorn's entries so far.
25:08
Jack Gunston has taken five marks inside 50 already, taking Hawthorn's total up to seven. Melbourne has only taken six marks across the entire field so far in this match.
28:17
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Calsher Dear)
30:02
Hawthorn's ball movement from the defensive half has been a weapon, as 47% of chains from this zone have resulted in entries, as well as scoring 4.2 (26) from this zone. On the flipside, Melbourne has only transitioned 31% of their defensive half chains into an inside 50 and scored 1.0 (6) from such chains.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:51
The pressure in the contest has been red-hot from the Hawks, applying a pressure factor of 204 in comparison to the Demons' 175. The AFL average is 180.
04:36
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
06:28
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Dylan Moore)
06:50
Jai Newcombe has been productive early, collecting a game-high 13 disposals, of which seven have been won in a contested manner, four tackles and a goal assist.
09:49
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harvey Langford)
10:22
The Hawks have had success in moving the ball through handball receives, gaining 533 more metres from just five more handball receives in comparison to the Demons.
13:48
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
14:16
Clayton Oliver had just 13 disposals against the Hawks in Round 9 – his second-fewest in 203 career games and lowest since Round 4, 2016. He has amassed just seven disposals at 43% efficiency thus far.
14:20
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
16:22
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Mabior Chol)
17:54
Hawthorn has played a true forward-half game this quarter, having 10 forward-half intercepts as well as 14 of their 15 points for the term coming from chains launched in this zone.
18:12
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
20:01
Melbourne scores against the momentum to stop a run of seven of the last eight goals. The Hawks were able to kick seven goals in a row last week against the Magpies – its fourth seven-goal streak of the season.
24:03
Max Gawn is averaging over 20 disposals for the first time in his career this season, along with a career-high 13.5 contested possessions and 6.9 score involvements. He has already accumulated 15 disposals, yet has only been involved in one score.
25:47
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Mabior Chol)
26:00
Demons Interchange - Tom McDonald and is possibly out for the game.
29:23
Melbourne has been able to get their hands on the ball first at stoppage, having five more first possessions, yet they trail the clearance ledger by five. They rank equal second-last this season for first possession to clearance percentage.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:17
Melbourne's 15-point first half is their lowest scoring since Round 10, 2019, where they scored nine points in the opening half (excluding 2020).
01:08
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
03:02
Kade Chandler gets Melbourne on the board early in the second half with a goal from an attacking midfield chain. The Demons launch 7.8 scores from this zone on average - ranked sixth.
03:38
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
07:13
Nick Watson is subbed out following three disposals and a goal. The Hawks are 8-2 this year when he kicks multiple goals. He finished with 14 disposals, two score assists, and two goals last round.
10:43
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Connor Macdonald)
11:00
Max Gawn has been on top in the ruck contest against Lloyd Meek, having seven more hitouts and four more hitouts-to-advantage, although Hawthorn has scored 21 more points from clearance whilst these two have been ruck opponents.
14:55
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Luke Breust)
15:17
The Hawks have been able to move the ball from their defensive 50 far too easily, as they are finding an uncontested possession from 30% of their rebounds. In contrast, the Demons have found an uncontested possession 8% of the time.
16:50
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)
17:22
Melbourne scores the first goal launched from a centre clearance for the match. They average 12.5 points launched from this source - ranked sixth.
24:49
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
25:22
Hawthorn has kicked 3.0 (18) from defensive 50 intercepts. Since Round 20, they have scored from 12.5% of such chains - ranked sixth.
29:22
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Calsher Dear)
30:15
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Luke Breust)
30:23
The Hawks were ultra-efficient with the ball in the third term, scoring from 21% of their chains in comparison to 6% from the Demons.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:52
Bayley Fritsch was goalless when these teams met in Round 9, but booted 5.1 in their Round 2 clash the previous season. He has amassed just two disposals in the forward 50 and is yet to hit the scoreboard.
01:24
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
03:32
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
05:36
Jack Gunston has been targeted a game-high 13 times inside 50, taken nine forward 50 marks and kicked 6.4 (40). The most marks inside 50 from a player this season is 10 from Jesse Hogan in Round 4.
06:51
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
08:58
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Changkuoth Jiath)
09:16
Hawks Interchange - Josh Battle off due to an injury.
10:10
Christian Petracca has been a shining light for the Demons, accumulating a team-high 26 disposals, of which 12 were won in a contested manner, seven clearances and 381 metres gained.
11:30
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Jack Gunston)
13:10
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Connor Macdonald)
14:55
SCORE BEHIND - Hawks (Massimo D'Ambrosio)
15:15
When the ball has left the stoppage area, the Hawks have been stronger, leading the post-clearance contested possessions by five. They average 5.7 more than their opponents this season - ranked second.
18:20
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
19:23
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harry Sharp)
19:57
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kade Chandler)
20:10
The Hawks have scored 9.10 (64) from marks today - their third-most from this source this season.
23:22
SCORE GOAL - Hawks (Connor Macdonald)
25:36
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
25:43
Since Round 19, Hawthorn has conceded 30.8 points per game from intercept possessions – ranked No.1 defensively. They have only conceded 3.7 (25) from this source in this match.
26:07
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harry Sharp)
28:34
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harvey Langford)
30:24
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
32:31
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
32:36
The Demons won the clearance battle by three, yet were outscored heavily 12-49 from clearances. They led the inside 50 ledger by seven but weren't able to have a connection upon entry, scoring from just 29% of entries in comparison to 55% from the Hawks.