The West Coast Eagles have suffered a heartbreaking loss for the second match in succession, falling three points short of Hawthorn on Friday night.
Coming off a hard-fought RAC Derby defeat by the same margin, the Eagles threw everything at the Hawks in Frankston early but couldn’t capitalise on a fast start.
Despite the best efforts of midfield stars Emma Swanson (28 disposals, one goal) and Bella Lewis (24, one), the visitors were edged 6.8 (44) to 6.5 (41) at Skybus Stadium.
West Coast had seven desperate minutes to attempt to snatch victory after Aimee Schmidt curled through a sensational snap from the boundary, but couldn’t find a match-winner into the breeze – with a last-gasp foray forward snuffed out in the dying seconds.
Jessica Duffin was the difference between the sides, with the Hawks veteran’s three second-quarter goals turning the tide after West Coast kicked a team record 4.2 (26) opening term score to lead by 18 points.
The Eagles’ run and gun game stunned Hawthorn in the opening term as the visitors capitalised on a stiff breeze to register their highest first quarter-time score in the team’s brief history.
Swanson got the ball rolling, latching onto Lewis’ clever handball and kicking truly from 40m on the run, before Mikayla Western nailed a second just a minute later.
West Coast was using forward handball to excellent effect and pieced together a scintillating passage from the back pocket for a third unanswered major, this time to Ella Roberts, who drilled her first AFLW goal after a free-kick.
Momentum was wearing blue and gold and a steadying goal for Hawks forward Tahlia Fellows only briefly slowed the onslaught before Lewis made the most of a 50m penalty to convert West Coast’s fourth major, seconds before the break with her 10th touch for a blistering term.
At the change of ends the Eagles’ backline was under a barrage as the Hawks took their turn with the wind, and a flood of inside 50s for the home team eventually told as Hawthorn’s engine room got on top.
Hawthorn dominated territory and hit the lead by eight points at the long break after three majors for Jessica Duffin – all from marks close to goal, including two in the last minute - and another from Tilly Lucas-Rodd’s quick snap.
The Eagles had the task ahead of them heading into the second half and some missed opportunities were costly as Hawthorn cleverly ran the clock down in the third stanza, but Jaide Britton’s crucial late major tied the game up heading towards the final change.
The third quarter proved telling as the match tightened up and Hawthorn did just enough in the final term to seal a second-straight win.
But there were more promising signs from the Eagles' youth, with Roberts (14 disposals, four marks), Charlie Thomas (15 disposals), Sarah Lakay (29 hitouts) and lockdown defender Sophie McDonald continuing to grow in a developing side.
HAWTHORN 1.2 5.4 5.6 6.8 (44)
WEST COAST 4.2 4.2 5.5 6.5 (41)
GOALS
Hawthorn Duffin 3, Fellows, Lucas-Rodd, McDonagh
West Coast Lewis, Roberts, Swanson, Western, Britton, Schmidt
BEST
Hawthorn Duffin, Gilroy, Wales, Smith, Lucas-Rodd
West Coast Swanson, Lewis, Roberts, McCarthy, Lakay, McDonald
INJURIES
Hawthorn Nil
West Coast Nil
Crowd TBC
