MELBOURNE has downed Hawthorn by 54 points at the MCG on Sunday, but the 15.13 (103) to 7.7 (49) result didn't come without some promising positives for the Hawks.
The Demons led from the outset, although not as convincingly as they could have with their first five scoring shots all behinds.
However, they soon found their radar and finished the first half 45 points ahead, Hawthorn with just one major on the board and looking way out of its depth.
With just one goal to half-time something clicked for Hawthorn after the long break, and by the midway point of the third term the Hawks had slotted five more goals in an exciting and irrepressible burst.
Eventually the energy shift subsided and Melbourne steadied the ship on the way to its fourth consecutive win ahead of a massive clash against Port Adelaide next round.
Midfield stars Clayton Oliver (34 disposals), Christian Petracca (30) and Jack Viney (31) were all important in delivering a result that could leave the Demons (7-2) sitting on top of the ladder at the end of round nine.
Harry Petty kicked two majors before he was substituted out of the game with a bruised foot.
Charlie Spargo and Bayley Fritsch also finished with two, and All-Australian defender Steven May marshalled the backline in his 200th game.
A sixth-straight defeat was another bitter pill for the Hawks to swallow in a tough season.
They were well off the pace in the first half, with their woes compounded by injury issues for James Blanck (corked quad) and late withdrawal Ned Reeves (ankle).
Jai Newcombe will also come under scrutiny from the Match Review Officer for a jab to Oliver's stomach at a centre bounce.
Newcombe (26 disposals), Will Day (29) and James Worpel (26) breathed life into the contest in the third term during a brief period that will give Hawthorn fans something to take away from the loss.
Better than even-Stevens
It's been a colourful first 200 games for Steven May, both an and off the field, but there's no doubting the influence the former Gold Coast captain has had on Melbourne since switching clubs at the end of 2018. Injury forced May to miss big chunks of his first two seasons in red and blue, which coincided with the club missing finals in 2019 and 2020, but he's played 52 of 58 since then, including the Demons' drought-breaking flag. Over that time Melbourne has a winning percentage of 83% when May's in the team and just 50% when he's missing, reflecting one of the most successful recruiting coups in the competition's recent history.
HAWTHORN 0.1 1.3 6.5 7.7 (49)
MELBOURNE 5.5 8.6 11.9 15.13 (103)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Weddle, Meek, Mackenzie, Lewis, Butler, Breust, Newcombe
Melbourne: Petty 2, Spargo 2, Fritsch 2, Rivers, van Rooyen, Viney, Sparrow, Pickett, Oliver, Langdon, Grundy, Gawn
BEST
Hawthorn: Sicily, Day, Newcombe, Hardwick, Nash, Mitchell
Melbourne: Viney, Petracca, Rivers, Oliver, Neal-Bullen, Brayshaw
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Blanck (corked thigh), Jiath (leg)
Melbourne: Petty (foot), Petracca (foot)
LATE CHANGES
Hawthorn: Ned Reeves replaced in selected side by Jacob Koschitzke
Melbourne: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Lachlan Bramble (replaced James Blanck in the second quarter)
Melbourne: James Jordon (replaced Harrison Petty at half-time)
Crowd: TBC at the MCG
