North Melbourne Kangaroos vs Hawthorn Hawks: Who won the AFL round 6 clash?
Hawthorn has handed North Melbourne a 45-point defeat 113 (17.11) - 68 (10.8). This makes it their first victory in the AFL 2024 season. The Hawks brought their best to this game and put fiery pressure on the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
Small forward Dylan Moore scored four goals while, Conor Nash and Jai Newcombe delivered 32 disposals each, proving that the Hawk’s midfield is not to be played with.
Hawthorn appears to have taken the devastating Gold Coast loss to heart and made several improvements to their game. They displayed remarkable skill and gameplay that have notably been missing, earning them their first win of the season.
The Hawks secured 8 goals in the second quarter, kicking the game’s first six goals to secure the victory. A major contributing factor to the Hawthorn win was their strong midfield, kicking five goals from stoppage in the period and putting on one of their best performance since 2016.
Dylan Moore scored four goals from 20 touches, while Jai Newcombe contributed with six tackles and 32 possessions. Connor Macdonald notched up a goal and 24 disposals, while Mabior Chol booted two goals to cap off a fine display for the Hawthorns.
Jonathan Brown, who won three premierships with the Lions commented to Fox Footy saying, “They (Hawthorn) brought the mouthguards during the week.”
He continued, “It starts with the midfield which has been a real problem. They’re ranked 18th in the AFL in center bounce this year, it’s been a big turnaround today.”
He also added, “On the back of Jai Newcombe, this is the best game he’s played this season. His energy, getting on the move and being on his toes.”
Hopefully, this means Hawthorn’s midfield, which ironically was their strong point last season, has been revived.
North Melbourne remains winless in 2024
Both the Roos and the Hawks were winless ahead of this match. With Hawthorn securing the win, the Roos are left winless and their season looks lost.
Though they played better than in most games they’ve had this season, the fact remains that they’re the only team left without a win this year. This begs the question, what does the future look like for North Melbourne? Especially since they failed to win over the one team they should have been able to beat.
If North Melbourne don't improve considerably in the coming weeks, they are likely to finish at the bottom of the AFL ladder this season.