Hawthorn outlasted a gallant Adelaide in Launceston on Sunday afternoon.
The Crows shot out to a 25-point lead at half time after kicking 14 straight goals in the first-half but were unable to extend their momentum beyond that.
The Hawks held the Crows to just 15 second-half points as Alastair Clarkson’s side earned their second win of the season.
Young key-forwards at either end impressed as Jacob Koschitzke and debutant Riley Thilthorpe booted five goals apiece.
Thilthorpe lived up to the hype on his debut as the No. 2 pick showed flashes of brilliance in a performance that will have Adelaide fans excited for what’s to come.
One of the biggest talking points of the game was Adelaide’s use of the medical sub with Jason Dunstall slamming the Crows inability to make an instant switch as 23rd man Tom Lynch wasn’t ready to come onto the field when Will Hamill was ruled out with a lower leg injury.
Hawthorn also had their injury concerns with Shaun Burgoyne subbed out of the game at half-time due to an ankle injury.
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Adelaide’s record-breaking start
The Crows opened the match with 15 straight goals which set broke the record for the most accurate start to a VFL/AFL game in history.
Adelaide simply couldn’t miss as they put 84 points on the Hawks in the opening half.
Riley Thilthorpe also broke the record for most goals on debut by an Adelaide debutant.
Welcome to the big time Riley Thilthorpe 🤩#AFLHawksCrows pic.twitter.com/yrmnoDUzke
— AFL (@AFL) April 25, 2021
The Crows fast start ultimately wasn’t enough as they ran out of steam as the game dragged on.
While they’d be disappointed with the loss, the Crows have a raft of young attacking weapons that will give opposition defences some sleepless nights in coming years.
Hawthorn youngsters hit back at critics
A pair of young Hawks played a huge role in the three-point win.
Defender turned forward Jacob Koschitzke proved his strong pre-season form was no fluke announcing himself with five goals while Changkuoth Jiath again impressed with his intercept ability and dash of half back.
Kane Cornes recently said that Hawthorn have the least amount of A-grade talent under 25 in the competition but Jiath and Koschitzke may turn into genuine match-winners for Alastair Clarkson’s side if they’re not already.
⚠️ Warning ⚠️
— AFL (@AFL) April 25, 2021
Changkuoth Jiath is coming and so are the Hawks 🏎 #AFLHawksCrows pic.twitter.com/qgh8XLRU1n
It’s not a stretch to say that Jiath is in All-Australian calculations after six rounds, the Hawks will be hoping that this is just the beginning for a future star of the competition.
What’s next?
In Round 7 the Crows host GWS at the Adelaide Oval while Hawthorn face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
FULL SCORE
Hawthorn: 5.2, 9.5, 13.6, 15.12. (102)
Adelaide: 4.0, 14.0, 16.1, 16.3. (99)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Koschitzke 5, Breust 3, Lewis 2, O’Meara, Impey, O’Brien, Phillips, Scrimshaw
Adelaide: Thilthorpe 5, Walker 3, McAdam 2, Himmelberg 2, Seedsman, Keays, McHenry, Schoenberg
BEST
Hawthorn: Jacob Koschitzke, Jaeger O’Meara, Changkuoth Jiath, Tom Phillips, Tom Mitchell
Adelaide: Ben Keays, Riley Thilthorpe, Rory Laird, Riley O’Brien, Paul Seedsman