By JARROD POTTER
CASEY Fields shone brightly as the final hit-out for two AFL clubs took place at the expansive Cranbourne venue. Sweating it out under a baking Cranbourne sun, the reigning premiers Hawthorn kept the joy of last season going by belting Melbourne by 110 points in the final practice match.
The Demons showed a lot more fight than last year, but were swamped by brown-and-gold jumpers at every turn and failed to make a dent in Hawthorn’s impressive defence. Melbourne held on with the fast running Hawthorn midfield through the first term, but all initiative faded away from there as the Hawks put on the scramjets to kick 11 goals-to- two after half time.
Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead stole the show with six goals and said to HawksTV on the Hawthorn website, it was good to get a hot-weather run-around early in the year.
“It was very warm today (Saturday) but to get a win like that in our third practice game and pretty much get through unscathed was a good result considering the conditions,” Roughead said.
“It was a good hit out – early in the year there’s going to be some hot games, so it was good to get a game like that.”
Also among the best for the Hawks were Sam Mitchell, Grant Birchall and Jack Gunston – relishing his new found space up forward with the departure of Lance Franklin to the Sydney Swans.
Melbourne’s co-skipper Nathan Jones toiled under the packs while recruits Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross also kept their opponents accountable through the centre.
Melbourne and Hawthorn have to wait until next weekend to kick off their AFL seasons with the Demons facing St Kilda and the Hawks clashing with Brisbane in Launceston.
AFL SCOREBOARD
MELBOURNE 2.2 2.3 3.5 4.8 (32)
HAWTHORN 3.5 9.8 16.13 21.16 (142)
Melbourne best: Dunn, Vince, Cross, Howe, Spencer. Goals: Howe 2, Byrnes, Spencer.
Hawthorn best: Roughead, Mitchell, Birchall, McEvoy, Gunston, Suckling, Wanganeen. Goals: Roughead 6, Smith 2, Gibson 2, Langford 2, Breust, Shiels, Puopolo, McEvoy, Simpkin, Suckling, Hodge, Hill, Gunston.
