Hawthorn continued their impressive run of wins at their home away from home in Launceston, defeating the North Melbourne Kangaroos by 85 points in a scintillating four-quarter display that has the Hawks primed to push for a top-four position.

The Hawks, coming off their mid-season bye, outworked and outmuscled the Roos in front of a sold-out crowd at UTAS Stadium, which takes them to 10-5 and has them half a game outside second position on the ladder.

The Roos, who were coming off a run of strong performances, including a last-start win against Carlton, were unable to contend with the Hawks' firepower all over the ground as they struggled to fire a shot in the Round 16 clash.

Hawthorn started off the game strongly, kicking the first two goals of the game and taking a 20 point quarter time lead, as they controlled possession and territory and stifling the Roos ball movement in their most consistent effort throughout the season, extending their lead at each break to run out with a convincing victory that has sent a warning sign to the competition's best that the Hawks are ready to contend in 2025.

 Saturday, June 28 
Hawthorn WON BY 85 POINTS
UTAS
HAW   
150
FT
65
   NMFC

After quarter time, the Hawks put the foot down, crushing North's resolve, as they won the all-important clearance battle and wrestled the contest away from the Roos' highly regarded midfield that included Luke Davies-Uniacke, Harry Sheezel and Luke Parker.

Hawthorn won the clearance battle by 14, as Lloyd Meek won the ruck battle against Tristan Xerri, giving the likes of Jai Newcombe and Conor Nash first service, which allowed the Hawks to pepper the Roos' understrength backline.

Newcombe led the way for the Hawks, amassing 27 touches, nine clearances, four tackles, and two goal assists as he stood up to the challenge of leading a midfield that was missing key players in Will Day and James Worpel.

He was ably supported by Irishman Conor Nash, who had his best game for the season, using his size to dominate the Roos midfield, crashing and bashing into them at every opportunity and giving space for the other mids to take advantage.

The 26-year-old ended the match with 21 disposals, 12 of which were contested, ten clearances, five tackles, and two goal assists as he demonstrated why the Hawks were keen to sign him up on a long-term contract last year when he was a free agent.

With the midfield having the ascendancy, the Hawks made the most of their attacking forays forward, kicking 23 goals for the game in their biggest score of 2025.

The Hawks forward line feasted on the Kangaroos backline, who were missing important tall Charlie Comben, amassing 63 inside 50's and having 35 scoring shots as they showed how potent their forward 50 can be in a pecertange boosting display.

With the Hawks in a race for the top four that will likely come down to percentage, they recorded 18 marks inside 50 as they controlled the air in their forward half and gave themselves every opportunity to put on a large score in their ninth win in a row at their Launceston Fortress.

Veteran Gunston recorded a career best seven goals, using his nous and forward craft to put himself into dangerous positions as he showed why he is considered a smokey for All-Australian contention in 2025.

Key forward Mabior Chol continued to show that his 2024 form wasn't a flash in the pan, kicking five goals from 14 disposals, with 10 score involvements, in a terrific display.

28-year-old Chol, who is in his second year at Waverley Park, demonstrated his impressive work rate for a key forward with a brilliant run-down tackle in the third quarter.

He chased down Roos defender Zac Fisher with a ball and all lunging tackle that was rewarded with a free kick on the 50 metre arc before converting his opportunity, which brought the crowd to their feet.

Gunston and Chol were supported by young forward ruck Max Ramsden, who had his breakout game at AFL level in his 8th game.

With Mitch Lewis returning at VFL level after his ACL and looking like he hadn't missed a beat, and with young key tall Calsher Dear having his best game in 2025 with 12 marks and two goals, the pressure was on Ramsden to put forth a case to hold his spot in the team.

Ramsden, 22, had an early miss that could have seen him drop his head and go back into his shell, but he worked hard throughout the contest, making the most of his chances and ending the day with three goals, four marks and two clearances from his 12 touches, as he was not only a force in the forward half but gave Lloyd Meek valuable time to rest during his battle with Tristan Xerri.

Young small forward Nick Watson continued to show why he will be an important player for Hawthorn in the business end of the season, kicking three goals but, more importantly, giving the Hawks an x-factor in centre bounces, where he was able to use his blistering speed to be a point of difference.

His first-quarter goal from a centre clearance gave Hawthorn fans another reason to be excited by what the second-year Hawk can bring to the table, in a performance that shows why the Hawks are keen to sign up the young Hawk beyond his 2026 contract.

The Wizard roved the tap from Meek, bursting through the centre square, handballing to teammate Newcombe, who then returned the ball to Watson. The Wiz tapped it forward, gathering the bouncing ball at pace and putting it through the goals as he left the Roos' midfield in his dust.

The Hawks now have a six day break before they take on the Saints at Marvel Stadium next Saturday night, where they will aim to continue their momentum after winning their last three games on the trot, while the Roos have a short turnaround before their next clash against the Bulldogs on Thursday night, which will kick start Round 17.