Jacob van Rooyen celebrates scoring during the match between Hawthorn and Melbourne at UTAS Stadium in Round 17, 2026. Photo: AFL Photos
MELBOURNE ran riot and then fell off a cliff before escaping with a 35-point win over Hawthorn at the Hawks’ home fortress of Launceston.
The Demons opened up a stunning 86-9 lead at half-time on Saturday afternoon and led by as much as 96 points in the third quarter, with veteran ruckman Max Gawn dominating the injured Hawthorn.
HAWKS v DEMONS Full match broadcast and statistics
However, the Hawks came alive midway through the third quarter, scoring 12 straight goals and threatening a most improbable victory.
Hawthorn’s Mabior Chol scored five goals in the series, but the gap proved too wide as the Demons eventually triumphed 19.11 (125) to 14.6 (90).
Melbourne players Jacob van Rooyen and Bailey Fritsch kicked five goals apiece, while veteran Gawn was unstoppable in the ruck in the first half and made interceptions at will.
Van Rooyen also had 24 touches (14 contested), eight points and 10 goals to go along with his five-goal performance as sixth-placed Melbourne improved to 10-6 on the season.
The result ended Hawthorn’s 12-game winning streak at UTAS Stadium, but the team maintained third place in the league table.
It was Melbourne’s first visit to the stadium, where the Hawks had won 67 of their opening 88 matches.
The win also set an abysmal travel record for the Demons, who had suffered five defeats in as many matches outside Victoria this season before Saturday’s win.
Melbourne came out of the blocks in the first quarter by seven to one against a sluggish Hawthorn, winning within 50 by 21-12.
The Demons had seven individual scorers and led 47-8 at half-time – their best first quarter of the season and Hawthorn’s worst.
The damage continued to be done in the second season, with Melbourne finishing the quarter six goals to nil. Hawthorn’s only point came when Will McCabe hit the post.
Fritsch extended his lead to four and Harrison Petty scored the second as they extended their lead to 86-9 at the main break.
Van Rooyen came alive in the third quarter, scoring a number of goals that helped push Melbourne’s lead to 96 at mid-term.
The Hawks’ worst result in Launceston (a 75-point loss to St Kilda in 2017) was in jeopardy before they finally got something going.
Chol kicked two goals late in the third and Hawthorn made a stunning run to put the Melbourne fans on edge.
A tale of two halves
Melbourne took to the field in a blistering first half, dictating the game and building a 77-point lead at the main break. It was the biggest half-time lead for any team this season and the Demons’ second-biggest half-time lead in history, based on a dominant 50-to-50 (37-23), clearances (26-9) and contested possessions (82-52). But when the Demons extended the lead to a game-high 96 points early in the third quarter, the Hawks somehow found another gear and nearly pulled off the unthinkable. They scored 12 unanswered goals each side over three quarters to cut the margin to 24 points, but the Demons fought off a late onslaught with the final two goals of the game.
Double debut for the Hawks
Hawthorn introduced two debutants to UTAS Stadium, with Noah Mraz and Matt Hill given their first opportunities amid a growing number of injuries at the club. Mraz, the Hawks’ No. 35 pick in the 2024 draft, has been one of Hawthorn’s standout players. The low-key defender impressed with his reading of the game, scoring 12 points, including six contested and seven steals, as well as nine interceptions in a cool and composed debut. Hill, a Rugby League convert, started the game energetically and almost marked the occasion with a first-time goal, but his shot sailed wide of the goal.
Matt Hill and Noah Mraz pose for a photo ahead of their Hawthorn debut against Melbourne in Round 17, 2026. Photo: AFL Photos
HAWTHORN 1.2 1.3 5.5 14.6 (90)
MELBOURNE 7.5 13.8 17.11 19.11 (125)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Chol 5, Ward 2, Ginnivan 2, McDonald, Lewis, Gunston, Day, Dalton
Melbourne: Van Rooyen 5, Fritsch 5, Sharp 2, L. Pickett 2, Petty 2, Lawrie, Langdon, Jefferson
BEST
Hawthorn: Ward, Chol, Mraz, Hardwick, Newcombe
Melbourne: Van Rooyen, Gaun, Petty, Fritsch, Sparrow, Jiat
INJURIES
Hawthorn: zero
Melbourne: zero
Crowd: TBC at UTAS Stadium