HAWTHORN 2.5 9.6 14.11 17.14 (116) GOLD COAST 3.0 5.0 6.0 10.3 (63)
Goals: Hawthorn: L Breust 3 L Hodge 3 G Birchall 2 I Smith 2 J Lewis 2 J Roughead 2 C Rioli J Ceglar S Burgoyne. Gold Coast: C Dixon 2 G Ablett 2 T Lynch 2 D Prestia H Bennell J Martin Z Smith.
BEST Hawthorn: Hodge, Lewis, I Smith, Ceglar, Burgoyne. Gold Coast: Ablett Rischitelli, O'Meara, Swallow.
Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Matt Stevic, Robert O'Gorman.
Official Crowd: 13,178 at Aurora Stadium.
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Hawthorn’s 53-point victory over the Gold Coast came at a high cost with exciting playmaker Cyril Rioli suffering another hamstring injury which is likely to sideline him again for at least four weeks.
Rioli was injured at the 10-minute mark of the last term.
Carrying the ball through the middle of the ground at full stretch with a Gold Coast opponent in hot pursuit, Rioli appeared to receive a slight push and fell forward to the ground.
He lay prone for a few minutes and slapped the ground with his hand in frustration, fully aware that he had again strained his hamstring – an injury that has plagued him in recent seasons.
Rioli left the field straight away and had ice strapped to the injury, taking no further part in the game.
Stand-in coach Brendon Bolton confirmed the injury was a recurrence of the left hamstring problem the 24-year-old first suffered against Sydney in round eight, sidelining him for two weeks.
‘‘I don’t think it is a bad hamstring – but he just runs so quick doesn’t he?,’’ Bolton said. ‘‘It’s disappointing but we’ve faced a lot of injuries over the past five or six weeks and likewise someone will jump at because that’s what happens at AFL level.
‘‘I don’t know how long it will be but I imagine somewhere around a month but that is only guessing – I haven’t spoken to the medicos yet.’’
Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett also received a knock to the ankle or shin in a pack during the third quarter and hobbled from the ground but returned soon after and appeared to be OK.
Hawks Luke Breust copped a knock to the head early in the final quarter and left the field for a concussion test but returned before the end of the game. Rioli will have scans early this week as the premiers’ defence runs into its latest injury hurdle.
Mitchell, Josh Gibson (pectoral) and head coach Alastair Clarkson (illness) have all been missing but Bolton said a turnaround in the club’s fortunes was looming.
Clarkson is due back as early as this week, while Mitchell will be fit in one to two weeks, Bolton said.
It hasn’t hurt the Hawks on the field as they notched a fifth-straight win, and their 17th from 18 at their Launceston fortress.
The Hawks booted the last five majors of the second quarter and backed up with the first four of the third to lead by 59 at the final break. The victory lifts the Hawks to equal top of the table, with Port Adelaide, ladder leaders heading into round 15, to play on Sunday.
The Suns’ loss leaves their 40-point win over Geelong last weekend looking like a blip, their finals hopes back in the balance with that sole victory from their past five.
With aap
