Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has urged his charges to keep pushing after an emphatic 66-point win over Adelaide on their home turf brought the Hawks even closer to a once-unlikely finals berth.
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Sam Mitchell's charges had an 0-5 start to the season but are now 11-8 and just percentage outside the top eight after their 19.10 (124) to 8.10 (58) win at Adelaide Oval.
After Josh Rachele kicked Adelaide's sixth for the day early in the second term, Hawthorn piled on 13 unanswered goals to record an ominous thumping, their third win on the bounce.
Hawthorn also kept the Crows goalless for almost all of the entire second half until the home side kicked two consolation majors in the last four minutes of the match.
"There's part of us that's happy with how we're playing and things are going well, but we're still ninth, so we're still out of the eight. We're still not where we want to be," Mitchell said.
"We go to Canberra to play GWS, and they had a fantastic win, and they're a side that bring an enormous work rate again.
"We know there's no week off for us. We're ninth. We have to keep going."
Hawthorn next face tough tests against GWS in Canberra and Carlton at the MCG, followed by clashes with cellar dwellars Richmond (MCG) and North Melbourne (Launceston).
They are in a tight pack with just eight points separating fourth-placed Carton and 12th-placed Collingwood.
"Every game where we get the chance to keep our season alive is great experience for our group, and particularly our younger guys," Mitchell said.
"A lot of seasons we've had recently, the season's been over by now, and so the fact we're playing in games that genuinely matter is fantastic experience for us and and we're enjoying it.
"They keep running away from us, those teams (above us). But it's in our hands and I think the longer we keep the season in our own hands, the better feeling it is.
"We don't have to watch other games really desperate, because we know that if we win all our games that are left, we'll make it."
Smooth-moving midfielder Will Day was prolific for Hawthorn alongside the superb Connor Macdonald (28 disposals, two goals) while Jarman Impey and Karl Amon delivered drive off half-back.
Skipper James Sicily celebrated his 150th game with three goals and was among 11 individual goalkickers for Hawthorn.
Taylor Walker kicked three goals for Adelaide, while Jake Soligo (30 disposals), Lachlan Sholl (29) and Rory Laird (29) fought hard.
Adelaide's Max Michalanney is likely to attract match review officer scrutiny for a scuffle in which he appeared to shove Nick Watson's head into the ground several times.
The typically energetic Hawks started fast, but Adelaide held a six-point lead at the first change.
Mitchell hailed Hawthorn's "response" after they nudged out to a 15-point lead at halftime, then 30 points at three-quarter time.
In the final quarter, Adelaide appeared out on their feet while Hawthorn racked up six more goals to turn the game into a thrashing.
"As good as they were, we were as bad, in that second half especially," coach Matthew Nicks said.
"That's probably as bad as we've been for a number of years, unfortunately."
Adelaide, who sit 15th and out of finals contention, next play Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.
Australian Associated Press
