Richmond Tigers fly the flag, but James Sicily and the Hawthorn Hawks have the last laugh at the MCG; Alastair Clarkson; Sam Mitchell; MCG

Richmond defender Noah Balta – in his first game back since being convicted for an assault outside the Mulwala Water Ski Club late last year – was booed every time he touched the ball, but he stayed clear of the melee.

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell also dismissed the encounter. However, he said his Hawks “want to play tough, physical games” and he thought his players were good in that area as they defeated Richmond by 65 points, 16.13 (109) to 6.8 (44).

He said the sight of so many legends of the club at the ground to celebrate the Hawks’ 100-year anniversary (and 13 premierships) had made the build-up to the game different, and he was pleased his team – although scrappy in their execution at times – handled the occasion.

“This was a big occasion for the club, and it was quite daunting, to be honest, for all of us, and then to go from this huge emotional, understanding of the 100 years and the weight that carried and then to go and play 10 minutes later, I thought they did a great job,” Mitchell said. “I found it quite difficult on a personal level to get back to it.”

Mitchell, who was a star in four premierships, said spending time with people like Shane Crawford and David Parkin, who have been so instrumental in his career, and then hearing Robert DiPierdomenico before the game saying he wanted to run out on the ground all added to a different atmosphere.

Loading

The game wasn’t dazzling, but the Hawks did the job with a commanding win.

Mitchell praised Tom Barrass for his performance in the first quarter when the ball was living in Richmond’s front half and the Tigers were racking up forward-half turnovers.

He also said he was not concerned about Sicily’s kicking struggles, with the brilliant defender not hitting targets by foot in his usual fashion.

“Sic is a captain of the club and a fantastic player … his last couple of weeks he hasn’t been at his best, but I am far from concerned. He has not lost any talent, and he is working hard on his game,” Mitchell said.

“The best of James Sicily is in front of him … the thing that makes him a great player is that he doesn’t shy away from it. He knows he has to keep going for those kicks, and has to continue to go for those marks. There are a lot of players who, after an error, might shy away from the footy, but he doesn’t do that. He still continues to want the footy.”

Loading

The Hawks just kept building their form as the game went on, moving the ball from the back end better in the second half, with Impey and Massimo D’Ambrosio instrumental in creating that run, building on the defensive foundation Barrass laid in the first half.

There were nice moments, such as when triple-premiership hero Jack Gunston kicked his 500th goal late in the third quarter to move to eighth on the Hawks’ list of leading goalkickers and 754 behind Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall, who wore the same No.19 for the Hawks.

Richmond kicked just six goals for the game, with their first coming minutes before half-time – allowing them to avoid being the first Tiger team to go goalless in the first half since round 18, 1996.

It was a demolition worth celebrating, even if muted, as the Hawks again showed why they remain a force to be reckoned with in 2025. What can still be achieved remains to be seen.

“The sky is the limit,” Impey said.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.