Curnow, McKay star in Blues’ triumph over Eagles as Hawks, Bombers post wins

Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay kick five goals each as the Blues thrash the Eagles by 63 points.

Meanwhile, the Hawks claimed a 32-point victory over the Crows, and the Bombers defeated the understrength Lions by 10 points at the Gabba.

More to come.

Eagles vs Blues

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Hawks control Crows

Mitch Lewis kicked an equal career-high five goals to help Hawthorn register a comfortable win over Adelaide.

The Hawks welcomed back captain Ben McEvoy from a long-term neck injury as they triumphed 13.8 (86) to 8.6 (54) at Docklands in a match between two sides who will not play finals.

The result snapped a five-match losing streak for the Hawks, who have drawn level with the Crows on five wins for the season.

Lewis was held goalless for the first time this year in the Hawks’ defeat to GWS in round 16 and responded in stunning fashion, putting Adelaide to the sword with five first-half goals.

Three came in the opening term as the Hawks laid the platform for the victory by opening up a 31-point lead by the first change.

The buffer grew to 38 points and was cut back to 20 during the final term but the Crows were always kept at bay.

Jai Newcombe (25 disposals, eight clearances), Dylan Moore (29, five) and Tom Mitchell (28, six) were busy around the ball, while Changkuoth Jiath (24 disposals), Blake Hardwick (32) and Jack Scrimshaw (25) gave plenty of drive from the back half.

James Sicily and mid-season draftee James Blanck were resolute in defence, and tempers flared briefly when Sicily’s late bump on Ned McHenry led to a 50-metre penalty.

McEvoy inspired the Hawks in his first match after more than three months on the sidelines recovering from a small fracture in his neck, caused by a training mishap.

The two-time premiership ruckman had seven disposals and 19 hit-outs in his comeback match, spending most of his time in attack.

The Crows evened up the contest after quarter-time but never seriously threatened to run over the top as they posted their equal-lowest score of the season.

Rory Laird (42 disposals, four clearances) and Ben Keays (30, six) were busy as always and Nick Murray kept Lewis quiet in the second half after the Hawks spearhead got the better of Jordon Butts.

Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty were Adelaide’s leading goal kickers with two each.

Former All-Australian midfielder Matt Crouch had 28 disposals and seven clearances after being recalled from the reserves for the second time this season.

Bombers hand Lions rare home loss

Essendon inflicted a first home loss of the season on the COVID-hit Brisbane Lions.

In-form tall forward Peter Wright kicked five goals for the Bombers as they pulled off an ambush on the undermanned Lions with a 15.10 (100) to 13.12 (90) win.

The Lions, who lost nine players to a combination of injury and COVID-19 in the build-up to the match, threatened to snatch the win in the final minutes but could not find a way to avoid a defeat that may have ramifications on their top-four aspirations.

Jye Caldwell, who spent much of the afternoon marking stand-in Lions captain Lachie Neale, was a stand-out performer with 26 disposals, seven tackles and a vital fourth-quarter goal.

Zach Merrett was also impressive for the visitors with 31 disposals, six clearances and three goal assists.

Kyle Langford was the other multiple goal kicker for the Bombers with four majors.

The Lions’ goals were shared, with Lincoln McCarthy kicking three and Oscar McInerney and Mitch Robinson two each.

Brandon Starcevich (26 disposals, seven marks, five tackles) and Hugh McCluggage (29 disposals, four clearances) were solid performers for the hosts, whose pressure was well down on their normal efforts as they slipped to a first home loss since last year’s semi-final against the Western Bulldogs.

It is the Lions’ first regular-season defeat at home since their round-one loss to the Sydney Swans at the start of last season.

After a goalless opening 16 minutes, Langford was the catalyst to the Bombers taking the lead in the contest with three goals in the second quarter.

The Lions came out firing in the second half, with talls Darcy Fort and McInerney scoring back-to-back goals, before Bombers captain Dyson Heppell and Wright restored their three-goal advantage.

A fantastic snap on the run by McCarthy and Robinson’s second had the Lions within six points, before Wright’s third goal of the term ensured a 12-point margin at the final turn.

The Bombers held the Lions at arm’s length for much of the fourth quarter before Eric Hipwood’s goal with less than five minutes to play had the Lions trailing by just five points.

From the resulting centre bounce, however, the Bombers went straight down the middle and Caldwell slotted a vital goal on the run from outside the 50.

Cam Rayner responded for the Lions but when Starcevich was penalised in the dying seconds it sealed the win for the Bombers, with Matt Guelfi kicking a goal after the siren to add an exclamation point for an Essendon team who has won three of its past four matches.

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AAP/ABC