Round 16 Match Reports (2026)

La Trobe was unable to match one of the competition’s benchmark sides on Saturday afternoon, going down to Hawthorn by 80 points at Tony Sheehan Oval.

The visitors came out of the blocks with relentless pressure and ball movement, kicking five first-quarter goals with the wind to establish an early 22-point lead. Despite an early major from Austin Bennett and some determined efforts around the contest, the Trobers found themselves chasing the game from the outset.

The second term followed a similar pattern, with The Hawks continuing to capitalise on forward entries. Jack Crowe and Nathan Richardson each hit the scoreboard to keep La Trobe in touch, but Hawthorn’s efficiency inside 50 saw them extend the margin to 32 points by the main break.

After half-time, Tate Spiteri kicked his first for the afternoon before an onslaught from Hawthorn who outran the home side with a 7 goal term. Skipper Connor McCredden finished off a strong passage of play with a major midway through the third term. However, each time the Trobers threatened to build momentum, the visitors responded quickly to maintain control and carried a commanding 69-point advantage into the final change.

The final quarter saw Spitta completing a two-goal performance and wingman Ronan Carr adding another major. Hawthorn’s depth and polish ultimately proved too much, as they finished strongly to record a convincing 123-43 victory.

With finals approaching, the Trobers will look to regroup quickly and take the lessons from facing one of the competition’s stronger outfits into the closing weeks of the season.