Blake Hardwick Kicks Four as Hawthorn Streak Reaches Seven — Afl Round 12 Team News
afl round 12 team news opens with Hawthorn facing St Kilda on Thursday night, and the Hawks arrive after a win that ended a three-game winless run. Blake Hardwick’s move from defence to attack produced four goals against Adelaide, giving Hawthorn another route to goal as it tries to keep its strong Docklands record moving.
Hawthorn And St Kilda
Hawthorn went into round 12 at 7-1-3, and its Docklands form still stands out: seven straight wins there after St Kilda beat it at the venue in 2023. That is the backdrop for the first game of the round, with the Hawks trying to turn one good result into a steadier run.
Hardwick’s four-goal shift matters because it came after Hawthorn had just snapped the three-game winless patch by beating Adelaide in Launceston. Jack Gunston remains part of the picture at the sharp end, but Hardwick’s move gave the side a different shape in attack when it needed it most.
St Kilda’s Ladder Test
St Kilda arrived at 5-6 and still had not beaten a team currently above it on the ladder. That leaves Thursday night as more than a standard round opener; it is another direct test against a side sitting in stronger position.
The Saints also come in after losing to Fremantle when they failed to keep pace in the final term, while Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is injured and absent. Jack Sinclair has 23 disposals this year and is averaging career-high 29.4 touches and 5.1 rebounds a game, so St Kilda still has ball-winning support even with one of its key names missing.
Carlton, Geelong, Brisbane
Round 12 does not stop with Thursday night. Carlton meets Geelong on Friday night, Brisbane plays Fremantle on Saturday, and Essendon takes on West Coast on Sunday, while Adelaide, Gold Coast, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide have the bye.
Geelong brings its own sharp form into the week, with four straight wins, each above 100 points, at an average of 120 points across that run. Carlton, meanwhile, has won two games in a row under interim coach Josh Fraser and has beaten Geelong three times in its past four matches since 2023, so the Friday night meeting carries a recent history edge in both directions.
