Hawthorn V Sydney
by Steve Healy
It was a lazy Sunday Afternoon on the long weekend.
I sat down and watched the Sunday Footy Show. Dean Bailey was on and he was being asked the usual questions and giving the usual answers. At one o’clock I took the laptop into my room and listened to the pre game coverage of Hawthorn V Sydney. I clear some junk off my desk to give room for the score sheet and the laptop and I go on to AFL Match Centre for live stats, along with live scores for Essendon V Adelaide. It was a game that I thought would be a good, high scoring one but my thoughts changed when dark clouds surrounded through my bedroom window. Schoenmakers and Tuck were late inclusions for Hawthorn with Murphy and Brown being late omissions.
The Hawks kicked a goal within 30 seconds through Franklin, Rioli and Roughead combining. The Swans quickly replied through Mattner and the scores were level. The rain was coming down at the G, but outside in Ashburton was still dry. The game turned into a tight scrap, and Rioli came off the ground with a torn hamstring, which was described as a one-month injury. After a few misses from the swans, Mark Williams snapped one through for a goal at the 11-minute mark. Franklin kicked the next one from a set shot and the Hawks looked commanding despite Luke Hodge limping off. Franklin narrowly missed one from 50 after McVeigh snapped one through. A few more wasted opportunities from either team saw out the first quarter as the rain came down outside the window. I turned the radio up as the rain pelted down on the roof. Mitchell kicked a goal from a left foot snap before the siren and the Hawks led at the first break, 4.5 29 to 2.5 17.
The second quarter begun with tight, hard footy. Neither team scored for twelve minutes until Jude Bolton snapped a great goal to the City end. Roughead crumbed one from a tap from Franklin and kicked a goal to put the margin back out to two goals. Franklin kicked the next from a great snap by being held in a tackle by Craig Bolton. It wasn’t quite the Buddy and Rough show yet, but they now had two each to their names. Williams rolled through a third consecutive goal for the Hawks. Barry Hall marked a centred ball O’Loughlin to kick his first. The Swans pressed but still trailed by 16 points at the long break, 7.5 47 to 4.7 31.
Sydney began the third quarter with a couple of good goals, One from O’Loughlin and then a talented snap from a pack from Goodes. Taylor then missed a crucial one for the Hawks to make the margin an even goal. Two quick goals from Buddy and Ellis saw worrying signs for the Swans. But Adam Goodes was keeping the Swans in the game. Goodes set up one for Kirk who snapped truly and then Hall kicked one from 20 out directly in front. The Hawks only held a 10-point lead at three quarter time, 9.11 65 to 8.7 55. The sun was coming out outside and a good last quarter lay ahead.
Jolly converted from 50 in the opening couple of minutes to bring the margin back to four, and then Goodes received a hold from Hodge and kicked a set shot goal from 40, and all of a sudden the Swans were in front and the Hawks looked as though they were tiring. What happened next was a game turning point, when Roughead marked the ball inside his defensive 50 and then found himself kicking a goal from the tip of the square a few minutes later. It was Barry Hall at his angry worst. Ellis kicked a goal for the Hawks and the game seemed to be over. The Hawks ended up beating the Swans by 11, 12.14 86 to 11.9 75.The Hawks are now 6-5 and looking good at 7th spot on the ladder, but a few injury clouds still surround them. The Swans are now 5-6 and definitely need to string a few wins together if they want to play finals this year.
Hawthorn 4.5 7.5 9.11 12.14(86)
Sydney 2.5 4.7 8.7 11.9 (75)
Goals
Hawthorn: Franklin 3, Roughead 3, Williams 3, Ellis 2, Mitchell.
Sydney: Goodes 3, Hall 2, O’Loughlin, McVeigh, J.Bolton, Mattner, Kirk, Jolly.
Best
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Franklin, Lewis, Roughead, Birchall, Hodge.
Sydney: Goodes, J.Bolton, Jolly, O’Keefe, Kirk.
Umpires: Donlon, Vozzo, Hendrie. Crowd: 44,464 at the MCG.
Leave a Comment