Round 23 – Sydney v Hawthorn: A loss, but our 20th finals series in 23 years awaits!

At 8am Sunday morning, a mere 10 hours after the final siren, my phone rang. “Who the (swear word) is phoning me, everyone knows not to phone me after a (swear word with emphasis) loss!”, I blurt out. I was still in bed, trying desperately not to think about football.

Oh God, I hate losing! Especially to them! And especially at home!

At 11am I decide to watch the replay. After most losses I won’t, but need to see this one. After all, we were ahead for most of the night, only to have done to us in the final minutes, what we did to them earlier in the year at the MCG.

Our games against Hawthorn are like that. Close, bruising affairs, often heralded as Thrillers.

Thriller, be damned, we lost!

However, as our coach stated after the game “I think we played some pretty good footy to be honest, I thought we had a real go……We made a couple of errors in the last quarter and got a couple of things wrong at important times, we didn’t kick as accurately as we should have, so with those things all rolled into one, we sit here as losers.”

That pretty much sums it up.

The much needed rain in drought-declared NSW was promised all week. Saturday was to be the day it fell, but it stayed away. A mild night greeted us as we arrived at the SCG. A night full of promise. A night that would hopefully see us in Melbourne in a fortnight to face the Tigers.

Nearly 40,000 have turned up, with a splattering of opposition supporters making their presence felt when it mattered. I know. We had two of them in front of us. Arrogant and obnoxious. Nothing new when it comes to that lot, I’m afraid.

Our second quarter is superb – 4.4 to 1.2 – following an even battle in the first 30 minutes. Our lead of 19 points at half time is promising, but early goals to Gunston and Puopolo, and no majors from the Swans for 24 minutes, sees a close battle looming. Harry and Paps kick truly, only for Gunston to goal again. 6 points the difference at three quarter time.

I’ve said it before, but our last quarters this year have certainly been a bit of a worry. If only we could go on with it when leading for most of a match – all of it, in this case.

Our forward line tonight has been severely compromised. No Buddy, no Reid, no Rohan, no Parker. Instead we have young kids. Tom McCartin, 18 years of age and 13 games, Will Hayward, 19, and 39 games, Ben Ronke, 20, and 16 games, Ollie Florent, 20, and 31 games, Jordan Dawson, 21, and 4 games, and Robbie Fox, 25, and 12 games. And let’s not forget that Tom Papley is still only 22, and played just 59 games. Similarly, Isaac Heeney. With 70 odd games under his belt, he’s also 22 years of age.

However, when Tommy McCartin marks and goals in the first minute, 35 metres out, we’re two goals up, and the loudest chant of the night rings around the SCG. It doesn’t last long, as Puopolo and Roughead level the scores. I remember at this stage feeling quit sick to the stomach, and extremely grateful that my last meal at was breakfast at 9am.

From then on, Sinclair goals, we’re a goal up. Ollie and Kizza both miss, and we’ve kicked 3 behinds in 10 minutes. 21 minutes on the clock, and they goal. 2 points the difference. They get another (swear word, loud swear word). Joey gets a chance but misses. Bruest then marks and goals for them, from the goal square. Couple of minutes left and we’re 11 points behind. We then miss twice, and that’s it! 9 point loss.

As we all know, injuries can have a devastating effect on a team. And many teams have had them at different stages of the season. With up to half of our best players out at different times this year – sometimes all at once – we have done remarkably well, considering.

And as we head into finals – for the 20th time in 23 years (since 1996), all Swans people can be proud.

And one thing I know for sure, despite this loss, and with a couple of our stars back, we’ll be fighting in true Bloods spirit to do whatever is needed, at home or away, to carry us onto victory.

Go Bloods!

 

SYDNEY             2.3  6.7  8.8  10.14 (74)
HAWTHORN     2.4  3.6   7.8   12.11 (83)

 

GOALS
Sydney: Heeney 2, Papley 2, McCartin, Jack, Kennedy, Florent, Cunningham, Sinclair
Hawthorn: Puopolo 3, Gunston 2, Henderson 2, Schoenmakers, Worpel, Breust, Roughead, Morrison

 

BEST
Sydney: Heeney, Lloyd, Grundy, Hewett, Kennedy, Rampe
Hawthorn: Impey, Worpel, McEvoy, Morrison, Shiels, Burgoyne

 

INJURIES
Sydney: Hannebery (corked thigh)
Hawthorn: Nil

 

Reports: Nil

 

Umpires: Chamberlain, Meredith, Harris

 

Official crowd: 39,660 at the SCG

 

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