Round 4 – Hawthorn v Geelong: From the Shane Warne Stand, Easter Monday

 

 

Round 4
Hawthorn v Geelong
Monday 6 April 2026  3:15 PM 
MCG

 

From the Shane Warne Stand

 

Vicki and I caught the train from Marshalltown instead of our customary South Geelong station and it proved to be a good choice. The combination of the Easter Monday Classic at the G and Victoria’s free public transport in April to alleviate the impact of spiralling fuel prices caused by the war in Iran, meant the trains up and back were packed. A crowd of 84,712 gathered at football’s holiest place to witness another chapter in the Cats-Hawks rivalry and it did not disappoint (so long as you ignore the final score!). I’ve been to every Geelong v Hawthorn game since 2011 and, without fail, regardless of relative ladder positions or form or personnel, these two teams deliver classic contests and heart-stopping finales.

Today was the first time my grandson Llewyn (6) had his first taste of live footy and what a baptism it was. His favourite player is Danger but in his absence, Ollie Dempsey became his focus, helped by the bobble-head version he held through the whole game.

 

Hawthorn started the better of the two and set the template for how they would play: high pressure, super-fast ball movement, slick transition from backline to forward 50, creating open space and marking targets and generally running the Cats off their feet whenever possible. Thankfully they were wayward in front of goal. About half way through the the first quarter the tide turned and Geelong were able to capitalise, first with a desperate lunging goal from Jack Martin followed by the first of Ollie Henry’s three goals for the game. Thus commenced a see-sawing battle that saw the lead change nine times. Geelong struck hard and fast in the second quarter with goals to Neale, Wiltshire and O. Henry in the first six minutes to lead by 11 points before Hawthorn responded with goals to Chol, Gunston and Watson to take back the lead. Bailey Smith was relentless in winning clearances and breaking out of the centre and Shannon Neale held several contested marks then converted with beautiful long-range set shots. As Q2 progressed Hawthorn got on top and looked like going in with a lead at half-time only for Jack Bowes(2) and Shannon Neale (3) to strike in the last 90 seconds and send the Cats into the rooms in front at the main break.??Geelong kept the lead throughout the third quarter but the Hawk Jacks- Gunston and Ginnivan- kicked multiple goals to keep Hawthorn within striking distance. The intense pressure led to numerous errors from both sides. SDK and Ollie Henry both cost scoring opportunities by failing to realise the level of urgency required, Shaun Mannagh was playing like the Invisible Man, Gryan Miers missed targets he would normally hit with his eyes closed and Brad Close did not do enough to warrant his return to the first team in my opinion. O. Henry and Neale were effective on the scoreboard but Jezza had another quiet game up forward. A switch to the wing after half time got him more involved and he swooped on a rare opportunity to goal early in the last quarter.

 

The Cats were 4 points up at 3/4 time and pushed the lead out to 13 points when Blitz snapped a ripper with his left foot at the 15 minute mark. That could/should have been enough of a lead to get Geelong home but Watson and Chol struck back immediately and suddenly it was anybody’s game again. Chol went from hero to zero when he missed two easy chances from right in front late in the quarter. Geelong made critical errors too: Stewart overran a ground-ball in the back pocket allowing Chol to kick his second and put Hawthorn in front by a point, Blitz sent a snap out on the full and despite repeated opportunities Geelong could not deliver the knock-out blow.

 

Scores were level and it was looking like being the first Easter Monday draw until a long bomb from O’Sullivan flew over the pack and landed right in Shannon Neale’s bread basket 40 metres out. With nerves of steel he steered through his fourth goal, Cats by six points and less than two minutes to play. Surely we’ve got it now! But no! Humphries failed to clear, McDonald centred to Lewis who marked 20 metres out despite being surrounded by Cats defenders, goal, scores level, less than a minute to play!

Max Holmes won the centre clearance but Sicily marked across half back and played on, Hawthorn inside 50 and thirty seconds of desperate manic scrambling ensued in the Hawks’ goal square before Gunston toed the ball into the post, Hawthorn by a point and the crowd around me went berserk. One desperate attempt remained from the kick-out but Shannon Neale was swamped by three rampaging Hawks, holding the ball, siren, game over, Hawthorn by a point. I hate Geelong losing. I hate Hawthorn. A draw would have been a fair result but I can’t pretend they didn’t deserve to win. It was a GREAT game, a worthy addition to the canon of Easter Monday classics.

 

 

Best players: Bailey Smith, Shannon Neale, Tom Stewart, Max Holmes, Ollie Henry. Hear more about it on The Cat Pack podcast on Spotify .

 

 

HAWTHORN      3.3     7.5     10.9     13.14 (92)
GEELONG          2.1     9.2     10.5     14.7 (91)

 

GOALS
Hawthorn: Gunston 3, Watson 3, Chol 2, Ginnivan 2, Lewis 2, Weddle
Geelong: Neale 4, O.Henry 3, Bowes 2, Martin, Wiltshire, Dempsey, Cameron, Blicavs

 

BEST
Hawthorn: Ward, Impey, Sicily, Ginnivan, Barrass, Gunston, Watson
Geelong: Smith, Holmes, Neale, Stewart, Blicavs, O.Henry

 

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Geelong: Nil

 

Crowd: 84,712 at the MCG