Well it wasn’t a goal fest. Nowhere near it, in fact.
Friday night was cold and slippery in Launceston, as Hawthorn hosted the Adelaide Crows in what was probably the game of the round on paper. It was third versus sixth, both likely finalists, and they slogged things out in front of a hardy and enthusiastic crowd of (my guess) 15000.
Pre-game thoughts were that as we roll towards September, this was an opportunity for both teams to assess where they’re headed against a quality opposition. It was hard to pick a favourite despite ladder position. Adelaide had been running hot. Hawthorn were perhaps a little inconsistent but possessing a mercurial mojo thingy that, when on song, makes them hard to beat.
HB will jump in here and there with a random thought throughout this review. You can tell it’s him because his comments are italicised. He also made sure he put his initials next to them, just to be extra helpful.
The game opened with eight minutes of both teams finding their feet in the arctic conditions. No breeze. Misty, dewy and cold for those without a beer jacket. Both teams found it hard to string together possessions. It was scrappy, the pressure was up (particularly by the Crows), and there was no “champagne football” to be seen here. The Crows were perhaps on the dominant side of the ledger, with the footy more in their forward half than the Hawks. But critically (duh!) there were no scores either way. This would be an indicator of what the remainder of the game would look like. The same brand as appears when raining heavily.
Dan Curtin opened the scoring for the Crows. He goaled from a contested mark at the top of the square from a hurried kick from Sam Berry. Some minutes later Berry cleared from the centre and his kick was marked by Riley Tilthorpe about 30 out dead in front. He kicked a behind. Shortly after Berry took his own snap from 45 out near the boundary and he too kicked a behind. The quarter continued largely in the Adelaide forward half and the Crows were seemingly dominant except for not a lot of scoring going on. Isaac Cumming kicked late goal the quarter ended Crows 2.3 to the Hawks 0.2.
At this stage of the game, it was interetsing to note the different types of wingmen the teams were employing. The Hawks ran with Massimo D’Ambrosio and Harry Morrison. Both are having decent years, but the size of the Adelaide wingmen made them look like teenagers. Dan Curtin, despite not being long out of his teens, is a monster, and his contested mark against Morrison made that apparent. And Isaac Cumming is a veteran with a strong body, as well. I often believe the wing positions are the last ones to come together on a good team. All the other roles fill themselves, but the wings… you get that combination right, and you’re off to the races. These teams have very different ways of deploying players in the role – HB
With less than a minute into the second quarter, Ben Keays goaled for the Crows putting them three goals up. It did seem that would be the way of things for the remainder of the game; the Crows would kick away since the Hawks had yet to find a way to kick a goal. Both defences were very effective. As said, it was very scrappy. The ball changed hands a lot. Lots of stoppage as in wet weather. No pretty.
Jack Gunston broke the goal drought for the Hawks. How was awarded a free-kick for holding against Mark Keane in the lead up to a marking contest about 30 out. Gunston added a second goal late in the quarter as did Ben Keays for the Crows. Even though both teams kicked just the two goals, the Crows were apparently in control of the game even if not convincingly shown on the scoreboard. At half time the Crows led 4.7 (31) to The Hawks 2.4(16).
I’m sure it means nothing, but the Crows should have put this one away. As in sealed the deal in the first half. The Hawks were 15 points down at halftime despite being completely ouitplayed. That they permitted the Hawks to hang around cost them dearly – HB
The game was a lot more even in the second half. The Hawks emerged rejuvenated from a hot milo at half time and seemed encouraged by winning the first clearance and a goal to Connor Macdonald in the first 15 seconds. Suddenly, the Hawks are just nine points down and angry. What was in the milo? Just a few minutes later, the umpire thought Crows skipper Jordan Dawson didn’t disguise nearly well enough his intention to see the ball over the boundary deep in the Hawks forward line. He awarded Dylan Moore a free kick for lack of sufficient disguise. Moore kicked a behind from what would have been a difficult kick.
Then, at the five-minute mark, Mabior Chol took an excellent contested mark, out bodying and holding off Crows defender Jordon Butts. He kicked truly for a goal from about thirty on an angle. What a difference Milo makes. I predict Hawthorn fans wish he would do more of that (take marks, kick goals I mean. Not drink Milo). So its now Crows by just two points. All that first half dominance wasted.
The gulf between Good Mabior and Bad Mabior is vast. In the first half, I thought we have have been getting a dose of Bad Mabs all night in this game, however, he really turned it around in the third quarter, and started working both offensively and defensively, as well. His contested grab against Jordon Butts was spectacular, particularly considering this was not a night for strong marks. Nice work, Good Mabior – HB
Lets now talk about behinds. The record for the most consecutive behinds is held by the French team from the Moulin Rouge. In an attempt to take that record, the Hawks and the Crows put together a string of thirteen that had the goal umpires with one arm cramping up. The drought of six pointers did not end until eighteen minutes into the last quarter, when Jarman Impey produced an exquisite side of the boot pass to Connor Macdonald who snapped his second goal. Hawks by three!
The game from this point on was now finally living up to the billing. Desperation by each team. Less than a kick in it.
With six minutes to go Izak Rankine swooped on a loose ball from a throw in in the forward pocket. Off the side of the boot running across the goal face from about 25 it bounced through for a goal. Absolute class, and a lesson in not permitting your direct opponent to get goal side at a stoppage for the trailing Nick Watson. Crows by three!
I’m not really a believer in Hollywood finishes, or fairly tale endings but this game did have some echoes of just that. Jai Newcombe been held pretty well by Sam Berry. He’d only managed about half his usual diposal numbers. Lots of running and grunt work for not much reward. Then, in the final minutes, it was a case of “right place, right time”. As Berry was caught defending in a contest, Newcombe found space away from it, found an avenue to goal, an found a way to to snap a goal across his body whilst running full tilt, for the the match winner. Well done Jai Newcombe. Hawks by three at full time.
Hawks 6.11(47) Crows 5.14(44)
A five goal “haul” from the Crows line-up that includes all their ‘season so far’ top ten goal kickers is testament to pressure and defensive efforts of the Hawks backline. Nothing was easy out there. What’s more impressive is this Hawks victory came without the skipper James Sicily who for so many seasons has been a pillar of their defence, team performance, and overall attitude.
Talking defensive pillars, Tom Barrass takes a lot of critical marks for a bloke who seems to spend more time than most simply walking. Clearly he has a strict energy budget expended only when he is about to take an outstanding intercept mark, which he does regularly. Barrass is another instance of masterful recruiting; building a possible premiership team piece by piece.
Being a fat bastard, I totally enjoyed the first quarter run down tackle of Nick Watson after a fantastic chase by Crows defender Josh Worrell. Watson, having tackled Max Michalanney, had the temerity to sprint away after collecting the spilt ball (yes he is very nippy), take a couple of bounces, look about for a target, and possibly check his hair before Worrell shattered what might have otherwise ended up on his highlight reel. It was strangely satisfying; think Coyote catches Road Runner.
One interesting aside to that moment, shepherding has become a lost art. I loved Josh Worrell’s rundown tackle on Nick Watson, but Max Ramsden’s attempts to shepherd Worrell were childlike. You’re a big bloke, Max – sit him down, next time and give your teammate a clean run inside 50. The chase and tackle were wonderful, but they should not have been much of an option had you used that big frame of yours for good, instead of… whatever that was you attempted – HB
It’s true that dependence on your star players is a risky caper. Star players, and individual brilliance, can win you individual games but maybe not the premiership. Premierships require a team performance and individuals don’t so much matter. A sign of a maturing Hawks line-up is that the (by his standards) quiet game (particularly the first half from Jai Newcombe), courtesy of close attention from Sam Berry, didn’t ultimately effect the outcome of the game. The absence of Sicily is similar. The team prevailed.
The better players for the Hawks were Jarman Impey, Josh Weddle and Jack Gunston. For the Crows, I liked the efforts of Jordan Dawson, Jake Soligo and Josh Worrel.
Both these teams go into a bye next week before returning to fixtures with teams much lower on the ladder. Hawks will take on North Melbourne, supremely confident of a victory and Adelaide will takes on Richmond with similar confidence.
A FEW NOTES FROM HB TO FINISH OFF
Well, I have to give credit where it’s due. Some people play checkers, some play chess, and the AFL schedules a night game in Tassie in the middle of the season to show the footy world exactly why it needs a roof on the new stadium.
It looked cold, it was played like it was cold, and as a spectacle… well, put it this way – I followed one of the teams, but I was found myself staring into my fireplace as often as I did at the “action” on the TV.
We get it, Andrew… we get it. You guys scheduled this game not at the start of the year, but in the second half of the fixture release. You put two good to very good teams up against each other to justify the timeslot, and whacked them down at UTAS Stadium just to demonstrate what footy will look like if the league doesn’t get its way.
Forget chess. Definitely forget checkers. This was master manipulation.
Nobody that watched this would be sitting there thinking ‘you know… I really like watching this type of footy’.
Mission accomplished, AFL. You have opened the eyes of the footy world as to why you’re not budging on the stadium with a roof. Before this game, I was neither here nor there on it. Following it, if it means I don’t have to sit through another game like this, then get the Tasmanian government to fork over the cash.
Well played.
I don’t think there are two rucks in the business more evenly matched than Lloyd Meek and Reilly O’Brien. Both lumbering, both with hands of stone, and both use their bulk in ruck contests. If you look at their stats, they’re almost like brothers from another mother.
Meek – 15 disposals, three marks, 40 hit outs, seven clearances
ROB – 15 disposals, three marks, 43 hit outs, five clearances
Such a harsh 50 metre penalty on Dan Curtin, but after Kysaiah Pickett got pinged for something similar last week… you kind of can’t say it was randomly paid. I would have preferred it not paid, but I can understand the ump’s decision
Speaking of the umps, do you reckon they got wind of the free kick stats at halftime? The Crows were way ahead, with a 17-8
In the third, it was 9-3 in favour of the Hawks.
In the last quarter, it was 8-4, again in the favour of the Hawks.
In the end, it was 26-24 in Hawthorn’s favour, and you can put that down to the shift in attitude and application of the Hawks after halftime, but part of me wonders… did someone let the umps know
Winners for the Hawks
Connor Macdonald – really lifted in the second half, and became the firestarter for the Hawks when the ball was loose.
Jarman Impey – finding some great form. Has shaved off his greying beard, which is a shame, but this may have been his most impressive offensive game for a while. I love the drive he provides from half-back, but he usually plays more of a liockdown role. He had some freedom in this one.
Josh Weddle – changed the dynamic of the game as he came to the fore in the third quarter.
And for the Crows
Jordon Butts – but for ten minutes in the third quarter, he had Mabior Chol under wraps, and played one of his best games in a long while.
Josh Worrell – that rundown tackle… my gosh that was a thing of beauty.
Sam Berry – don’t get on his case about the spoil that led to the Jai Newcombe goal late in the game. He was stuck between an unfamiliar rock, and an unfamiliar place. Until that point, he’d completely taken Newcombe out of the game.
This is just an addendum to the report, so I’ll sign off, but I just want to add that you guys know I am a Hawks man, but I feel like the better side lost this game. It happens, sometimes, but it usually doesn’t happen twice in a row. I do not want to meet Adelaide in September on a fast track.
