An unexpected delight
A day to remember as the magnets start falling in place
ROUND 14: GWS 72, Hawthorn 90 - “An unexpected delight”
📝 Main recap: It was a wonderful day out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a gallant Hawthorn side took all four points against a lack-lustre Giants outfit.
The Giants had everything to play for with the Tigers, Swans and Bombers all losing in round 15, and handing them the opportunity to secure a spot inside the top eight.
But they ran into a plucky and determined outfit - led from the front by experienced campaigners Ben McEvoy and Tom Mitchell, driven from the backline by Jack Scrimshaw and Will Day, and boosted with the exuberance of debutant Denver and new man Jai Newcombe.
It was an all-round incredible performance - a really solid contribution across the board, and set up an exciting run home as our list rejuvenation continues apace.
There was a sense it may fall this way when the game - originally scheduled for GIANTS Stadium, was relocated to the G - a happy hunting ground for the Hawks against the Giants.
And so it continued despite conceding the first four goals of the game, the Hawks finished full of running to steamroll GWS and run out 18 point victors.
✂️ Snippet of the match (I): “O’Brien. Ohhhhhhhh we’ve been waiting and waiting. And oh boy O’Brien - what a mark.” The dulcet tones of Anthony Hudson in the commentary box as he perfectly applied the right prose for the moment. We have been waiting, and it was worth the wait. A moment that Timmy and Hawks fans everywhere will long remember and will be one of the most replayed Hawthorn clips of 2021.
✂️ Snippet of the match (II): A little left field but, on debut Denver Grainger-Barras showed all the right signs that he will become some sort of player. He fearlessly leapt above the pack to take an absolute cracker of a grab that was disallowed because of another infringement. But we feel this is a huge sign of things to come for our top end draft talent.
✂️ Snippet of the match (II): Dylan Moore - take a bow. This goal in the final quarter was absolute class given he had so many free options available to him. Backed himself in, took the shot from 55 - with both Breust and Titch free, and nailed it. Would have been lambasted had he missed, but it takes a special player to not only back themselves under pressure, but to then go on and deliver.
🍒 You’ll never forget your first: Oh Jai. So many firsts to explore in recent times - debutants, first-time winners, first games at the home of footy - the MCG. And then we have first goals kicked. And wasn’t Jai Newcombe’s first AFL goal an absolute beauty. A patient build-up at the start of the final quarter saw Tommy Mitchell chip the ball barely the required 15 meters to Jack Scrimshaw, who then did the same finding Jai on the 50 meter line. The third-gamer went back and from 55 slotted it home to put the Hawks 10-points clear - and the whole team aptly got round him to celebrate.
🍔 Ash’s 10 key takeaways
Who was it that wrote this after the loss to the Gold Coast in round 11? “This might be a case of blind optimism but perhaps we have reached the nadir of Hawthorn’s season…” That would be me and the call is proving to be prescient. The Hawks have improved significantly since the bye and as expected the return of Will Day and this week, Kyle Hartigan has stiffened the backline and it all starts from there. There is a long way to go before the Hawks are back in business, but the climb back to some sort of respectability is on in earnest.
An exclusive look at one of Ash’s tools of the trade. Still, it is a big comedown for supporters used to so much success when a three-goal win over GWS at a near-empty MCG was being universally lauded afterwards as a “good day at the footy”.
Tom Mitchell and his 40 disposals were terrific, but the key to the win was the magnificent work down back of Day and Jack Scrimshaw. Hawk fans can be hard to please but Day was afforded a standing ovation as he left the ground shortly before the final siren that was thoroughly deserved. Like a few of his mates, he was rusty early, but he found some form during the second term and was Hawthorn’s most influential player the rest of the afternoon.
Denver Grainger-Barras played as impressive a debut game as you wish for a defender and a task for people far smarter than me is to figure out how the Hawks will look defensively next season when James Sicily returns to the side. They have options and more than a few weapons.
There were 9,897 fans at the MCG on Sunday. Give it time, however, and about 90,000 will claim to have been there to witness Tim O’Brien’s speccy first hand. He has been threatening to take a grab like this for years and those of us who were there will likely never forget it. For one afternoon at least, we could put the ‘Almost’ and ‘the Glimpses’ descriptors away.
Incredible view of Timmy’s grab from the cockpit. Sam Mitchell was a scratch from Hawthorn coaching duties on Sunday for COVID precautionary reasons, but oh, to be a fly on the wall at Chez Mitchell when Jai Newcombe roosted that set shot goal in the final quarter. Newcombe is coming along nicely, as is Lachie Bramble, who while he only had 11 touches off a wing, his hard-running was key late in the game.
No.36 has long been the must cursed number at Hawthorn. Tim Boyle, Max Bailey and Alex Woodward all suffered long-term injuries wearing that number. Dylan Moore was a Hawks fan when drafted to the club and must have swallowed hard when awarded that jumper. But he has made a great fist of it and given it is now a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ he gets another contract extension, the question is whether he persists with the number going forward. He is a leading candidate for the No.9 that should be up for grabs come 2022.
Speaking of No.9, the build-up now starts for Shaun Burgoyne’s 400th game (yay!) at Marvel Stadium (boo!) on Saturday night. But the football gods haven’t played their part with Chad Wingard now joining Jarman Impey on the sidelines. The two indigenous former Port players would have given anything to play with Burgoyne against their former club and it is a real shame that they won’t be out there.
One of the more depressing images from the weekend. Saturday night will be the first time in three seasons that we get a first-hand look at Ryan Burton in Port colours and after Burgoyne, it will be a story this week. He has been a nice player for the Power but all things considered, I think I prefer Jack Scrimshaw.
If the expectation was that the Hawks should tank the season in order to maximise their draft hand, then perhaps someone forgot to tell the players and the coaches. The last three weeks suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Hawthorn way is to play to win every week and come the end of the season, the ladder position and the draft order will work themselves out. They’re not playing like a team that has any intention of giving up on the season and part of the fun for the rest of 2021 will be seeing how a team with nothing to lose fares against clubs such as Brisbane, Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond, who will have so much to play for.
Superstar/Rising Star/Falling Star
⭐️ Superstar - Will Day
Took up part of Jarman Impey’s role off a half back flank, and was somehow given the time, and authority to run amok on the MCG. Day was calm, composed, measured and executed each play to perfection. Ended the day with 29 touches and seven marks going at 82% efficiency. Registered an incredible 634 metres gained, six inside-50s, seven score involvements and a game-high 10 intercepts. An absolute shining light, future multiple Crimmins Medallist, and a pleasure to have the chance to watch him play in the brown and gold.
💫 Rising star - Dylan Moore
Absolutely spoiled for choice here, and could easily have gone DGB, Howe or Newcombe. But it was Moore whose star shone the brightest, kicking 3.1 in the final term of the match to help ride the Hawks home to all four premiership points. Moore finished the game with four goals and 20 disposals and is the pin-up for the regeneration that the list is currently undertaking. Due an immediate contract extension, the young small forward is putting together a fair body of work in 2021.
🤷♂️ Falling star - Jacob Koschitzke
A week is a long time in football and so it is for Kosi who was given the Rising Star mantle in our game against the Dons. The good news is there weren’t many players to fit into the category, so Kosi is in the gun this week. The bad news is that he had little to now effect on the game at all. Had a couple of solid marking contests, but had no reward on the scoreboard, and his set-shot goal kicking has now become somewhat of a concern.
Unsung Hero & Scapegoat
👼 Unsung Hero: Shaun Burgoyne
Hell, why not. He has been identified as a player creeping towards his 400th where many believe he will play his final game. But in 399 when coming on as the medical sub for Chad Wingard at three quarter time, Burger was superb. Rolled back the clock with nine touches at 100% disposal efficiency and laid a ripping tackle on Toby Greene in the middle of the ground. And every time he went near it the crowd roared which was a sight to behold.
🔪 🐐 Scapegoat: The Hawthorn Faithful
It was a shame that on a beautiful sunny day, in a wonderful Sunday time-slot, less than 10,000 fans got to the MCG to see this fantastic win. Many fans have not had the luxury of doing that for, well, quite literally years. But for those that made the journey, they were treated to a spirited, heartfelt performance from a great bunch of kids. The future is bright - hopefully Marvel is packed to the rafters for Burgoyne’s 400th this week.
The Obligatory Ladder Check-In
All of a sudden, it may not be pick number two that we have in our sights as we currently sit the for team of the bottom five clubs. A couple more wins and there is every chance we finish higher than 17th - despite having one of the hardest runs home in the competition.
Current forecast 2022 Draft Picks of note: #2, #20, #22 (Collingwood’s second round selection).
News & Notes
Clarko Press Conference Bingo
✅ Really pleasing
✅ Really pleased
✅ We made some terrible blues
✅ Even contribution
What They Said
🗣️ Tim O’Brien
“It was nice to get up there. I haven’t been up there for a little while. At the peak when I looked down and the grass was a fair way away, I was trying to work out how I was going to land it. But I think I’ll take it, take the win - it’s a pretty exciting feeling.”
“It was one of those ones where I had the run at it and my opponent was in front of me so I thought I’d jump early … Ended up getting the ride off Punky Breust [Luke Breust]. Got a knee right in his chest. That lifted me up and, yeah, took a mark. He [Breust] is a bit sore, but he’ll be alright.”
“It instills a bit more of a belief in myself to keep flying for it, which is my game. After that the opponents made it a bit harder - they were trying to hold me off the footy - which happens all the time. It’s something I have to fight through. To take a mark like that does give you confidence for the rest of the game to just keep jumping.”
“It was a good win. They’re a good side. It was good to be back here at the MCG. We played the way we wanted to and it ended up with a victory for us. Our game is built on pressure and it wasn’t good enough in that first quarter … from then on the pressure was there, that’s our game and we went on with it.”
🗣️ Dylan Moore
“I shaved the post and thought I nearly cost us the game, but luckily the next two went through. It was awesome getting the win and playing a part in the last quarter.”
“I guess you always want to play well in the big moments, but I try and play the game the whole way through the exact same. Luckily in the last quarter the ball came my way a little bit and I could finish off.”
“At quarter time we played on their terms for a little bit too much, uncontested marks, and they could kinda get their game going. We got a bit of a spray at quarter time to up our pressure, that turned and it kinda got played on our terms for the rest of the match … Our inside-50s went up a lot and lucky our forward could finish off.”
“We [the forward group] are coming together a lot better now after playing a lot of games together. You see TO [Tim O’Brien] take that massive screamer - mark of the year for sure - and it just motivates you to play your role. Everyone’s working together to try bring the ball to ground to compete. We can all show a bit of flair at time and today we got to see it.”
“I was 30 out from goal, 25 from TO’s mark. I thought he knocked Punk out actually. I didn’t have the greatest vantage point but it was still pretty special.”
🗣️ Alastair Clarkson
“We had a correction at the halfway mark [of the season] and this far we’ve played three really competitive games of footy. We won two of those and was in a real fight with Essendon for the whole of the game last week, but just couldn’t get the job done against the Bombers, but by and large we’ve been really pleased with the application of the players in the last three games.”
"Early in the game when we were really battling and needed someone to find some inspiration, it was young Denver Grainger-Barras in his first game who competed in a couple of really important contests for us. Just his aggression at the footy. Took a terrific mark but don’t know why that wasn’t paid … He and Will Day - perhaps our two youngest players - their commitment to the contest was just outstanding. That’s an inspiration for our older guys.”
"We needed to fix some things up in a whole range of areas heading into the bye. But the most significant part was our pressure around the ball and stopping the opposition moving the ball so fluently. When the game is so consistently played in your back half, the opposition are eventually going to score so we needed to correct that."
“We’ve got another significant challenge next week in Port Adelaide, who are now top four … We’ll get tested to see where we’re at as a footy club.”
Nice work!. Yes it was a really good win, for me - most notably - the style of play was different - cannot put my finger on it exactly but there was a lot more pressure and a lot more run - very high energy. I don't think you commented but I believe Bramble adds something interesting to the mix. And yes a disappointing turn-out - I would have expected more, too.