Summary
Not even a Hawthorn defeat could detract from the biggest story of the night, Shaun Burgoyne’s entry into the now five-member 400 Club. The Hawks were blown away in the first half - and most tellingly in a damaging second quarter - but they did what they could after half-time to do it for Shaun, getting to within 22 points in the final term before Port kicked away late.
It was a comfortable enough triumph for the Power, who move back into the top four and are now just one win off top spot thanks to Melbourne’s loss to the Giants earlier on Saturday. They might have wanted to put the lowly Hawks away in the second half after that dominant second quarter, but a win is always a win. Port now have the chance to prove their bona-fides against a title contender - something they haven’t done so well this year - when they face the Demons on Thursday night.
For the Hawks, it was another loss in a season to forget. But they will always remember this one. It’s not every day a true legend of the game plays his 400th AFL game.
#Silk400
— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021
That's it. That's the tweet.#AFLHawksPower pic.twitter.com/h7ltDX2Esp
FT: Port Adelaide 13-9 (87) beat Hawthorn 7-11 (53)
No fairytale for Shaun Burgoyne on his 400th game as Port Adelaide run out comfortable 34-point winners. It was a fair rally from Hawthorn in the second half but the Power never looked in danger. Their top-four ambitions are still very much on.
Q4: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 7-11 (53) vs Port Adelaide 13-9 (87) Port Adelaide goal! And another Port Adelaide goal! Two late majors for the Power as Rozee finds his range from a tight angle on the right and Mayes does the same, from a very similar part of the ground, to push the margin out just a little bit and help Port’s percentage. Every little bit helps.
Q4: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 7-11 (53) vs Port Adelaide 11-9 (75) Hawthorn goal! A junk-time goal for the Hawks as O’Meara kicks truly from range. Shame it wasn’t Burgoyne!
Q4: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 6-11 (47) vs Port Adelaide 11-9 (75) Dixon is awarded a holding free inside-50 but can’t register his fifth goal, his set shot from 45 degrees fading.
Q4: 3 mins remaining: Hawthorn 6-11 (47) vs Port Adelaide 11-8 (74) Burgoyne gets his hands on the ball deep inside-50, sidestepping and dodging in his signature way but he can’t finish the job as his snap under pressure misses to the right. Irrespective of the result, a goal there would have brought the house down.
Q4: 3 mins remaining: Hawthorn 6-10 (46) vs Port Adelaide 11-8 (74) Port Adelaide goal! Dixon kicks his fourth of the night and the sealer for the Power on the back of some stellar work from Georgiades.
Q4: 4 mins remaining: Hawthorn 6-10 (46) vs Port Adelaide 10-8 (68) Koschitzke again - he’s had a big second half - but his contested mark inside-50 doesn’t bear fruit as his set shot from not far out misses to the left. Big miss.
Q4: 6 mins remaining: Hawthorn 6-9 (45) vs Port Adelaide 10-8 (68) Hawthorn goal! The Hawks reply quickly and though it’s not the prettiest of goal, it’s a goal all the same as Koschitzke brings the ball to ground before a chain of handpasses ends up with O’Brien, who walks the ball through for a six-pointer.
Q4: 7 mins remaining: Hawthorn 5-9 (39) vs Port Adelaide 10-8 (68) Port Adelaide goal! Amon uses his speed to gain time and space, releasing the ball long inside-50 and finding Dixon on the chest. It’s the steadier Port need as the key forward converts around the corner for the Power’s first goal in a rather long time.
Q4: 9 mins remaining: Hawthorn 5-9 (39) vs Port Adelaide 9-8 (62) Hawthorn goal! Koschitzke outworks and outmuscles Burton in the marking contest and gets reward for effort, drilling his set shot to make it four in a row for the Hawks. Another one in no time, and this will be interesting. Since half-time, Port haven’t really looked likely.
Q4: 10 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-9 (33) vs Port Adelaide 9-8 (62) Nash leads into the pocket and takes an outstretched chest mark before centring the ball instead of having a crack. The Sherrin falls to ground and it could be anyone’s but Port rush the ball through for a behind.
Q4: 12 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-8 (62) Jiath manhandles Motlop without the ball - and is less than impressed with the umpire’s verdict - but Port do little with their latest entry inside 50. It’s an even quarter to date but Hawthorn need to do more than match strides. Each passing second is a dagger to their hopes of an unlikely comeback win.
Q4: 14 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-8 (62) Port work the ball forward chaotically and Mayes looks like making something from nothing but his speculative shot from distance dribbles through on the wrong side of the big stick for a behind.
Q4: 17 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) Good hands from Ceglar sets up another forward foray for Hawthorn but Breust is outnumbered at the top of the square and Port repel the threat. Yep, they need that first goal sooner rather than later.
Q4: 19 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) The first inside-50 of the quarter goes to Hawthorn. They can’t capitalise on this occasion but they are up and about. Burgoyne deserves no less. An early goal or two for the Hawks will make things interesting.
3QT: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61)
Much better from Hawthorn, whose increased workrate and intensity, and braver ball movement, led to greater purchase on the match - and a three-goals-to-one quarter. What’s 29 points in the modern game? Surely the Power won’t let this one slip. Will they?
Where there's a Worpel, there's a way 👊#AFLHawksPower pic.twitter.com/OaL697k4AY
— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021
Q3: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) Hawthorn trap the ball inside-50 with good old-fashioned pressure. Where has that been all game? But Jiath gives away a silly free kick and Port have time and opportunity to reset.
Q3: 3 mins remaining: Hawthorn 4-8 (32) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) Hawthorn goal! The ball is suddenly hot as Hawthorn sniff an opening and Port smell the same. A long ball forward works to Breust’s advantage as he runs into space, dances around an opponent and gets onto his right boot to snap another for the Hawks. That’s now three straight and though we won’t yet get carried away, it is certainly food for thought.
Q3: 6 mins remaining: Hawthorn 3-8 (26) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) Hawthorn goal! Aliir turns defence into attack in his inimitable way but Hawthorn respond and are again on the march. O’Brien flies high at the top of the square but can’t take the mark. No bother as Worpel latches onto an errant pass, plays on and snaps truly. Two straight for Hawthorn.
Q3: 8 mins remaining: Hawthorn 2-8 (20) vs Port Adelaide 9-7 (61) Amon finds Drew on centre wing and Port work the ball forward courtesy of some clean passing. Dixon traps the ball in the pocket with a crunching tackle and the only thing missing from this post is a Port Adelaide goal. Sorry, can’t help you there - Hawthorn rebound to nullify the threat.
Q3: 11 mins remaining: Hawthorn 2-8 (20) vs Port Adelaide 9-6 (60) Hawthorn goal! Bergman makes an unforced error on the half-back flank and the Hawks make Port pay as Howe drills a wondrous goal on the run from hard on the boundary. Much needed to say the least. Four or five more and they’re back in the game.
Q3: 14 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-7 (13) vs Port Adelaide 9-6 (60) A nice contested mark inside 50 by Koschitzke and a nice kick to boot, but it fades late to the right for a behind only.
Q3: 16 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-6 (12) vs Port Adelaide 9-6 (60) Port Adelaide goal! Lycett dances around opponents as if he’s a small forward and releases Georgiades, who takes front position against Burgoyne and walks into an open goal as Silk falls to the ground. Not the legend’s finest moment but the dam wall is bursting here. His teammates need to lift.
Q3: 19 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-6 (12) vs Port Adelaide 8-5 (53) We’re back. Let’s see what Hawthorn can do to get back into the game. It will take something big. The Hawks win the first inside-50 and Bramble does well to get his boot to ball in heavy traffic but a behind is the result. Well, it’s a start.
HT: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 8-5 (53)
A quarter dominated by Port, who take a 42-point lead into the long break. The Power lead the centre clearance count 8-0 and the inside-50 count 31-13 - and that is more or less the story of the half. The imbalance was particularly evident in the second quarter, with Port kicking 5-3 to 0-1 to keep Hawthorn to their lowest half-time score this season. So far, not the way to honour Shaun Burgoyne’s 400th game. But there is a half to go.
A grim half.#AFLHawksPower pic.twitter.com/kGd8dXzl52
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) July 3, 2021
Updated
Q2: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 8-4 (52) Port Adelaide goal! Hawthorn, and their fans, give Rozee a reminder or two about a certain free kick this quarter but they might want to concentrate their efforts elsewhere. Port are right on top here and now Marshall extends his team’s lead with a set shot from almost right in front. All Port this quarter.
Q2: 2 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 7-4 (46) Port Adelaide goal! Port, on the other hand, do look like scoring and now it’s Bergman’s turn as he splits the uprights with a deft banana on the run. Hawthorn desperate for the half-time siren.
Q2: 4 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 6-4 (40) O’Meara is gang tackled on centre wing with Wines again in the thick of it. That’s disposal No 16 for the Power mid. Hawthorn might have momentarily stopped the bleeding but they hardly look like scoring.
Q2: 6 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 6-4 (40) Hawthorn will the ball forward and finally get it inside 50, but Breust is bustled out of bounds. Frederick is again involved but he turns the ball over as Hawthorn lock the ball close to goal. They can’t do anything with it, however, as Breust gets nailed for HTB and Port now rebound out of defence. Hard work for the Hawks.
Q2: 9 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 6-4 (40) Another inside-50 for the Power and another shot on goal as SPP finds Lycett in the left forward pocket. The ruckman bends it around nicely but a little too much as his shot cannons into the left post.
Q2: 12 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 6-3 (39) Port Adelaide goal! Hawthorn doth protest but Rozee was held without it. The youngster misses but Mitchell loses his cool and gives away a free after disposal, dumping Rozee and handing Dixon a shot right in front of goal. That’s now six straight for the Power.
A not very happy Tom Mitchell 😤#AFLHawksPower pic.twitter.com/bvkjKgX9UD
— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021
Updated
Q2: 13 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-5 (11) vs Port Adelaide 5-2 (32) Port Adelaide goal! Port go inside 50 - again! - and Nash is on a hiding to nothing as he takes Bergman out of the marking contest and pays the ultimate price. Starting to get out of hand now.
Q2: 15 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 4-2 (26) Georgiades sends Port inside 50 again but Hartigan drops into the hole and takes a timely intercept mark. Wow. That’s 22 inside-50s to six so far. Keep that up and Port will stroll this.
Q2: 18 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 4-2 (26) Port Adelaide goal! Frederick gets his hand on the ball again and is at the start of a forward move for Port, with Dixon on the end of it. And it’s a brilliant conversion from the big forward, who curls the ball inside the right post from range to put the Power further in front. Port now getting right on top with entries inside-50.
QT: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 3-2 (20)
A bright start by the Hawks but they failed to take their chances unlike Port, who showed greater composure in front of goal to kick two late majors and take a 10-point lead into quarter-time. There’s little in this contest, however.
A first goal to remember 🍬
— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021
Welcome to the big time Marty Frederick 👏#AFLHawksPower pic.twitter.com/g2r9h5ODJe
Updated
Q1: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 3-2 (20) Wines gets on the end of a mongrel kick inside 50, pretty much plays on but is allowed to take his kick, and then misses everything with his kick after the siren.
Q1: 1 min remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 3-2 (20) Port Adelaide goal! Boak wins the ball just forward of centre and finds Marshall all on his lonesome. The Power forward does the rest 50 metres out, curling the ball just inside the left post to put his side 10 points in front.
Updated
Q1: 3 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 2-2 (14) Port Adelaide goal! Frederick, on the ground for the injured Farrell, makes an instant impact, sidestepping Burgoyne just inside 50 and splitting the uprights for his first goal in AFL football. On Silk’s 400th, there should be a law against that tonight.
Q1: 5 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 1-2 (8) Dixon outmuscles Frost in a marking contest and has a chance to put the Power in front but his shot from just inside 50 fades across the face of the goal. The Hawks defender was not happy with the umpire’s take on events. Might have dropped the F-bomb somewhere there.
Q1: 7 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-4 (10) vs Port Adelaide 1-1 (7) O’Meara again figures prominently with a lead and mark in the left forward pocket but again he misses. The past three scores of the game have been a behind. And O’Meara has kicked each of them.
Q1: 9 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-3 (9) vs Port Adelaide 1-1 (7) O’Meara wraps up SPP in a fierce tackle in Hawthorn’s forward 50 but his set shot from a slight angle starts left and stays left. Good start by the Hawks but not enough scoreboard pressure yet.
Q1: 11 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-2 (8) vs Port Adelaide 1-1 (7) Nice tackle and quick play-on from Worpel in the middle of the ground sets up at attacking foray for the Hawks. The ball spills to O’Meara in a dangerous position but his snap misses to the right. Farrell not looking in a good way as he receives medical attention.
Q1: 14 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-1 (7) vs Port Adelaide 1-1 (7) Ouch. There is a break in play as Farrell looks to hyperextend his knee in a tackle and leaves the ground. Frederick, Port’s sub, warms up on the boundary and it looks like he might be needed.
Q1: 15 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-1 (7) vs Port Adelaide 1-1 (7) Port Adelaide goal! The Power respond quickly, moving the ball from centre at speed as Dixon finds Mayes in the goal square. The latter converts from close range and we have a level ball game.
Q1: 17 mins remaining: Hawthorn 1-1 (7) vs Port Adelaide 0-1 (1) Hawthorn goal! Breust puts his head over the ball and wins the free kick for high contact. Not the most straightforward of sets shots, 45-degree angle from just inside 50, but Breust is a sharp shooter and he drills it. First blood for the Hawks.
Q1: 19 mins remaining: Hawthorn 0-0 (0) vs Port Adelaide 0-1 (1) And we are away. Before you know it, Hartigan jumps on the ball, stays there and is pinged, but Marshall can do no more with his set shot from right in front than hit the left post.
Burgoyne couldn’t have arrived at Hawthorn at a better time. In 2010, after 157 games with Port, he joined a team that was very good but about to become great, thanks in no small part to his abundant contribution.
He had already won one flag with the Power in 2004 but would go on to become an integral cog in the Hawthorn machine that won three premierships on the spin from 2013 to 2015. It was with the Hawks that Burgoyne achieved greatness.
Here’s the middle one. Hawthorn, and Burgoyne, were invincible that day against Sydney.
People love Shaun Burgoyne. You never hear a bad word about him. Which, when you consider he’s been in the AFL system for more than two decades, is quite remarkable.
Look no further than below to appreciate the universal admiration for Silk.
Love this video.
An impact in every corner of the country. 🥰
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) July 3, 2021
Students at Barunga School, just outside of Katherine, have sent their love to Shaun. pic.twitter.com/jupJkdkQY1
Love this photo.
What's it like being a member of the 400 club?
— AFL (@AFL) July 2, 2021
Some of the greatest to ever lace up the boots got together to celebrate Shaun Burgoyne's incredible achievement and yep - Boomer wants to keep that record 😂
Here’s some more.
Shaun Burgoyne was taken with pick No 12 in the 2000 national draft. Imagine if he’d made his debut before round three of the 2002 season. Tonight would be, like, his 420th game. Or something like that.
He’s called Silk for a reason. He has a highlights reel that you could lose yourself in for ages. Here’s one of his early beauties. More to come.
My favourite Shaun Burgoyne goal. Watch where he starts from - it was in his 48th game, 352 later… #silk400 pic.twitter.com/b4BM8EnYB1
— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) July 1, 2021
No late team changes
Hawthorn
B: Blake Hardwick, Kyle Hartigan, Jack Scrimshaw
HB: Shaun Burgoyne, Sam Frost, Changkuoth Jiath
C: Liam Shiels, Jai Newcombe, Tom Phillips
HF: Jacob Koschitzke, Luke Breust, Jaeger O’Meara
F: Dylan Moore, Ben McEvoy, Daniel Howe
FOLL: Jonathon Ceglar, Tom Mitchell, Conor Nash
I/C: Damon Greaves, Lachlan Bramble, James Worpel, Tim O’Brien
Sub: Ollie Hanrahan
Port Adelaide
B: Ryan Burton, Trent McKenzie, Aliir Aliir
HB: Dan Houston, Tom Jonas, Darcy Byrne-Jones
C: Miles Bergman, Ollie Wines, Karl Amon
HF: Connor Rozee, Todd Marshall, Steven Motlop
F: Mitch Georgiades, Charlie Dixon, Sam Powell-Pepper
FOLL: Scott Lycett, Travis Boak, Willem Drew
I/C: Jarrod Lienert, Kane Farrell, Sam Mayes, Riley Bonner
Sub: Martin Frederick
Congratulations Shaun Burgoyne.
— HFC Supporters Page (@HawthornFCSP) July 2, 2021
Today you are the first Indigenous player to reach 400 games of AFL football.#Always #Hawthorn #AFL #AFLHawksPort #Silk400 @ShaunBurgoyne 🤎💛 pic.twitter.com/9re4danVvP
Preamble
Hello and welcome. Call this match what you will: a must-win for Port Adelaide if they want to be taken seriously as a top-four side, and by extension a legitimate premiership contender; a would-be-nice-to-win for Hawthorn if they want to put some added distance between themselves and North Melbourne, and by extension make a first wooden spoon since 1965 all the more unlikely.
This match is both of those things, but overwhelmingly it will be remembered for one thing and one thing only: Shaun Burgoyne’s 400th senior appearance. It is fitting, if not entirely coincidental, that the Hawthorn veteran will celebrate the rare achievement against the Power, where his brilliant career began two decades ago.
Burgoyne is the fifth player in VFL/AFL history to reach the milestone, joining Brent Harvey (432 games), Michael Tuck (426), Kevin Bartlett (403) and Dustin Fletcher (400). When one considers how devilishly hard it is for a footballer to play even one game at the sport’s highest level, to do that and then feature in 399 more almost beggars belief. In a sport that devours personal triumph and landmarks, the 400 Club is as exclusive as it gets.
Looking forward to seeing what Silk, plus the 40-odd other players, can do tonight. If you’d like to keep me company and get involved, you know what to do.
Shaun Burgoyne joined the #YokayiFooty team this week and brought along his 'one thing'.
— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021
Hear why it means so much to him 🤎💛#Silk400 pic.twitter.com/ukwxdz7pFq
