Meant to be 🌟🌟🌟 #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/HgqyWwHV7e
— Emma Quayle (@emmasq) October 3, 2015
That Hawks flag in numbers
The Hawks were just clinical today. They were +115 for disposals, +19 for Inside-50s, +16 for contested possessions and +14 for tackles. The latter is a particularly damning stat because for most of the day, it was the Eagles who had to do the chasing as the Hawks maintained possession and controlled the tempo of play. There was a brief period early in the third term where a window opened for the Eagles but Sam Mitchell and Jack Gunston slammed it shut.
Gunston was superb with four goals from his 17 possessions and 10 marks and with 34 possessions, 6 clearances and 4 tackles, Mitchell was in devastating touch in the middle. He never dipped below 32 touches in any of the Hawks’ four finals of this campaign. Not bad for a 32-year-old who Wayne Carey said wouldn’t get a game at some other clubs.
In the interests of fairness, it’s worth also mentioning my own horrendous pre-game call: that James Frawley could be a liability on hulking Eagles forward Josh Kennedy. He gave him a bath. Frawley had 22 touches and Kennedy just 9 without a score. Norm Smith medalist Cyril Rioli was everywhere with 18 possessions, 2 goals and an incredible 11 score involvements and everyone else mucked in too. Isaac Smith, Ryan Schoenmakers, Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne, Jordan Lewis and Brian Lake were all superb too. You could pretty much reel off the entire Hawks list.
The Eagles had few outright winners on the day but Andrew Gaff (34 touches), Luke Shuey (26 and a goal), Matt Priddis (25) and Sam Butler all tried hard. They’ll seriously rue the 9 goal streak the Hawks went on after West Coast had opened the goal-scoring.
All in all, it was a supreme and clinical effort from a side that just exists to win Premierships. This side will be rightly ranked with the greats of all time and its coach, Alastair Clarkson, is well within Kennedy and Jeans territory now.
“When it matters most they play well” says club president Andrew Newbold and he’s not wrong.
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Luke Hodge and Alastair Clarkson hold the premiership cup aloft
And isn’t that a familiar scene? Clarkson’s never been awarded the league’s coach of the year award, remember. Can we get a recount on that one? Earlier there’d been emotional scenes as James Frawley and Ryan Schoenmakers picked up their first Premiership medallions. Both were brilliant today.
Before the cup is presented Clarkson has some kind words for the Eagles and their coach Adam Simpson, not that it’s much consolation to the shattered West Coast players. “Stability is what makes footy clubs,” he says at one point, and ain’t that the truth? “We had to do it really hard throughout the year” he says of his coaching staff and singles out Brett Ratten, whose son tragically died in a car accident earlier in the season.
Hodge has a few notes to read from but says off the cuff that he has “no doubt” that the Eagles will be back next year. He also singles out the partners and families of the Hakws players for their role. “Thank you football. It’s an up and down sport and you ride the rollercoaster with all of us.” What a joyride it’s been this last three years.
The Norm Smith Medal
...goes to Cyril Rioli! The Hawks livewire really set the game up in the early stages and he was a decisive factor in this win. He hugs presenter Andrew McLeod and thanks all the Hawks fans as well as his wife and family.
Eagles captain Shannon Hurn also has a few quick words. “Way too good” he says of the Hawks in his perfunctory speech. He implores his men to “keep workin’ hard” to get the ultimate success themselves and quickly exits stage right.
Jordan Lewis is letting his 6-day-old son join in the fun
Brilliant.
Freddie's first flag #PlayYourRole pic.twitter.com/f261cpWUfG
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) October 3, 2015
Here's the moment Hawthorn clinched the 2015 premiership by 46 points! What a team! #ohwhatafeeling #AFLGF http://t.co/h8G3dHUeLd
— #AFLGF (@AFL) October 3, 2015
The Hawks are three-peat Premiers! Hawthorn beat the Eagles by 46 points
Hawthorn 16.11 (107) defeat West Coast 8.13 (61)
This, dear friends, is what immortality looks like. The Hawks have three flags on the bounce. They need a bigger trophy cabinet. As Eagles players sink to their knees in despair and rue their dirty day, their opponents embrace each other and whoop it up. What a football side they are.
“I just come out and try to play my role,” says first-time flag winnger James Frawley, who took Josh Kennedy out of the game today. “I couldn’t be happier,” he says. Luke Hodge also stops by. “You can’t explain the feeling,” he says. “I’m lost for words. If you have to play four finals, so be it.”
The song is now ringing out. “We’re a happy team at Hawthorn” is the refrain and why wouldn’t you be when you win flags for a hobby?
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Eagles goal! - 4th quarter (0:26 remaining) Hawthorn 16.11 (107) vs West Coast 8.13 (61)
McGovern snaps another. C’mon Jeremy, this isn’t about you mate. Pull your head in.
Eagles goal! - 4th quarter (1:24 remaining) Hawthorn 16.11 (107) vs West Coast 7.13 (55)
Poor McGovern gets a consolation goal as the Hawthorn support staff start pulling the covers off all the ice buckets full of booze down in the rooms. What a football club. How can you not feel jealous of their success?
Eagles goal! - 4th quarter (3:31 remaining) Hawthorn 16.9 (105) vs West Coast 6.13 (49)
Poor Josh Kennedy. He finally gets a shot on goal and from 40 metres out it doesn’t even make the distance. How close will James Frawley go to a Norm Smith for shutting him out of the game? I think I might just go and remove all that guff in my preview about the Hawks defender being a weak link. Possibly the worst prediction in Grand Final history.
Anyway, Frawley maintains his clean sheet here because when Kennedy marks 10 metres from goal he unselfishly handballs off to LeCras to finish it. Our crowd today: 98,632. Where are the 1368 others?
No goal but better give you an update - 4th quarter (6:11 remaining) Hawthorn 16.9 (105) vs West Coast 5.13 (43)
Oh dear. This is just embarrassing stuff now. Alastair Clarkson is smiling with 16 minutes left in the game. That’s never good. He’s chuckling because with plenty of space to run into an open goal, Josh Hill stutters, stammers and then has his dribbled effort touched over the line by a diving Brian Lake. You know you’re struggling when that happens. Lake has a seniors card and a walking frame waiting for him in the rooms, for Pete’s sake.
Only Gordon Coventry and Michael Tuck have played more than Shaun Burgoyne’s 31 finals and though he’s been brilliant again today, he misses a chance to ice the cake with a 40 metre set shot that floats right. The Eagles swing it down the other end and Jamie Cripps marks 30 metres from goal but he too misses a sitter. The Hawks fans don’t even bother giving him a Bronx cheer, they’re that complacent in their winning ways. Even Ben Stratton is having shots at goal. I’m pretty sure he had cigar smoke in his eyes though so he misses it.
Hawks goal! 4th quarter (17:11 remaining) Hawthorn 16.5 (101) vs West Coast 5.10 (40)
They could have raffled this one, the Hawks, but it’s Isaac Smith who ends up with his third for the afternoon when he pops it through from 15 metres out. This is Mad Monday football now. The subs should be dressed as the Mario Brothers.
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Hawks goal! 4th quarter (17:47 remaining) Hawthorn 15.5 (95) vs West Coast 5.10 (40)
The Hawks sucked the life out of the room in the closing stages of the third term but the Eagles have an early chance through LeCras, who has a shot from 50 metres out, directly in front. But he misses to the right. He was profligate in the Prelim and he’s been equally wasteful today, the Eagles forward.
And wouldn’t you know it, the Hawks swing it down the other end where Roughead marks Rioli’s pass on the line and belts it straight through from point blank range. Mitchell’s got 30 touches too.
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Norm Smith Watch
Because let’s be honest, the rest is a formality now. Cyril Rioli set it up beautifully in the opening 45 minutes of the game but has faded from view a little more recently. 12 possessions, 8 marks, 2 goals and 2 assists is a solid day’s work though.
Sam Mitchell has 28 possessions (11 contested), 5 clearances and 4 tackles to dominate the middle, Isaac Smith has 17, 7 marks and 2 key goals, Luke Hodge has 23 commanding touches and a freakish goal and my Cinderella tip if he storms home is Ryan Schoenmakers, who has 16, 7 marks and a goal. James Frawley has been huge on Kennedy, too. Decisive in fact.
Three-quarter-time: the Hawks lead by 50 points and look every bit Premiers
Three-quarter-time: Hawthorn 14.5 (89) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
We can pretty safely call it now. The Hawks are home. 50 points is too much for the Eagles. They’ve only managed 39 in three quarters so far. Hawthorn had to respond to a serious challenge in the opening stages of this third term but they did it with aplomb thanks to Sam Mitchell and Jack Gunston. Those two just do as they please in Grand Finals.
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Hawks goal! 3rd quarter (1:33 remaining) Hawthorn 14.5 (89) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
This is just a bit silly now. Ryan Schoenmakers just sold a dummy before sprinting down the wing and hitting Gunston on the chest with a lace-out pass. Gunston’s on a desperately tight angle though and hits the woodwork. I think he has a hair out of place, too.
There have been some subs too. Matt Rosa replaces big Callum Sinclair, who has been wonderful all year but couldn’t impose himself on this game. For the Hawks, David Hale grabs the red vest as Matt Suckling comes into the fray with the best job in footy, promptly snapping through a goal after Sam Mitchell shovelled a handball out of congestion. He’s in the Norm Smith medal conversation now, Mitchell. 27 touches in just under three quarters of football is crazy stuff. What a champion.
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Hawks goal! 3rd quarter (5:29 remaining) Hawthorn 13.4 (82) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
This is pretty much done, I reckon. Isaac Smith’s swooped on the ball in the forward pocket and in his usual inimitable style, dribbled it through along the ground from the tightest angle. That’s just rubbing it in, Isaac. The Hawks were under the pump 15 minutes ago and now they’re dishing out a hiding.
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Hawks goal! 3rd quarter (6:50 remaining) Hawthorn 12.4 (76) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
It’s a series of little moments that can win Grand Finals and right now the Hawks are seizing them. Where Darling let a chest mark bounce of his face five minutes back, Gunston runs back with the flight of Puopolo’s pass here and hugs the ball to his jumper before slamming it through from 20 metres out. For the second time in his stellar career, the Hawk forward has four goals in a grand final and that one could be a back-breaker for the Eagles. They’ve fought so hard in the last 45 minutes but they’ve barely got anything to show for it.
Hawks goal! 3rd quarter (8:17 remaining) Hawthorn 11.4 (70) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
The heat is on here, with the ball pinging around across half-forward for the Hawks as Wellingham and McGovern scramble to clear for the Eagles. They do but moments later it’s slung back inside 50 for Gunston to leap and mark in front of his body. He’s 30 metres out on a slight angle and strokes it straight through the middle to pick up his third of the day.
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Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (10:16 remaining) Hawthorn 10.4 (64) vs West Coast 5.9 (39)
The Eagles answer immediately! Mark Hutchings hasn’t been a star today but he gets a vital goal here when it’s flicked over the top and he’s in the clear 20 metres from goal so curls through a snap on his right boot. This Grand Final is still in the balance, even if it’s still tilting slightly towards the Hawks.
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Hawks goal! 3rd quarter (11:21 remaining) Hawthorn 10.4 (64) vs West Coast 4.9 (33)
The Hawks have been starved of scoring opportunities so far in this term and after leading by 44 points at one stage of the second term, they suddenly find themselves under siege. The thing that’s hurting the Eagles is the final kick inside 50, which is so often being chopped off by the likes of Lake, Gibson and Smith. Shuey really wastes one here when he had plenty of mates in space and Darling has a bit of a ‘mare too when a simple chest mark bounces off his chin.
Bang! Completely against the run of play, after a sustained period of Eagles dominance, Rioli marks 30 metres from a goal, shimmies around his man and centres the ball before a string of handballs puts Schoenmakers clear to snap it through on his left. The Hawks are back on the board and where the Eagles have wasted so many chances, the Hawks have made the most of what’s an increasingly rare one.
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (15:55 remaining) Hawthorn 9.3 (57) vs West Coast 4.9 (33)
We’re under way in the second half and the Hawks have loose men everywhere as they switch play across half back to get things started. The Eagles settle and go forward through Gaff, who spots up Mark LeCras 40 metres from goal and well within range. This is exactly what West Coast required to get kick-started but LeCras is both short and wide with the kick and it passes through hands for a behind. They haven’t kicked well at goal, the Coasters.
The Hawks somehow conspire to botch a scoring chance of their own when a string of handballs inside 50 eventually gets cleared when it looked likely that Burgoyne would nail a goal on the run. Rioli’s still running around with oodles of space but the Eagles are far more clinical going forward here and Hurn puts it straight down Darling’s throat 30 metres out on a tight angle. Darling nails it! The Eagles have three in a row now. They’re coming.
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Score sources #AFLGF ... Stoppages Haw 1.1 (7) - WCE 2.5 (17) Turnovers Haw 5.2 (32) - WCE 0.3 (3) Kick-ins Hawks 3.0 (18) - WCE 1.0 (6)
— FOX FOOTY LIVE (@FOXFootyLive) October 3, 2015
Majak Daw wins the Grand Final sprint!
Yes, North Melbourne get a consolation prize. He did it on his ear, too, streaking away from Adelaide’s Charlie Cameron. In true sprint-star style, Daw even eased off at the end. “I just had my celebrations all week,” he says of his highly scientific preparation for the event but he’s ended up with a giant novelty cheque for $5000, which should go a fair way towards some more fun on the end-of-season trip.
An autopsy of that first half
Perhaps there’s some life in the Eagles yet. The Eagles had gone 44 minutes without a goal before Josh Hill kicked their second, which had been preceeded by 9 from the Hawks. Cyril Rioli was tearing them a new one and they had no answers. But they did manage to quieten the Hawks a little in the final 15 minutes of the half.
The team stats are thus: Hawthorn +61 for possessions, +14 for Inside-50s, +9 for contested ball and +9 for tackles. Clearances are the only area where the Eagles have been on top. “Restart” is the mantra in their rooms right now, says Seven’s Tim Watson. You sense that the Eagles will need to be bold in the second half to get close and their main hope is that the taller, more leg-weary Hawks fade in this 30-degree heat.
The Hawks’ best have been Jordan Lewis, who has 15 disposals, 4 tackles and a couple of forward entries to rubbish my claim that maybe he’s getting on a little, while Cyril Rioli was magnificent with 2 goals, 2 assists and 2 tackles from his 9 possessions, and that doesn’t include the panic he’s instilled in the normally steady West Coast defence. Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead and Shaun Burgoyne have been their normal commanding selves and Hodge’s 2nd-quarter wondergoal had to be seen to be believed. Worthy of note too is James Frawley, who entered this game with plenty of question marks hanging over his head but has been superb on Josh Kennedy. The big Eagle hasn’t had a sniff.
West Coast’s winners have been Andrw Gaff, who has had 18 possessions sweeping up across half back but perhaps hasn’t done a lot of damage with them, while Luke Shuey and Sam Butler have stood up to fill the void left by the struggles of Yeo, Masten and Sheed. Matt Priddis has 9 possessions and 5 tackles – well down on his normal output. If the Hawks can keep him similarly quiet in the second half they’ll probably have won the game in a canter.
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An Eagles goal on the siren but the Hawks lead by 31 points at half-time
Eagles goal! Half-time: Hawthorn 9.3 (57) vs West Coast 3.8 (26)
You know who has been good for the Hawks? Ryan Schoenmakers. Not even his own fans love him, poor Schoey, but he’s been great so far, working hard with the one-percenters and setting up team-mates. I think you’d classify him as a “Hawthorn supporter problem”, on balance. Others include: “wall space for WEG posters” and “wardrobe capacity for commemorative premiership t-shirts”. One of my brothers is a Hawk. He’s at the game today. Can you imagine the psychological trauma he’s inflicted on St Kilda-supporter me over the years?
Anyway, it’s not about me. It’s about Will Schofield being harried into kicking it out on the full and Andrew Gaff being forced to clear the last line of defence. Gaff’s come into the game well, actually, but you can’t do much damage as a sweeper when your side’s 40 points down. Maybe he should try and go with Rioli. Nobody else seems to be bothering. At least the Eagles have broken even in the last 15 minutes of the quarter, in which the Hawks have failed to score a goal. The heat and Hawthorn’s heavier legs are their only hope right now.
Mark Hutchings has been super this year but in the first half of this Grand Final he’s already been caught holding the ball twice. The first one was unlucky but being brought down by David Hale is a bit demoralising. Priddis misses a chance but with 17 seconds on the clock Elliot Yeo – mostly MIA today – takes a strong overhead mark and then kicks a big goal right on the half-time siren. The Eagles have some hope!
Dermie's #AFLGF Norm Smith votes: 3 - C. Rioli 2 - Cyril R. 1 - Rioli, Cyril
— Conor Ryan (@conorVryan) October 3, 2015
We all know this wouldn't have happened if justice was served and the Hawks were made to wear the Power Rangers strip. #aflgf
— Andrew (@andrew_54) October 3, 2015
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Eagles goal! 2nd quarter (10:17 remaining) Hawthorn 9.2 (56) vs West Coast 2.6 (18)
Hodge misses a flying shot on goal from the restart and the Eagles swing it forward in something closer to blind hope. Kennedy can’t deal with a grubber at his feet but the ball squirts out to Josh Hill near the boundary and from 30 metres out he curls through a very handy snap to breathe a little bit of life into his side’s efforts. They’ll need a few more where that came from.
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Hawks goal! 2nd quarter (11:33 remaining) Hawthorn 9.1 (55) vs West Coast 1.6 (12)
If we’re talking ‘deja vu all over again’, then the Grand Final we might be talking about is Geelong’s hammering of Port Adelaide in 2007. Now Isaac Smith gets a goal, spearing it through from a similar spot to Hodge’s but with the traditional drop punt and from a little further out. The Hawks have 9 goals in a row now and look near-on unbeatable.
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Hawks goal! 2nd quarter (13:05 remaining) Hawthorn 8.1 (49) vs West Coast 1.6 (12)
“Is it too early to say deja vu all over again?” asks Wendy Cowling, borrowing from the Yogi Berra phrase book. She’s referring to the 2012 Swans victory, of course, but the signs that West Coast could replicate that sort of comeback are a little thin on the ground right now. The Hawks are running in waves and tackling ferociously when they don’t have it, none more so than Rioli when he runs down Mark Hutchings (a harsh call by the umpire because he did actually get a handball away in the process of being brought down).
That tackle means the ball slingshots back inside 50 and Gunston gets his second with a left foot snap. This is an annihilation right now. Who is even playing on Rioli? He’s slicing the Eagles up.
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Hawks goal! 2nd quarter (15:05 remaining) Hawthorn 7.1 (43) vs West Coast 1.6 (12)
STOP PRESS: Hawthorn have missed! Puopolo centres the ball across the face and returning forward Jack Gunston swoops on the spillage but sends his snap to the right of goal for his side’s first minor score. They’re human after all. What’s more, the Eagles move it forward and Shannon Hurn marks 30 metres out with the chance to kick the definitive captain’s goal but when he misses, it genuinely does feel like a hammer-blow to his side’s chances. Are the Eagles cooked already? The signs are not good.
The Hawks clear from the kick-in and wing it down the other end in a flash, allowing Rioli to find Gunston in acres of space 15 metres from goal and he simply can’t miss his snap this time. Hawthorn are running rampant. I’m struggling to find positives for Eagles fans, to be honest. This is a bath.
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Hawks goal! 2nd quarter (18:59 remaining) Hawthorn 6.0 (36) vs West Coast 1.5 (11)
Priddis gets involved from the first bounce of this second term but the Hawks get it back and go forward through Hill, who I was declaring lame moments ago but is now galloping around like a prize colt.
Then, in the words of Alan Partridge, SHIIIIIIIIT, did you see that? Luke Hodge has done the impossible, gathering 45 metres out near the boundary and hoofing a high, looping checkside straight through the middle. Off one step. Incredible. How can the Hawks lose when they’re kicking them from there? It was a Grand Final wondergoal. You’re going to be watching that one for years.
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Some stats from the first term
The Hawks were dominant for a large part of that opening quarter. They’re +24 for disposals after maintaining possession well for extended periods and though they’re -4 for clearances, the +3 inside-50 differential and +4 for marks therein has told.
Cyril Rioli has been the star of the show with 2 goals of his own and an assist to Brad Hill, who is hobbling badly at the break. Will that effect Hawthorn’s run late, seeing as though they dropped speedster Billy Hartung? Maybe the scoreboard damage will too great before that’s even a concern.
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Quarter time - the Hawks lead by 19 points at the first break
Hawthorn 5.0 (30) vs West Coast 1.5 (11)
Hill’s goal proves the last chance of the term but there’s a quite symbolic moment at the restart when Eagles midfield gun Matt Priddis is slammed to the turf in a heavy tackle and caught holding the ball. He ended up with 5 possessions for the quarter but he and a few of his mates have been subdued by the Hawks in that opener. The Eagles must regroup now and simply can’t afford this deficit to blow out much further in the early stages of the second term.
Hawks goal! 1st quarter (0:34 remaining) Hawthorn 5.0 (30) vs West Coast 1.5 (11)
Dom Sheed hasn’t set the world on fire so far but gets into the game with a free kick 55 metres from West Coast’s goal, which he floats into the danger zone. But the Hawks clear and then there’s a crunching tackle on Sheppard by that man Cyril. He’s everywhere at the moment. The big story so far: Priddis, Gaff, Yeo, Sheed and Cripps have had a combined total of about 8 possessions. They’re missing in action. They’re being swarmed. At best they’re breaking even when the ball comes down the wing towards goal.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are lethal when they go forward and there’s another score involvement here for Rioli when he marks 45 metres out and spots Brad Hill ludicriously free 10 metres from goal. There’s no Eagle within 30 metres of him. He marks the ball over the top and stabs through the open goal. The only worry: it looks like Hill’s picked up a knock to the ankle. But the Hawks are looking like Premiers right now, even if it’s only the opening term. They’ll remember well their 2012 capitulation to Sydney and certainly won’t be getting ahead of themselves.
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Hawks goal! 1st quarter (6:06 remaining) Hawthorn 4.0 (24) vs West Coast 1.5 (11)
Jack Darling! The bullocking Eagles forward outmuscles Ben Stratton to take a strong contested mark but from 40 metres out he hooks his chance right and the Eagles are going to have to watch that they don’t replicate Fremantle’s early-game goal-kicking yips from the 2013 decider. Naitanui goes within inches of a 6-pointer but it’s rushed over the line with one last desperate lunge from Brian Lake.
Every time the Hawks go forward Rioli looms large. He nearly reels in a screamer here, floating across the pack gracefully but grassing it. Moments later Burgoyne hits him 40 metres out with a short pass but the shot on goal floats across the face and out on the full. The problem for the Eagles here is that Hawthorn is controlling possession, chipping it around and hitting loose men. That’s exactly what the Eagles don’t want because they’ll be starved of opportunity themselves. Even when they do have possession, West Coast are a little nervy.
The Eagles are all thumbs in defence and after the ball richochets around the Hawks 50 for the better part of a minute, Mitchell shovels a handball sideways to Birchall and he slams it onto his left boot from 40 out to get another one for the Hawks. They can’t miss!
Scary thing is Eagles are on top and are down by 13. So much better footy when the umpires put the whistle away #goodfooty #AFLGrandFinal
— Tom Rockliff (@rockwiz38) October 3, 2015
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Hawks goal! 1st quarter (12:06 remaining) Hawthorn 3.0 (18) vs West Coast 1.3 (9)
Hawthorn go forward again but there are confidence-boosting first touches for McGovern, who marks deep in defence and then clears to the previously unsighted Andrew Gaff. Chris Masten hasn’t had a touch though, and he shaped as a minor concern for the Eagles after some muted performances late this season.
Nevertheless, the Eagles go forward with intent but the Hawks are holding firm with plenty of solid defensive work from the likes of Burgoyne and Smith. Sharrod Wellingham is doing a power of work for the Eagles across half back, where he irons out Luke Hodge in team-lifting style and sends it back forward. Will it prove a symbolic blow? Maybe not with so many targets inside the Hawks 50. Now Schoenmakers plays link man to Cyril Rioli, wheeling onto his left boot and hitting him with a lace-out pass.
Rioli’s 40 metres out and strokes his set shot straight over the umpire’s hat. Take that, Coasters.
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Hawks goal! 1st quarter (15:20 remaining) Hawthorn 2.0 (12) vs West Coast 1.2 (8)
This has been a nerveless start by the Eagles but the Hawks have settled too now and they’re playing very tall inside 50. Xavier Ellis has been forced to cover Jarryd Roughead, which could be interesting. Luke Shuey got the Eagles off to a blazing start but he’s a little culpable here when he dribbles through a point from a tight angle when Jamie Cripps hovered in-board with plenty of space.
The Hawks counter-attack ruthlessly. Schoenmakers marks strongly on the wing and punts it long inside 50 where Big Ben McEvoy also takes a towering grab and what’s more, he’s only 20 metres from goal. McEvoy nails it! The Hawks are up and running now.
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Hawks goal! 1st quarter (18:03 remaining) Hawthorn 1.0 (6) vs West Coast 1.1 (7)
West Coast go forward again but Lake wins a 50-metre penalty when Darling slaps a mark out of his hands and after Lake pumps it long inside 50, Rioli crumbs the resultant chaos and snaps beautifully to get the Hawks on the board from their very first forward entry.
Eagles goal! 1st quarter (19:00 remaining) Hawthorn 0.0 (0) vs West Coast 1.1 (7)
Aaand we’re off. The first bounce is a beauty and Naitanui grabs it before sending a tumbling punt deep inside 50 for the Eagles, where it’s rushed through for a behind by Brian Lake. Lake’s on Darling, Mitchell on Shuey and Frawley has the job on Josh Kennedy.
The Eagles trap it inside 50 and that man Shuey gets a free kick 35 metres from goal on a toughish angle when he’s taken high by Lewis. And he nails it! The Eagles have settled beautifully and they’re off to a flier, so duly get stuck right into Lewis. Brilliant stuff.
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The Toss
The Premiership Cup is placed on the dais by Eagles Premiership star Dean Kemp and Hawks legend Peter Knights. Kate Cebrano steps up to sing the national anthem and on the Ellie Goulding Index, smashes it straight over the roof of the Southern Stand.
Both teams shake hands with the umpires and with that, each player sprints off to go through the final handball drills before we get under way. Luke Hodge wins the toss and the Hawks will kick to the city end. Let’s just get this thing started.
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Ellie Goulding still better than this.. pic.twitter.com/Ia3Fd3NzWC
— Chris Avnell (@pureavgas) October 3, 2015
Both teams enter the arena
And there’s plenty of whooping and hollering among the Eagles as they come together to be led onto the ground by skipper Shannon Hurn. “United”, says their banner. Hurn is full of steely determination as he turns to his men and leads them through it.
The Hawks are much calmer in their final huddle in the rooms, which is brought in tight around coach Alastair Clarkson. They look calmer than the Eagles, slapping hands and massaging each others’ shoulders as they file down the race behind skipper Luke Hodge. Last man out is finals specialist Shaun Burgoyne. Their banner reads “What’s Important Now” with a huge squad photo above it. Just another day in the office for the Hawks.
We’re 12 minutes away from the bounce and the MCG is jam-packed.
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Bryan Adams finishes up
And I must admit to some disappointment that he didn’t bust out ‘The only thing that looks good on me is you’, his most Spinal Tap lyrical moment and actually a half-decent tune.
Mike Brady is now going through the motions with his contractually-obligated rendition of Up There Cazaly. The fans are bloody loving it, too. What they don’t realise is that every other football song he’s ever written is just ‘Cazaly with the lyrics slightly changed. In one case he literally only changed ‘Cazaly’ to ‘Bob Skilton’. What a sweet gig it is to be Mike Brady. Poor Bobby. If ever a man deserved his own purpose-written song it’s the three-time Brownlow winner.
We’re 20 minutes from the opening bounce now. Goosebumps time.
Now that's pre-match entertainment! Slim Dusty at the 1984 VFL Grand Final. #rennieellis #slimdusty #grandfinal #afl pic.twitter.com/BhRSz26eO2
— The Island Continent (@IslandContinent) October 3, 2015
Plugger is in the house
Plugger and Juddy. Two legends grace the @MCG on #AFLGF day. MORE: http://t.co/SBqolagYx3 pic.twitter.com/zP8QoGbZVO
— FOX FOOTY LIVE (@FOXFootyLive) October 3, 2015
Our first reader email of the day
...and keep ‘em coming, by all means. It’s Wendy Cowling and she’s unimpressed with the Goulding oeuvre. “Turned on the tv, saw Goulding and thought “I’ve gone deaf!” she says. “What an insipid performer/song. Gill should not listen to his daughter when making decisions about singers. (Perhaps she is a toddler).Eagles to win you say. Hmm - we’ll see. They have the best looking lot of blokes.”
I won’t stand for that kind of objectification of men, Wendy, I really won’t
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams is now on stage
And I’ll admit, it’s the first time I’ve caught a live performance of his since being dragged along to the Tennis Centre by my parents in the early 90s. He’s rocking the hipster undercut these days but there’s no escaping the fact that we’re in Gold 104 territory here. Stick with this blog, people, later on we’ll be playing ‘secret sound’ and ‘battle of the sexes’.
“He is no stranger to Australia” says ground MC Craig Willis, which you can roughly translate to “we take what we can get.” Anyway, Big Bryan kicks things off with ‘Run to You’, a huge hit before 90% of the players in this game were born. And the crowd goes wil...well, most of them are heading out for a beer and a pie if I’m completely honest.
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Footy fans appreciate the skill of the mime. A lot of tunes are better once the weight of having to hit high notes is removed. #abcnewsradio
— H.G Nelson (@hg_nelson) October 3, 2015
As Goulding grinds on
...I have to swallow my pride and admit it, I find myself pining for some Ed Sheeran. This is dismal stuff. AFL grand final entertainment needs to be ‘good-bad’, this is just bad...
I lip sync better belting out a tune on Snapchat. Can we please just get Greg Champion and Mike Brady for the pre-match next year?
— Megan Hustwaite (@MeganHustwaite) October 3, 2015
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One for the traditionalists
And let’s be honest, this is update is a lot more exciting than Ellie Goulding’s performance, though the lyric “touch me like you do” has certainly got me in the mood for a few Luke Hodge knuckle sandwiches.
Legend of a bloke and former tram conductor handing out these outside the G & discussing Vic PT history @VFLPark pic.twitter.com/fsDdYe60xm
— Lynden (@Lynden199) October 3, 2015
Our Grand Final Teams
There’s a heartbreak and a fairytale in one for the Hawks, who’ve dropped young speedster Billy Hartung and replaced him with gun forward Jack Gunston, meaning that maligned Ryan Schoenmakers finally gets a chance to play in a flag if the Hawks are good enough. Matt Suckling will be the sub for the Hawks and Matt Rosa for the Eagles.
This is an experienced and settled Hawks side and though West Coast know what they’re doing at this point, you’d think that a few of their younger players will come in for an intense physical examination in the first ten minutes of this game. I’m not suggesting the Hawks will just blatantly go the knuckle, but many of their senior players know that this could be their final tilt at a flag and what better way to do it than with a third cup in a row?
The fact is, these Hawks just don’t lose finals at the MCG. Not normally, anyway. Their last 10 have brought 9 wins. The only loss was the 2012 decider against Sydney. West Coast know that it’s all about the first 30 minutes of football. If they survive that and at least break even, they’re well on their way.
Hawthorn
Ben Stratton, Brian Lake, James Frawley, Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Shaun Burgoyne, Bradley Hill, Sam Mitchell, Liam Shiels, Cyril Rioli, Ryan Schoenmakers, Isaac Smith, Luke Breust, Jarryd Roughead, Paul Puopolo, Ben McEvoy, Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, Taylor Duryea, David Hale, Jack Gunston. SUB: Matthew Suckling
West Coast
Sharrod Wellingham, Will Schofield, Shannon Hurn, Xavier Ellis, Jeremy McGovern, Brad Sheppard, Matt Priddis, Elliot Yeo, Andrew Gaff, Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps, Mark LeCras, Josh J. Kennedy, Josh Hill, Nic Naitanui, Dom Sheed, Luke Shuey, Chris Masten, Callum Sinclair, Mark Hutchings, Sam Butler. SUB: Matt Rosa
Meanwhile, Chris Izaak has been and gone completely unnoticed by Fox Footy. Did Seven give him a run? As the Hawks head into the vault to receive one last sit-down address from Alastair Clarkson, Ellie Goulding takes her place in the middle of the MCG. I’ll be honest, it’s my first dose of Goulding and it appears that her backing tape has cut out. What a start.
The preamble
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, the hour is finally upon us. Football fan Christmas. The greatest day on the winter sporting calendar. Hawthorn. West Coast. The AFL Premiership Cup. Eternal glory for one team and a lifetime of regret for the other. And hasn’t Melbourne turned it on? It’ll be 30 degrees in the shade by the time of the first bounce, which just over an hour away now. Before then we’ll have some Brian Adams, Chris Isaak and Ellie Goulding. I don’t know about you but much like Big Kev, I’m excited.
Then there’s the myriad sub-plots and competing narratives we’ll be dealing with today; will the Weagles Web be as effective on the wide expanses of the MCG? Can James Frawley cope with Josh Kennedy? Is there any substitute for Premiership experience? Will Bruce McAvaney literally drop dead if Cyril Rioli kicks the first goal of the game? Why did Fox Footy think it was a good idea to have Cameron Mooney and Barry Hall sing ‘Don’t go breaking my heart’ as part of the pre-game analysis?
Anyway, this promises to be a cracking Grand Final. Hopes remain high that it’ll go down to the wire. The pies are in the oven, the snags are sizzling away and the beers are on ice. I’ll be back in a moment with today’s grand final line-ups but if you’d like to get in contact throughout the day – tips and observations, details of your grand final day festivities – email me on russell.jackson@theguardian.com or via twitter: @rustyacko
My tips today: West Coast to narrowly win, Matt Priddis for the Norm Smith medal and Jarryd Roughead for first goal.
The @WestCoastEagles are out on the deck #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/smexlaYVR6
— #AFLGF (@AFL) October 3, 2015
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Russell will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a snippet from his preview:
The harder you stare at stats sheets, qualifying final replays and press conference quotes in the lead-up to this AFL grand final, the easier it is to submit yourself to the Dennis Denuto approach to tipping; it’s all about “the vibe”. Hawthorn plainly have it. The Hawks have that been-there-done-that swagger. They have an aura, a winning way of thinking and an innate self-belief. It never really seems to matter what’s happened in the lead-up to games like this. Winning grand finals is what they do for a living.
But… that loss to the Eagles three weeks ago also just nags at you a little. West Coast was the best defensive side in the competition this year and they proved it when these sides last met, blanketing the Hawks and shutting them out of the game. Watching Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Sharrod Wellingham, Will Schofield and Brad Sheppard combine so well this year it wouldn’t be a stretch to picture them as a premiership-winning quartet of backmen.
Read the full article here.
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