Gary Rohan celebrates his fourth goal for Geelong in one of the best games of his AFL career. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
We expect a lot when Hawthorn takes on Geelong, and after more than a decade of almost always tight, thrilling contests between these modern day powerhouses, rightfully so.
No fewer than 12 of their 23 clashes since the famous 2008 grand final had been decided by single figure margins, four of the past five by 11 points or less.
Which meant that even with the Hawks going into this year’s Easter Monday stoush minus key parts of the machinery like Shaun Burgoyne, Liam Shiels, James Frawley and a late withdrawal in skipper Ben Stratton, not to mention Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell, there was every chance we’d be treated to another epic.
Were we? Not really. Well, certainly not on the scale of some of their other jousts. Not that this was a bad game. Far from it. But in the end perhaps the greatest surprise of Geelong’s 23-point win was that there was none.
Geelong had enjoyed the better form. It had the better personnel out on the park. And ultimately, the way this game panned out and the final margin was a pretty accurate reflection of that fact.
You felt as though Hawthorn was going to have to fire some serious shots early to be a chance. So, clearly, did the Hawks.
They burst from the blocks in fine style, Jarryd Roughead applying some heavy body work on Harry Taylor to mark and open their account in under two minutes.
Young forward Mitch Lewis had the next after gratefully accepting a handball over the top from Ricky Henderson, impressive early.
There was some necessary luck, too, James Cousins as good as accidentally kicking a goal when a Paul Puopolo tap ricocheted on to his boot and through for a goal whilst the youngster was doing no more than running in the same direction.
Geelong had barely troubled the scorers by that stage. But it was then the Cats began to get on right on top, promptly booting six of the next eight goals, two of the coming in the last 30 seconds of the first quarter, both from centre bounces, and both to a very dangerous-looking Gary Rohan.
That gave the Cats the lead for the first time, and it was an advantage extended to the best part of three goals not long after, Gary Ablett now bobbing up with a brace of goals, a big goals quare grab channelling memories of his father at this same ground, if at the other end, then a beautiful checkside snap on the run.
Hawthorn was hanging in admirably, mind you, Paul Puopolo lively when the ball hit the deck near goal, the little man responsible for the Hawks’ first two majors of the second term, and James Worpel giving plenty of drive from the ruckwork of Ben McEvoy.
But while the Hawks had the numbers going their way for hit-outs and clearances, they weren’t nearly as dangerous in attack, Geelong continually rebounding off half-back into a far more efficient forward set-up, which by half-time had racked no fewer than 11 marks inside 50.
It was another of those grabs, to Rhys Stanley, which gave the Cats breathing space again, Tom Hawkins missing a chance after the half-time siren to extend the lead even further.
Briefly, it looked like that might be largesse the Cats would regret, as the second half began much the same way as the first.
McEvoy, a Trojan as usual for his team, threaded the first of the quarter just three minutes in. Worpel brought the deficit for the Hawks back to only seven points just on a minute later.
But Geelong these days is rarely flustered. And three goals in the next five minutes proved it. Rohan had his third goal with a mid-air kick in the goal square. Tim Kelly, having yet another excellent game, kicked his second checkside snap for a goal amidst a crowd.
And Rohan, producing one of the best games of his career, hit a bouncing ball at full tilt, turned, straightened and threaded his fourth for the Cats’ biggest lead of the afternoon.
Again, a Roughead snap kept Hawthorn hanging on. But there would be more late body blows in time-on, little Gryan Miers making a meal of one opportunity but buttering up to get on the end of a handball and race in to score.
And then, which just 15 or so seconds left on the clock, Ablett got on the end of a chain. On the run, from the 50-metre arc, you knew the result before he’d even laid boot to ball. That made it 30 points.
That’s counted for little plenty of times before in these clashes. And, yet again, there was a little flutter of nerves for the leading side late, even after Patrick Dangerfield made it a six-goal game six minutes into the last.
It was Jaeger O’Meara first. McEvoy next a couple of minutes later. And when, after perhaps a questionable free kick for a pretty harmless push, Henderson threaded a lovely set shot, Hawthorn were back within 17 points with still enough time to pull off the steal.
Again, though, the Cats didn’t panic. They slowed things down, took some heat out of the mood and time off the clock, and by the time Tom Hawkins marked right on the goal line and booted Geelong’s last of the day, it was all over.
A good win for Geelong, and for the Hawks, given the circumstances, a pretty decent effort. Probably what you might have logically expected. Which, given the way the season has run so far, is arguably in itself unusual.
HAWTHORN 4.2 7.7 10.10 13.12 (90)
GEELONG 4.3 10.6 15.10 17.11 (113)
GOALS – Hawthorn: Puopolo 2, Roughead 2, McEvoy 2, Henderson 2, Lewis, Cousins, Smith, Worpel, O’Meara. Geelong: Rohan 4, Ablett 3, Kelly 2, Dangerfield 2, Stanley 2, Dahlhaus, Taylor, Miers, Hawkins.
BEST – Hawthorn: Henderson, McEvoy, Worpel, Sicily, O’Meara. Geelong: Selwood, Kelly, Rohan, Ablett, Dangerfield, Dahlhaus
INJURIES – Hawthorn: Stratton (stomach virus) replaced in selected side by Mirra, Mirra (left knee). Geelong: Parfitt (cork thigh)
UMPIRES: Margetts, Gavine, McInerney
CROWD: 66,347 at the MCG
