Early premiership favourites Hawthorn find themselves outside the top eight after four rounds, while the less-fancied Sydney Swans are undefeated. Join us at 1.10pm AEST for live scores and commentary from Aurora Stadium.
The Hawks have kicked off their season with a fairly tough draw but are strengthened today with the return of Luke Hodge, Luke Breust, Grant Birchall and Paul Puopolo. The latter two will provide some much needed run out of defence.
For the Swans, it’s their best start to a season since 1998 and they will be keen to continue their present momentum.
Adam Goodes returns for the Swans after a one-week suspension, and he’ll be a valuable forward of centre route to goal.
The Swans’ number one ruckman, Shane Mumford, is still out of the team and Mark Seaby will be asked to carry the ruck load for a second consecutive week.
The Swans’ midfield has been excellent so far this season and some tough battles loom today with Josh Kennedy up against Brad Sewell while Jude Bolton will be trying to keep Sam Mitchell in check.
Hawthorn’s forward line looks intimidating, with proven talls Buddy Franklin and Jarryd Roughead backed by good ground level players in Cyril Rioli and Shaun Burgoyne.
Ted Richards is likely to stand Buddy, and the outcome of the game might well rest on that match-up. Richards has had a good season, but Buddy has a good record at Aurora Stadium.
Adam Goodes breaks the record today for the most games played for the Swans, and no doubt that will be an additional spur for the away team.
This is a tough game to tip with the in-form Swans playing a ground much larger than the SCG, and I can’t help thinking that they’ll have their work cut out keeping the Hawthorn forwards in check.
The Hawks will get their season back on track with a winning margin of less than 10 points.
Will the Swans remain unbeaten, or will the step-up in the class of the opposition hand them their first loss of 2012? Find out from 1.10pm AEST as we cover action from Launceston with live scores and a blog and if you’re watching or following along, give us your thoughts in the space below.
Australian Rules
Guest
It wasn't the loss of Gibson..it was the mid-field and Sydney's half forwards. Kennedy, Bolton, Goodes, O'Keefe, Hanneberry, Parker, McVeigh...these guys took it up to the Hawks and they had no answer.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Good call, both with the early running, Storm probably slightly ahead because of the extra games they have under their belt.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Thanks Grant. They certainly aren't looking like premiership favourites, the way they let the Swans back into the game, and then completely collapsed in the last 15 minutes of the game would have their coaching staff worried. Looks like Goodes came good for you in the end! (and me)
GrantS
Guest
Many thanks to you for a very good call. I'll make a huge statement here....The Hawks cannot win the Grand Final without Josh Gibson in their team. I'll go even further, they wont even make the GF without him. I've never seen such a huge turnaround with the loss of one player. I don't wish to belittle Sydney's win, as they played very well in the second half, but they couldn't do it when Gibson was there. The Hawks have some large problems.
Alan
Roar Guru
What a win by Sydney!!!! Swans are fair dinkum this season. Storm dominating in the NRL and the Swans dominating in the AFL. Fancy that!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Well that's it for me, what a great come back by the Swans, who ended up thrashing Hawthorn. Thanks for joining me, enjoy the rest of your evening.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Yes - Gibson proved to be a huge loss in the end
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Swans goals: Goodes 3, Kennedy 3, Bird 2, Bolton 2, O'Keefe 2 Hawks goals: Roughead 5, Hale 2, Lewis 2
The Cattery
Roar Guru
The Swans have just announced themselves as fair dinkum contenders. At the start of the game, right up to about the 20 min mark of the 2nd quarter, Hawthorn controlled the game, won the clearances, had the spread, uncontested possessions were through the roof as Hawthorn found each other with ease, kept the footy, and had the big targets up forward with Hale and Roughead, the latter having 5 goals by half time. In the third quarter, the Swans turned it all around, kept the Hawks scoreless, it was a case of winning the contests around the ground, moving the ball quickly, getting their contested possessions up, getting more handball in to keep the ball, set up the kick into fwd 50, and they found targets in Goodes, Seaby and Kennedy, the latter ended up probably being best on ground just ahead of Goodes - both started slowly, but by the end of the game, they had the ball on a string. Hawthorn came back into it early in the 4th quarter, and it's probably hard to believe that they took the lead for about one minute, but the Swans tightened up the hatches, flourished in the stoppages, and scored six unanswered goals asn the Hawks fell off the pace..
The Cattery
Roar Guru
FT Hawthorn 10.9 (69) Sydney 16.10 (106)
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 1 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 16.10 It's just amazing what we have witnessed this second half, as we tick down to the siren
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 16.10 From kick out, spoil, short pass to Bolton, and he has it right on 50, and that's through, very good kick!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 15.10 Swans out of the middle again, running over the top of them, and Goodes takes another big mark, but misses from 30m
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 15.9 Goodes gets it out to Bird, snaps quickly, and it bounces through for another! it's turning into a rout!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 2 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 14.9 Goodes against 2, and he made a contest of it, but numbers win out
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 3 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 14.9 Swans should hang on from here, but what an amazing turn around from the Swans
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 3 min to go Hawthorn 10.9 Sydney 14.9 Rioli through the middle, falls to Roughead and snaps a behind
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 5 min to go Hawthorn 10.8 Sydney 14.9 Clarkson looking for solutions, none forthcoming, could be that prime movers suchy has Hodge have run out of steam Schoemakers only just gets the ball away after a Goodes tackle, two Hawks players run into each other in the mddle, Smith runs through, puts it long to Goodes, and he takes it between two Hawthorn defenders! only 20m out, this could just about be the sealer, and he gets it!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 6 min to go Hawthorn 10.8 Sydney 13.9 It's just hard to see how Hawthorn can get back into this game, at the moment they don't look like getting a goal, but they need to find at least 3 handball receives favouring Swans bigtime, and that's the key to their lead
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Q4 6 min to go Hawthorn 10.8 Sydney 13.9 straight from kick out, Hannebery latches onto it, flying shot - Goal!!