Australian Football

Match Report

Prior to GWS and Hawthorn meeting at the Sydney Showground on Saturday, there were signs for both sides of the day panning out in favour of the Giants. GWS, after a hiccup against Melbourne in round one, had been playing some very impressive high-scoring football and looking dangerous. The Hawks, on the other hand, had been winning since their own round one hiccup against Geelong, but only just, with their last three victories all lucky three-point results. 

Still, no one would have expected what unfolded on Saturday afternoon in Sydney's west. The Giants were all over Hawthorn and thrashed the Hawks by a whopping 75 points, kicking the highest score of their four-and-a-half year history in the process. There's never been any doubt about GWS's talent, and the big win over Hawthorn is a strong indication that this talent has gelled into a cohesive force that could threaten for a flag in the very near future, some pundits saying as early this year.

Hawthorn made the early running, with the hero of last week's match against Adelaide, Paul Puopolo goaling at the four-minute mark after receiving a free kick. A handball from Toby Greene to Rory Lobb in the goal-square gave the Giants their first and they were away, majors to Jeremy Cameron and Stevie Johnson following to give them a 12-point lead midway through the term. Tom Scully extended the lead to 17 with his first at the 21-minute mark but Jack Gunston responded for the Hawks soon after. At the 25-minute mark the margin was still only two goals in favour of GWS but three goals in the last five minutes of the quarter - a second each to Lobb, Cameron and Johnson - had the Giants suddenly 32 points ahead at the first change of ends.

The shellshocked Hawks did not recover from there. They managed to conjure four goals in the second term but the Giants added another six of their own and the margin was out to 45 points at the long break. There was no letting up in the third quarter, and GWS kicked a further six goals to three in the third quarter to take a commanding 64-point lead into the last break.

Young up-and-coming sides can sometimes tire and/or relax in the last quarter of a match that's in its keeping, and it appeared GWS might do that in this case. The Giants failed to get a goal in the first nine minutes, while Hawthorn added a goal via Luke Breust to cut the difference to 56. But the Giants demonstrated a sternness and maturity after that, kicking four of the last six goals to win running away by more than 12 goals. 

Veteran Heath Shaw was outstanding for the Giants, with 11 marks and 32 disposals in defence, as was Dylan Shiel (34 possessions, five tackles) in the midfield. For the Hawks, Jack Gunston (15 touches and five goals) was a fine player.

The win takes GWS up to fifth on the ladder and the Giants will go into their match against the winless Fremantle at Subiaco on Saturday night with great confidence. The Hawks, eight on the ladder with a 4-2 record but a poor percentage of just 91.8, will look to bounce back against Richmond at the MCG on Friday night.

GOALS
GWS: Johnson 5; Lobb 4; Cameron, Scully, Greene, Palmer 3; Whitfield 2; Ward
Hawthorn: Gunston 5; Breust 3; Puopolo 2; Howe, Rioli

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Shaw, Coniglio, Shiel, Lobb, Ward, Johnson, Whitfield
Hawthorn: Gunston, Breust, Birchall

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
GWS:  Shiel, Johnson, Lobb, Coniglio, Whitfield
Hawthorn: Gunston, Birchall, Breust, Lewis, McEvoy

INJURIES
GWS: Griffen (back) replaced in the selected side by Haynes
Hawthorn: Frawley (concussion)

UMPIRES: Foot, Ryan, McInerney

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Dermott Brereton, Alastair Lynch, Barry Hall