Australian Football

Match Report

An incredible match at York Park between Hawthorn and GWS has ended in a dramatic draw, with a late snap from Hawk Will Langford bouncing over the reaching arms of Giant Heath Shaw to level the scores with 12 seconds to go. The Giants had looked certain winners only minutes earlier, after a five-goal burst had turned a 21-point deficit into a 13-point lead in the space of 17 minutes. But the Hawks rallied late, with Langford's last-gasp goal preceded by major and minor scores from Luke Breust. The scores ultimately finished level on 97 apiece. with GWS recording a second draw in the space of a week, the first time since Carlton in 1921 that a team has recorded draws in consecutive matches.

Tom Scully got the Giants off to a good start with a characteristic running goal at the three-minute mark but a poor turnover five minutes later saw Taylor Duryea mark and kick Hawthorn's first goal, levelling the scores. A free kick and goal to Rory Lobb put GWS back in front but the Hawks got on a roll after that, with consecutive majors through Tom Mitchell, Langford and Tim O'Brien seeing them out to 13-point lead heading into time on. The Giants bounced back during 'red time', kicking three of four goals in the period to cut the margin to one point at quarter time. 

Hawthorn was unable to find the goals for the first 20 minutes of the second quarter, with Isaac Smith, Liam Shiels and Shaun Burgoyne all missing shots. GWS countered the Hawks three behinds with three goals during that period, one each to Devon Smith, ex-Docker Tendai M'Zungu and Jonathon Patton, and the Giants were out to a 15-point lead. The only goal of the time-on period went Hawthorn's way to Ricky Henderson, and the Hawks were in touch at the half, trailing only by nine points.

The Hawks closed the gap to three points with a goal two minutes into the third quarter, but an easy goal to Jeremy Cameron from the goal square had the Giants' lead back out to eight five minutes later. From there, though, it was the Hawks that began to get on top. Langford's second goal followed by skipper Jarryd Roughead's first put them ahead by six points, and although Patton levelled the scores with his third, Hawthorn added two further goals through Breust and Kade Stewart, along with three behinds, to take a 15-point lead into the last break.

When Shaun Burgoyne added another goal three minutes into the final term, Hawthorn's lead was out to 21 points and the Hawks looked headed for an upset win, but the Giants 'flicked the switch' from there, with a withering burst of five goals in 15 minutes - two of them to Patton - seeing them suddenly ahead by 13 points. But there was to be a final twist in the tale. A fine mark and goal to Breust at the 26-minute mark brought Hawthorn back within seven points and he marked again soon after, missing this time, the margin now an even goal.

With under a minute remaining, the Hawks went forward again and a snap from Langford highlight perfectly the glorious unpredictability of the oval ball. In this case it hit the turf a couple of metres in front of Giants defender Heath Shaw and 'took off', bouncing high over Shaw's head and out of the reach of his outstretch arms, bisecting the big sticks and levelling the scores with 12 seconds on the clock. 

Incredibly the Hawks almost managed a win from there, clearing the ball from the centre bounce. A final, desperate knock on from Ryan Burton almost looked to have given Hawthorn the point that would have delivered victory but the siren had sounded just before his hand connected with the call, with the two sides level on 97, the match ending in a thrilling draw.

Tom Mitchell gave another virtuoso for the Hawks, collecting 39 touches and laying nine tackles. For the Giants captain Callan Ward (32 possessions, eight tackles) and Patton (five goals, 10 marks) excelled.

For GWS its second successive tie had cost it top spot on the ladder, Adelaide moving ahead of the Giants on percentage. They will take on the in-form Sydney Swans at the Sydney Showground next Saturday night, in what should be a very interesting affair. Hawthorn remains a slim finals chance, a game and a half outside the eight, but the Hawks will need to beat old rivals Geelong (third on the ladder with 10 and a half wins) at the MCG on Saturday afternoon to stay in touch.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Langford 3; Breust, Henderson, Duryea 2; Mitchell, O’Brien, Roughead, Stewart, Burgoyne
Greater Western Sydney: Patton 5; Smith, Scully 2; Whitfield, Lobb, Mzungu, Cameron, Ward, Kelly

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Sicily, McEvoy, Hartung, Burgoyne, Burton
Greater Western Sydney: Patton, Ward, Kelly, Shiel, Tomlinson, Scully

BEST - THE AGE
Hawthorn: Mitchell, McEvoy, Hartung, Langford, Sicily, Burgoyne
Greater Western Sydney: Ward, Kelly, Shiel, Patton, Scully

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nil

UMPIRES: Stevic, Stephens, Mitchell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Adam Papalia, Dermott Brereton, Alastair Lynch, Nick Dal Santo