Long Season Ahead For Hawthorn

Sydney 18.10 (118) d. Hawthorn 8.7 (55)

by Frank Ienco at the SCG, reporting for AFANA

As an old television adage goes, Hawk fans who don't want to know the score should look away now. In fact, as someonce once quipped, it may be wise to look away for the rest of the season.

When Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson and former captain Shane Crawford presented a united front to the media last week, Hawk fans could be forgiven for dreaming that a horror 2004 was just an aberration. By half-time at the SCG on Sunday this dream was well and truly diminished. The Hawks were six goals down, on their way to a 63-point thumping.

Under a warm and humid Easter Sunday sky, the Hawks melted with the ball in hand, making poor decisions and elementary skill errors, and were unable to contain a rampaging Sydney forward line, led by Nick Davis, who had three goals before the main break.

After four pre-season losses, the knives were already out for Clarkson. His decision to play an underdone Peter Everitt and Crawford in the forward line rather than the midfield will be one of the major talking points around the water coolers on Monday. The Hawks were unable to get any run through the centre of the ground or penetration into the forward line. A massive loss in his first premiership game will only add to a tough coaching initiation.

The match had started in typically tight and tough conditions for an opening round game. The first quarter was characterised by sloppy skill errors and questionable decision making by players on both sides. The Swans, however, winning the clearances with ruckmen Stephen Doyle and Jolly dominating through Everitt's absence, had the greater number of chances. After conceding an early goal, forward Hall made an early impact for the Swans, out muscling Trent Croad on attacking 50 before running through and kicking true from 45 metres out. Two goals to Davis and another from a tight angle to Craig Bolton gave the Swans a healthy two goal buffer at the first break. The only bright spot for the Hawks was a classy goal by Everitt, who took a difficult pick-up, then snapped and goaled from 30 metres out.

To lament on Hawthorn's effort would take away from a terrific effort from Sydney, which was capped off by a scintillating start to the second quarter. The Swans kicked five goals in the opening 13 minutes of the term, the best of which was by Davis, who capatilised on a terrific tackle by team-mate Barry Hall on Hawk Josh Thurgood before snapping for a fantastic goal. By the time Darren Jolly streamed through half-forward and sent a flying shot from the 50-metre arc through the big sticks, the Swans were up by a whopping 41 points.

After their horrendous first half, the Hawks were given a glimmer of hope at the beginning of the second when Everitt was moved to ruck, the first clearance resulting in a Crawford goal. But just like in the first half, the Hawks wasted their good start with near-comical mistakes which could make Monday's video session a movie-length ordeal.

In front of a healthy 27,274 SCG attendance, the Swans clicked into cruise control. Hall was deadly accurate from 52 metres out early in the third term, and his radar was again on the mark when he freakishly goaled from the boundary line 18 minutes into the quarter. Another Jolly goal near three quarter time made the margin an even 50 points at the last change.

With the game effectively all but over, both sides traded goals during the final term. The Hawks drew some positives for next week whilst kicking their four goals of the term, almost doubling their effort from the previous three quarters; however it wasn't enough to prevent the Hawks kicking their lowest score ever at the SCG in over 20 years of matches. Hawthorn did show signs of improvement in the last quarter, winning some ball through the midfield and providing their forwards with opportunities. Nick Holland and Ben Dixon gave the Hawk midfielders strong targets to kick to, while Crawford, Chance Bateman and Luke Hodge battled hard all day in difficult circumstances.

However, the afternoon belonged to the Swans. They simply had too many ball winners and classy players for the Hawks to compete with. Their final tally of 18 goals will reject the notion that they do not have the firepower in attack to win the games that matter later in the season.

The Swans were far from perfect, however for an opening round display, they have justified many experts expectations that they will figure heavily come September. Sydney coach Paul Roos was ecstatic with his team's first-up win. "It was a really good start to the season. [It was] a hot day, unknown opposition, it was a really good win for us." Roos also saved some praise for his Melbourne Demons recruit Jolly, who was one of the Swans stars. "[Jolly] was excellent. He was outstanding for us today, kept us going forward. It was a really good effort."

Clarkson tried to remain positive post-game, commenting that his team will improve but that the development may take two to three years. "We thought... [we'd be] a little more competitive, but they were a very, very talented side."

Next week Sydney faces a tricky task against the Kangaroos in Canberra on Saturday, who are high on confidence after an upset win against Carlton yesterday. The Hawks will get a chance to rebound from today's loss; they face Richmond, the only side that finished below them last year, at the MCG next Sunday afternoon.

Final Score- Sydney 18.10 (118) d. Hawthorn 8.7 (55)

Goals- Sydney: N. Davis 4, Hall 3, Jolly 3, McVeigh, O'Keefe, C. Bolton, P. Williams, Schneider, Doyle, J. Bolton, Buchanan, Bevan. Hawthorn: Dixon 2, Everitt, N. Holland, M. Williams, Jacobs, Crawford, Ladson

Best- Sydney: Davis, Jolly, Hall, Matthews, C. Bolton. Hawthorn: Bateman, Holland, Crawford, Hodge, Dixon.

Injuries- Sydney: Doyle (ankle). Hawthorn: Campbell (leg).

Umpires: Kennedy, Stevic, Chamberlain.