3:20pm Monday April 21, MCG
Heroes, villains, combat and curses fill the fables of countless cultures and the same is true of football. Geelong and Hawthorn share one of modern football greatest rivalries, built on brutal, nail-biting, high quality contests over successive seasons. As a game between the last two undefeated teams, strength, skill and strategy will be on display and the favourite for September silverware will be determined. The Easter Monday fixture between the Cats and Hawks is bigger, however, than the on field battle and the inevitable analysis that follows. It is an annual event that all football fans await with eager anticipation, and one that evokes raw tribalism from supporters of the two clubs. Geelong and Hawthorn each have a catalogue of champions who have experienced and contributed to this combative tradition. Both sides have also steadily introduced new players to enhance their depth and achieve sustained success. It is this cast of less familiar faces that can determine the outcome when these top teams clash. Tough battles, tight margins, rushed behinds and goals after the siren have combined to form modern football folklore. Monday afternoon will be an exciting, adversarial encounter, marking another chapter in a scintillating football saga.
LAST TIME THEY MET
GEELONG 15.7 (97)
HAWTHORN 14.18 (102)
Hawthorn were the best side over the home and away season and came into the match heavy favourites. They were not only burdened with the weight of expectation, they took on the Cats knowing they had lost their last eleven encounters. The Hawks were wasteful in front of goal in the first term and the half time margin of four points was no surprise given the history between the two teams. The Cats dominated the third quarter, kicking seven goals to three, and lead by 20 points at the final change. Steve Johnson was sensational, collecting 32 touches and kicking four goals, but the Cats didn’t have the legs to hold off the fast finishing Hawks. Sam Mitchell, with 38 possessions, was a standout for Hawthorn, who kicked the last three goals of the match to take out the Preliminary Final by five points.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
33 GEORGE HORLIN-SMITH
George Horlin-Smith was the substitute in his first game for the season, coming on to kick two final term goals against Brisbane at the Gabba. The young onballer hasn’t taken a backward step since, collecting 22 disposals against Collingwood and kicking three goals last week against the Eagles. Horlin-Smith had a break out game in Sydney last year, restricting Josh Kennedy to just six kicks in a shut down role while winning seven clearances himself. He gathered 23 disposals on the night, a career best he equalled last week against West Coast. The match against the Swans was also an early season contest between two undefeated sides and Horlin-Smith was not daunted by the challenge. He has proven himself in big games, awarded best afield in Geelong’s 2012 VFL Grand Final win, and will relish the chance to take on the Hawks in front of a big MCG crowd.
10 BRADLEY HILL
Bradley Hill had a consistent season last year, playing 24 of a possible 25 games, including the 2013 Grand Final. The speedy wingman has emerged from the shadow of his older brother Stephen and has taken his game to new heights. One of the most improved players in the league, Hill is averaging more than 25 disposals per game, the fourth highest in a Hawthorn side studded with stars. Hill has added pace to an ageing midfield and provides excellent defensive pressure, making seven tackles last week in a 99 point thrashing of the Gold Coast Suns. Geelong will be just as wary of his offensive ability after he scored a career high two goals against the Cats in last year’s Preliminary Final.
THE STAT THAT MATTERS
Hawthorn and Geelong are both high scoring teams, ranking first and third in the AFL respectively. The two sides are just as strong defensively, with Gold Coast managing only 3 goals after quarter time against the Hawks last week, and Geelong keeping West Coast goalless after the first change.
DID YOU KNOW?
Last week young Hawk Will Langford and Gary Ablett played out the sequel to a 1980s main event. Langford was issued the unenviable task of shutting down Gary Ablett, a challenge his father Chris took on several times, most notably in the 1989 Grand Final. Chris Langford played 303 games for Hawthorn at full back and his son Will is set to play his sixth game of AFL on Easter Monday. The Abletts are the most exciting players of their respective eras and Gary Jnr’s battle last week with young Langford reminded the football world of the where Geelong’s great rivalry with Hawthorn was born.
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