Hawthorn has began its 2025 season in spectacular vogue by outlasting a spirited Sydney Swans comeback to expire 20-point winners on the SCG within the AFL’s season-opener.
Hawks captain James Sicily was excellent within the last quarter after being moved ahead at three quarter time and helped his aspect kick three unanswered targets to seal a 14.12 (96) to 11.10 (76) win over the Swans.
New recruits Tom Barrass and Josh Battle had been wonderful in defence, whereas Will Day starred within the midfield with 26 disposals and three targets for the Hawks, who had been in a position to overcome an ankle damage to star midfielder James Worpel.
Worpel was subbed out of the competition at half-time after turning his ankle in a deal with from Swans massive man Brodie Grundy late within the second quarter. He was seen along with his proper foot in a moon boot throughout the second half after being changed by Sam Frost.
Membership captain James Sicily was moved ahead within the last quarter in what moved to be an impressed transfer for the Hawks. (Getty Photos: Michael Willson)
Following the match, Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was unable to substantiate whether or not Worpel had suffered an damage to the syndesmosis joint in his ankle, which often ends in gamers being sidelined for months slightly than weeks.
“All I do know at this stage is that it is an ankle (damage). I mentioned, ‘Is it a type of which are OK in a few days or a type of six-weekers’, and he (Worpel) goes, ‘I will be proper’. He is at all times going to say that, I’ve bought no thought,” he informed reporters after the match.
“There was a second the place he seemed like he was going to pop up out of a stoppage and he ended up on the bottom and limped off after that.
“He may play this week or he could possibly be out a good whereas, I really haven’t got an replace but.
“If it is a syndesmosis, that at all times sounds unhealthy, they usually’re wherever from six weeks to lots longer, so I am hoping it isn’t that and hoping he is simply rolled his ankle.”
Will Day was dominant within the first half for the Hawks, kicking three targets. (Getty Photos: Cameron Spencer)
Sydney, which had stewed on final 12 months’s grand last agony all summer season, missed injured stars Errol Gulden and Callum Mills of their first recreation beneath new coach Dean Cox.
Chad Warner (21 disposals, two targets), Nick Blakey (26, one) and Isaac Heeney (21 touches, 10 clearances) stood up in shedding trigger.
There have been six lead adjustments in a frantic opening quarter as Day’s midfield work and two targets from Dylan Moore helped the Hawks to a six-point lead.
The sport predictably tightened up as gamers drained within the second time period, however Karl Amon stored up the tempo when he produced a really early goal-of-the-year contender.
Amon took on a number of opponents and performed a one-two with Jai Newcombe, whose intelligent handpass allowed his teammate to run on and snap an excellent main — the primary of 4 successive targets for Hawthorn.
Day had been the star to that time with monster first-half tallies that stood at 19 disposals, 5 clearances and three targets.
James Jordon was despatched to the Hawks star after half-time and put the clamps on Day, who additionally spent a part of the third quarter off the sector being assessed by medical workers.
Warner and Blakey had been influential because the Swans charged within the third time period, producing their very own four-goal run to get again inside two factors earlier than heavy rain made circumstances robust.
Objectives had been at a premium within the last time period and Finn Maginness drew first blood for Hawthorn earlier than Ollie Florent’s horror kick throughout objective gifted one other to Connor Macdonald.
Sicily ended the competition with 5 minutes left to play, including the Hawks’ third of the time period.
Try the reside weblog beneath for all of the motion between Sydney and Hawthorn because it occurred on Friday night time.
Key Occasions
Sydney vs Hawthorn last scores
That is it for tonight’s reside protection!
That is the place we’ll wrap issues up tonight after a thriller to open the 2025 AFL season.
Hawthorn as spectacular as ever, actually skilled efficiency from Mitchell’s aspect towards final 12 months’s runner up.
We’ll be again on Sunday to cowl the second match of the AFL’s Opening Spherical when the GWS Giants host Collingwood.
Please be part of us then!
Mitchell unable to substantiate extent of Worpel’s damage
Sam Mitchell is not conscious of reviews suggesting James Worpel has suffered an damage to the syndesmosis joint in his ankle.
“All I do know at this stage is that it is an ankle (damage). I mentioned, ‘Is it a type of which are OK in a few days or a type of six-weekers’, and he goes, ‘I will be proper’. He is at all times going to say that, I’ve bought no thought,” he says.
“There was a second the place he seemed like he was going to pop up out of a stoppage and he ended up on the bottom and limped off after that.
“He may play this week or he could possibly be out a good whereas, I really haven’t got an replace but.
“If it is a syndesmosis, that at all times sounds unhealthy, they usually’re wherever from six weeks to lots longer, so I am hoping it isn’t that and hoping he is simply rolled his ankle.”
Mitchell thrilled with Hawthorn’s composure
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is a cheerful man after his aspect’s spectacular win.
“It was a tricky recreation the entire recreation. My coronary heart fee would not go down the entire recreation, so I believed the gamers did a implausible job of dealing with the stress,” he says.
“We have tried to place final 12 months behind us, for us we all know we have to get higher and we have to enhance.
“We’ll should be higher than we had been and we will should be higher than we at the moment are.
“The sport seemed intense the entire time and the best way we dealt with that was a little bit of validation.”
Cox ‘disillusioned’ by Sydney’s last quarter
Sydney coach Dean Cox has spoken to reporters after a loss in his first recreation in cost.
“A bit bit disillusioned. To play towards a very good footy workforce with our group, to come back again and get to a very good place and let it slide the best way we did was disappointing,” he says.
“A bit bit bitter however there are nonetheless a variety of issues we have to enhance on, and we all know that.
“We did not take our alternatives when the (last) quarter, a few of our selections centre-forward (had been poor).
“They seem to be a actually good soccer workforce. They had been the most effective groups within the competitors (within the again half of final 12 months) … so we had been conscious of what they had been going to ship tonight.”
Cox was stuffed with reward for Sam Wicks who has been shifted into defence and shut down Hawks livewire Nick Watson tonight.
Worpel dealing with prolonged stint on the sidelines
There is a little bit of a dampener on this end result for the Hawks, with midfielder James Worpel trying like he may spend a while on the sidelines.
Worpel made 25 appearances final season and averaged 21.8 disposals per contest. He’s a restricted free agent on the finish of this season.
Remaining stats from the SCG
Listed below are the numbers from Hawthorn’s 20-point win over Sydney on the SCG:
- Disposals: Hawthorn 332-321
- Inside 50s: Hawthorn 58-40
- Clearances: Hawthorn 47-33
- Contested Possessions: Hawthorn 133-121
- Marks: Hawthorn 89-71
- Tackles: Hawthorn 60-55
The highest three highest-rated gamers on the bottom had been all Hawks ultimately.
- 1.Will Day (HAW): 26 disposals, 9 clearances, three targets
- 2.Lloyd Meek (HAW): 14 disposals, 29 hitouts, six clearances, two targets
- 3.Karl Amon (HAW): 27 disposals, one objective, 698m gained
James Sicily’s tackle Hawks win
Hawthorn captain James Sicily reveals the Hawks weren’t proud of their pre-season efforts within the lead-up to tonight.
Tom Barrass speaks after Hawks debut
Low season recruit Tom Barrass was wonderful tonight in his first match for Hawthorn.
Barrass and fellow low season arrival Josh Battle had been superior down again and allowed James Sicily to maneuver ahead within the last quarter.
“It was a fantastic recreation. It was a fantastic midfield contest, that is the place the sport was received,” he tells Fox Footy.
“He is (Sicily) such a gun. He is a little bit of an unconventional footballer, however he simply will get it completed. We love him down again, however we love him up ahead when he does that.
“We’re a very tight group they usually’ve been actually welcoming for me and JB (Battle).”
FT: Hawthorn 14.12 (96) defeats Sydney 11.10 (76)
Spectacular stuff from the Hawks as they knock off the Swans on the street to start out their season.
It has been a completely skilled show from Sam Mitchell’s males.
Mitchell will love the truth that they did not have all of it their very own method tonight.
He appears to be like completely rapt within the coaches field after that one. Huge hugs throughout for all of the Hawks coaches.
After main by 27 factors early within the third quarter, Sydney reduce Hawthorn’s result in beneath a objective, however the Hawks responded by kicking three unanswered targets within the last time period to seal it.
Sicily sniffs out Swans comeback try
James Sicily wins a free kick within the ahead line and kicks his first of the night time, and that is the sealer you’d assume.
It has been a masterstroke from Sam Mitchell to ship his skipper ahead within the last quarter with the sport on the road.
Sicily has made issues occur within the last quarter and his aspect has kicked three unanswered targets to take a 20-point lead.
There’s simply over 4 minutes left within the contest, absolutely not sufficient time for the Swans.
Below 10 minutes to go on the SCG
Time working out for the Swans now, given these circumstances.
Hawthorn main by 13 factors, that means the Swans want three targets to hit the entrance.
The issue is Hawthorn has the ball locked of their ahead half in the meanwhile.
There’s just below 9 minutes left on the clock.
In the meantime Taylor Adams has come off the bottom with what has been referred to as “hamstring tightness”, I doubt we see him once more tonight.
Florent’s big blunder helps Hawks lengthen lead
Oh boy, it is a coach-killer from Ollie Florent.
Firstly, he applies wonderful defence to entice James Sicily holding the ball within the ahead pocket.
Nonetheless, after profitable the free kick, he makes use of the free kick to kick the ball straight down the throat of Connor MacDonald, who makes no mistake from the set shot from instantly in entrance.
The digicam pans to the Sydney field the place Dean Cox principally has this expression like he is simply been informed somebody has damaged into his house.
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An absolute territory recreation within the fourth quarter
The Swans might not have a objective but on this quarter, however they appear to be taking part in the circumstances lots higher thus far.
With the ball slipping about in every single place, the Swans have been hellbent on simply claiming territory, even when it is ugly.
Loads of soccering and whacking the ball down the bottom with out grabbing possession.
Hawthorn main by seven factors, however the Swans are removed from completed with simply over 13 minutes to go.
Sicily helps Hawks strike first within the fourth quarter
The Hawks have struck first within the last time period in completely DRIVING rain.
They actually took a circuitous path to the objective ultimately.
James Sicily takes a mark contained in the goalsquare and dishes off a handball over the person on the mark for God is aware of why in these circumstances, nevertheless it works out ultimately as Finn Maginness kicks the objective.
Hawks legend Jason Dunstall, he who’s towards all issues with any type of aptitude, is completely shedding his thoughts in any respect of this.
There’s something poetic a few straight shooter like Dunstall being compelled to look at his favorite membership play probably the most reckless model of footy.
Remaining quarter underway as Day fights cramps
What has Hawthorn bought left within the tank?
Rain continues to fall right here on the SCG which can be a take a look at for these drained, drained gamers within the last time period.
Will Day revealed to be coping with cramps, whereas James Worpel is hobbling round along with his proper foot in a moon boot.
James Sicily is beginning the fourth quarter in Hawthorn’s ahead line. Surprise if he’ll apply some type of tag to Nick Blakey.
3QT: Hawthorn 11.10 (76) leads Sydney 11.5 (71)
A superb quarter from the Swans has them proper within the contest as we flip for the ultimate quarter.
Dean Cox can have given his aspect a red-hot rev-up throughout the half-time break, and the response has been wonderful.
Nick Blakey is having an enormous say on proceedings working off halfback, and until the Hawks forwards put a person on him, he’ll proceed to tear aside this recreation.
Blakey has 21 disposals however has gained a game-high 681 metres for the Swans by three quarters.
It has been the same old suspects which have gotten the Swans again into this. Chad Warner has 17 disposals and two targets, whereas Isaac Heeney has 18 disposals and 9 clearances.
Swans debutant within the recreation
Each groups have now activated their subs with Sydney bringing on debutant Tom Hanily for Angus Sheldrick.
No damage for Sheldrick, the change is solely tactical from Dean Cox, who have to be thrilled with what he is seen on this quarter thus far.
Blakey unleashes a monster objective on the run
This man Nick Blakey is completely different gravy.
The circumstances have began to get fairly nasty with the rain coming down.
Blakey runs off halfback whereas his man Mabior Chol watches on like a objective umpire and completely DRILLS one on the run from 55m out.
I reckon we would see imaginative and prescient of Sam Mitchell breaking that one down on Full Sweat.
Hawks lead again down to 3 factors.
Swans put clamps on Day after good first half
Will Day has been fully shut down on this quarter as Sydney opted to ship tagger-in-chief James Jordon to his aspect.
Day has thus far managed simply two touches on this quarter, though one in all them was a objective help to Conor Nash which broke a run of 4 straight majors to the Swans.
Day is at present off the bottom and appears to be having some a part of his decrease physique labored on. He would not look too snug on the boundary.
Hawks at present holding a nine-point lead, however this match is properly and actually up for grabs.
Rain beginning to fall on the SCG is an attention-grabbing little added wrinkle as properly.
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