noosa hawk mad
Norm Smith Medallist
Hawthorn's Robert Campbell tackles Geelong's Paul Chapman during the grand final.
Photo: Sebastian Costanzo
Hawthorn v Geelong
March 23, 2009
HAWTHORN V GEELONG
MCG, Friday 27 March, 7.40pm
Head to head:
Hawthorn 67 Geelong 73 , Draws 1
Head to head, last five games:
Hawthorn 4 Geelong 1
Recent history:
Grand final, 2008
Hawthorn 5.2 | 8.3 | 14.5 | 18.7 (115)
Geelong 5.3 | 6.12 | 9.18 | 11.23 (89)
M.C.G. Crowd: 100,012
Rnd 1, 2008
Geelong 6.3 | 8.10 | 9.12 | 12.16 88
Hawthorn 3.2 | 6.5 | 9.8 | 11.11 77
M.C.G. Crowd: 86,179
Betting
TAB Sportsbet Hawthorn $2.80 Geelong $1.40
Centrebet Hawthorn $2.85 Geelong $1.42
Possible line-ups:
Hawthorn
Guerra Gilham* Hodge
Young* Murphy Brown*
Bateman Mitchell Tuck
Osborne* Franklin Rioli
Morton Roughead Williams
Campbell Sewell Kennedy
Renouf Dew Dowler Schoenmakers
Emerg: Thorp Stokes Whitecross
*Uncertain/limited preparation
Missing from best 22: Birchall, Croad, Ellis, Ladson, Lewis
Geelong
Enright Scarlett Wojcinski
Mackie Taylor Milburn
Corey Selwood Chapman
S Johnson Mooney* Corey
Rooke Lonergan Gamble
Ottens Ablett Bartel
Blake Ling Stokes Kelly
Emerg: Varcoe Hawkins Tenace Byrnes
*Uncertain/limited preparation
Missing from best 22: Egan, Hunt, Harley
Summary: Geelong should win this game, purely on the grounds of fitness. These two sides were closely matched late last season, so surely Hawthorn's injury woes mean the gap has widened in March 2009. The Cats are missing only Hunt and Harley from the team they would have expected to field, while Hawthorn goes in with nine premiership players either missing or in doubt because of pre-season injury problems. Geelong's weaknesses in the forward half can only be exploited by a fully fit team at the height of its powers, and through no fault of their own, that simply cannot be Hawthorn in round one this year. Hawthorn took advantage of Geelong's innacuracy and inflexible game plan during the grand final, but the motivated Cats will not miss as many goalscoring opportunities twice in a row. The new Hawks who got a run in pre-season impressed, the team performs well against the Cats, and their super forward line is intact, so this will be a contest worthy of a big build-up. But Geelong's cohesion, experience and midfield depth should see them start another home and away winning run.
Key: If Hawthorn's promising youngsters Tuck, Kennedy and Morton are as good as spruiked, the gap in the midfield battles will be negligible, and an upset is on the cards.
Tip: Geelong by 26 points
Photo: Sebastian Costanzo
Hawthorn v Geelong
March 23, 2009
HAWTHORN V GEELONG
MCG, Friday 27 March, 7.40pm
Head to head:
Hawthorn 67 Geelong 73 , Draws 1
Head to head, last five games:
Hawthorn 4 Geelong 1
Recent history:
Grand final, 2008
Hawthorn 5.2 | 8.3 | 14.5 | 18.7 (115)
Geelong 5.3 | 6.12 | 9.18 | 11.23 (89)
M.C.G. Crowd: 100,012
Rnd 1, 2008
Geelong 6.3 | 8.10 | 9.12 | 12.16 88
Hawthorn 3.2 | 6.5 | 9.8 | 11.11 77
M.C.G. Crowd: 86,179
Betting
TAB Sportsbet Hawthorn $2.80 Geelong $1.40
Centrebet Hawthorn $2.85 Geelong $1.42
Possible line-ups:
Hawthorn
Guerra Gilham* Hodge
Young* Murphy Brown*
Bateman Mitchell Tuck
Osborne* Franklin Rioli
Morton Roughead Williams
Campbell Sewell Kennedy
Renouf Dew Dowler Schoenmakers
Emerg: Thorp Stokes Whitecross
*Uncertain/limited preparation
Missing from best 22: Birchall, Croad, Ellis, Ladson, Lewis
Geelong
Enright Scarlett Wojcinski
Mackie Taylor Milburn
Corey Selwood Chapman
S Johnson Mooney* Corey
Rooke Lonergan Gamble
Ottens Ablett Bartel
Blake Ling Stokes Kelly
Emerg: Varcoe Hawkins Tenace Byrnes
*Uncertain/limited preparation
Missing from best 22: Egan, Hunt, Harley
Summary: Geelong should win this game, purely on the grounds of fitness. These two sides were closely matched late last season, so surely Hawthorn's injury woes mean the gap has widened in March 2009. The Cats are missing only Hunt and Harley from the team they would have expected to field, while Hawthorn goes in with nine premiership players either missing or in doubt because of pre-season injury problems. Geelong's weaknesses in the forward half can only be exploited by a fully fit team at the height of its powers, and through no fault of their own, that simply cannot be Hawthorn in round one this year. Hawthorn took advantage of Geelong's innacuracy and inflexible game plan during the grand final, but the motivated Cats will not miss as many goalscoring opportunities twice in a row. The new Hawks who got a run in pre-season impressed, the team performs well against the Cats, and their super forward line is intact, so this will be a contest worthy of a big build-up. But Geelong's cohesion, experience and midfield depth should see them start another home and away winning run.
Key: If Hawthorn's promising youngsters Tuck, Kennedy and Morton are as good as spruiked, the gap in the midfield battles will be negligible, and an upset is on the cards.
Tip: Geelong by 26 points
