It’s a compelling Thursday night clash between unbeaten Hawthorn and winless Carlton. The Hawks boast wins over Sydney and Essendon while the Blues were shock round one losers to Richmond one week ago. Follow LIVE coverage.
It’s a compelling Thursday night clash between unbeaten Hawthorn and winless Carlton. The Hawks boast wins over Sydney and Essendon while the Blues were shock round one losers to Richmond one week ago. Follow LIVE coverage.
Zac Williams with his second for Carlton. Well into time-on, third quarter.
That was much-needed, and has snapped Hawthorn’s run. Carlton are clinging on.
That’s five in a row for the game. And Carlton have slowed to a crawl.
Jack Gunston finds his second – 21 minutes, second quarter.
What do they say about the third quarter, hey? Blues are a bit too reliant on Crippa, while Walsh has spent time on the interchange.
Hawthorn 9.6 (60) lead Carlton 6.8 (44)
This match has really ramped up a notch. But it’s Hawthorn who are making the play, taking full advantage of their opportunities. They’ve moved ahead to a handy lead – 10 points. The latest goal came courtesy of Chol, his second of the game.
Hawthorn 8.6 (54) lead Carlton 6.8 (44)
Hawthorn’s Josh Ward, who has gathered plenty of the footy, boots truly with a set shot. Hawthorn with the only two goals of the term amid some Carlton inaccuracy.
Hawthorn 7.6 (48) lead Carlton 6.8 (44) after 12 minutes
The gun Carlton midfielder looks a bit ginger .… and heads to the interchange. All eyes are on him now.
The teams trade a few behinds before Jack Gunston breaks the deadlock. He boots truly after eight minutes .… and the scores are level.
Hawthorn fans are hoping the half-time break gave their team a chance to sharpen up.
Richard Carrick, from Rosanna, said the team’s shown they can “win ugly” early this season and if they find some “synergy” they could yet begin the season 3-0.
“The Hawks don’t seem too switched on, just a bit all over the shop,” Carrick said at half-time.
“This year it hasn’t been the perfect start to the year, but they don’t need to play their best footy at the start of the year … it’s been a bit of winning ugly.
“With the new players coming, in Barrass and Battle, it’ll take a bit to gel, I think.”
After some rain during the half-time interval, the conditions are pretty good for the re-start.
The Western Bulldogs expect four of the club’s six living Brownlow medallists, including recently distant 2008 medallist Adam Cooney, to participate in the club’s historic 100th year celebrations against Collingwood tomorrow night.
Bulldogs officials confirmed that four Brownlow medallists – Cooney, Gary Dempsey, Kelvin Templeton, and Tony Liberatore – were slated to be part of the celebrations and attend the game, as would ex-coaches Terry Wheeler, Terry Wallace, Rodney Eade and Mick Malthouse, the latter who will commentate on ABC radio.
Past playing greats will be at the game in force, and while there are four living members of the 1954 premiership team, none will attend the game, according to club officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Cooney, who is a media commentator on SEN and Seven, has been remote from the Bulldogs since he departed the club and was traded to Essendon late in his career (he and former skipper Ryan Griffen were traded ahead of 2015 to the Bombers and Giants respectively), but has told the Dogs and SEN that he would be part of the function, in which the Bulldogs will revert to their historic name of Footscray, which was changed after the 1996 season to enhance the club’s appeal to the western suburbs.
Neither Wynd, the 1992 Brownlow winner, or Brad Hardie, the 1985 Brownlow winner, are expected to attend, according to the club. Hardie is in his home state of Western Australia, while ex-champion Chris Grant – who would have won the 1997 Brownlow but for a suspension – is overseas and unable to be at the club, for which he also played 300 games.
Decorated ex-players such as 300-gamers Brad Johnson, Doug Hawkins, Rohan Smith and Scott West will be in attendance and involved with the ceremonies along with Tom Boyd, Daniel Giansiracusa, ’60s and ‘70s star Laurie Sandilands, Matthew Croft, Brian Royal, 2016 premiership captain Easton Wood and the man whom he replaced due to injury in that storied season, Bob Murphy.
Ted Whitten jnr, the son of the player regarded as the club’s greatest up until the modern era, will also attend.
Key past president and benefactor Peter Gordon, who played a key role in saving the club in 1989, will also be at the game.
Coach Luke Beveridge, as a former Dogs player, is considered likely to reference the club’s history in his address to the players.
Collingwood recalled Mason Cox for his first game of the season to combat the Bulldogs’ imposing ruck duo Tim English and Sam Darcy in Friday night’s blockbuster as star midfielder Jordan De Goey returns after an injury interrupted pre-season.
Key forward Brody Mihocek has been rested, due to general soreness, after opening the season with five goals in the first two matches, while Lachie Sullivan was dropped.
The Magpies started veteran midfielder Scott Pendlebury as the sub in round one and would not rule out doing the same thing against the Bulldogs, who will play as Footscray in their home game at the MCG.
The Bulldogs replaced key defender James O’Donnell after he fractured his jaw against North Melbourne, and the concussed Luke Cleary, with defender Buku Khamis and wingman Oskar Baker.
The match looms as a real test for the Magpies after they rebounded from a poor performance in opening round to thrash Port Adelaide last week at the MCG.
They will start favourites against an undermanned Bulldogs, who remain without injured midfielders Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar, forward Cody Weightman and intercept defender Liam Jones. Key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan remains sidelined indefinitely with personal issues
While Collingwood’s focus remains on the match, club CEO Craig Kelly reassured fans on SEN the club would do “everything in their power” to ensure free agent Brayden Maynard remains a Magpie beyond this season.
The future of the premiership defender, who is a favourite among Magpie fans, created discussion this week after he said he understood that football was a business. Kelly said Maynard was entitled to explore other options when coming out of contract as a free agent.
“If someone desperately wants him and wants to pay him a heap more for a longer period of time, everyone should be going, ‘Good luck mate, if that opportunity is there, even though we’d love you to be here, [and] we want you to be here’,” Kelly told SEN.
Melbourne suffered an injury blow ahead of their match against North Melbourne with Caleb Windsor out with a foot injury, while the Saints swung the axe, dropping four players as they recalled Mitch Owens to face Geelong and also named first-gamer Isaac Keeler.