The Hitman
23 Sep 2001, 08:00
Essendon vs. Hawthorn - 1st Preliminary Final Review
Essendon defeated Hawthorn by nine points in the first Preliminary Final in what was a true representation of what a final should be like. Alessio and Lucas kicked two for the winners, while Nick Holland was the only multiple goalscorer for Hawthorn with three.
Essendon were red hot favorites going into the match, even though they were without Coleman Medallist Matthew Lloyd due to suspension. Wallis was expected to come in, but Mark Bolton was a late inclusion.
The first quarter started as a hot contest, with the first goal coming from an Alessio snap from a ruck contest in the Essendon forward pocket at the ten minute mark.
There were many intriguing match-ups, with Jon Hay taking Essendon skipper James Hird, Mark Misiti dragging Joel Smith back to the goal square, Mark Graham on the dangerous Hawthorn reject Paul Barnard. Jason Johnson and Crawford played off each other, while Soloman took Barker, and Dustin Fletcher took Nathan Thompson.
From the bounce it was a hot footy, with both teams struggling to get the first few goals. After Allesio’s goal, it took another seven minutes for another to be scored. Barnard sprayed a set shot, Crawford missed a running shot, and Angelo Lekkas hit the post, before Darren Goldspink decided to start his anti-Hawthorn campaign by gifting Alessio another goal, for Jade Rawlings supposedly pushing him in the back.
Two minutes later Adrian Cox finished off some chip work by the Hawks with a nice goal from 45 metres out. Straight away Goldspink awarded another suspect free which sent the Hawk fans in a frenzy, this time to Chris Heffernan. He goaled, giving the Bombers a two goal lead, whilst dumbfounding the football world in the process.
Four minutes later Luke McCabe gave away (or should I say, the umpire handed) Rioli a free kick. Rioli kicked truly, giving Essendon a three goal break. Lucky for the sanity of all folk wearing brown and gold, Nick Holland kicked a goal just before the siren following a chain of chip kicks and a sweeping Crawford handpass.
We went into quarter time eight points in a rears, and with all four first quarter goals suspect for Essendon, with three coming from free kicks inside 50, and the opener following Alessio interfering with Rehn in the ruck contest. Hawthorn missed a lot of chances, and Hawthorn were obviously playing the better footy.
The second quarter was the quarter where Essendon showed their brilliance, with Hawthorns only score coming from a left foot dribble shot by Nathan Thompson, where he really should have goaled.
Scott Lucas again missed a set shot, before seven minutes in, Justin Blumfield marked and goaled from 35 metres out. Barnes spotted up Lucas not long later, and he sprayed it out on the full, earning a spray from me. Boy, should have I shutup.
Blake Caracella marked on a lead, and kicked truly, giving the Bombers a nice little buffer. Caracella got another chance, after another Essendon centre break, but kicked it on the full. Wellman scored a running goal from a Hawthorn cough up, which made it tough for the Hawks.
What was to follow will be talked about for a long time.
Scott Lucas took a mark outside 50, went back, and lined up for goal. He roosted it, it looked home, before Adrian Cox flew in a desperate bid to mark the ball. He marked it either before or after it crossed the line, and the goal umpire called it touched. Darren Goldspink ran from 50 metres away, had a discussion with the goal umpire, before they corrected the decision to a goal.
That looked to seal the game, with Caracella and Blumfield missing chances before the half time siren blew. That culminated a four goal to none quarter for the defending premiers, which looked to have ended the premiership hopes of Hawthorn.
Two goals and seven behinds reflected many of the missed chances Hawthorn squandered, mainly in the first quarter. Little did we know Hawthorn were about to come back with vengeance.
Hawthorn needed to score the first couple to have any hope at all, and Tony Woods kicked his first goal of the season, and what an important goal it was. Nick Holland missed a set shot, before Kris Barlow goaled after some great link work between Chick, Croad, and McCabe in the forward pocket.
Suddenly the Hawks looked a chance, and were back within four goals. As the brown and gold army started to find some voice, Lekkas missed from 50 out, before a seemingly injured Steven Greene kicked a goal. It looked like Damien Hardwick had popped his kneecap, but he played on, so I don’t know what happened there, although he was concussed in an incident in the first quarter.
At three quarter time, we were only trailing by 15 points. The crowd could sense an epic, and they weren’t to be disappointed.
It was like the opening bounce, as it was a red hot footy once again. Angelo Lekkas had another set shot, and once again missed. After the kick out, Crawford was chasing a ball near the boundary, when Mark McVeigh came along and decapitated him, yet no free kick.
Not to worry however, as a minute later Nathan Thompson marked 15 out and slotted it to make the margin only eight points. Two minutes later after a Hawthorn center clearance, Nick Holland marked 45 metres out and kicked an inspiring goal, to get the Hawks within two points.
That is as close as Hawthorn would get though.
Jason Johnson had a chance to goal for the Bombers, but blazed away and missed. The Hawks ran the ball down the other end, where they then decided to muck around, eventually leading to John Barnes having a paddock as he loped across the Hawthorn half forward line. Enter the inspirational Daniel Chick. He chased from 70 metres away, pressured Barnes into a short kick which missed the target, and Hawthorn forced a boundary throw in, while the crowd went nuts.
Wellman missed a set shot, Hawthorn rushed the ball to the wing, before Joe Misiti had a run and dobbed a running goal from inside 50. The ten point lead looked too much for Hawthorn to get back from, but once again Hawthorn decided to fight.
Jason Johnson got pinged for holding the ball by Angelo Lekkas, before he pin pointed a pass to the chest of Ben Dixon. He converted from 40 out directly in front to bring the margin back to four points, and bring the game to another level.
A midfield struggle resulted in Richie Vandenberg holding the footy on the Hawthorn forward flank, when Trent Croad called for and received a centred ball about 55 metres out. In his best Anthony Rocca impersonation, he went back, and went bang, hitting the post. Dare I say, if he kicked that goal, I think Hawthorn would have won.
The fact is, we were three points down, and Essendon got a goal through a Paul Barnard snap and uncanny bounce making the difference nine points. Essendon begin to play keepings off, and after Hawthorn coughed it up (again) on our forward 50, Scott Lucas kicked the sealer from outside 50.
Nick Holland took a mark, and kicked a goal on the full time siren, making the final margin nine points.
Down back, Jonathon Hay toweled up James Hird when on him, and although Hird got injured, he didn’t have a real impact on the game. McCabe did well on Rioli, and ran forward well at the end of the game, creating some options. Graham did his job, while Smith and Rawlings did well without standing out. Tallis played well in the second half, although his disposal let him down sometimes. Cox did well when he was on, showing enthusiasm, and pace off the line. Overall, I think the defensive unit did well, with only two multiple goalkickers for Essendon, and they weren’t even forwards.
The midfield was good without being sensational. Come to think of it, every line was like that today. Crawford was good when he got running, while Woods didn’t do the job on Misiti, who racked up many a possession. Vandenberg was good once again, surely securing his spot on next years list. Greene was creative when on, and copped an injury in the third term. Harford tried, but honestly didn’t do that much, while Lekkas was good, except in his kicking for goal. Ang, you must pass! Nathan Lonie was explosive when on, and Chick did some good one percenters, but didn’t do that much throughout the day.
Rehn won the ruck contests, with Thompson doing well and Croad moving there in the closing stages. Barnes was better around the ground, and Alessio got those two early goals, but whether he deserved them was another matter.
Our forwards only awoke in the last half, but with Barker injured early, and Dixon struggling and missing much of the game, we were missing some firepower up forward. Thompson and Holland stood up in the final stanza, with Dustin Fletcher and Dean Solomon playing good defensive games for the Bombers. Barlow crumbed a goal, Croad tried his heart out, and Dixon kicked an important last quarter goal.
The relevance of this game cannot be underrated. This game earnt Hawthorn respect. It signaled that Hawthorn are ready to take the next step next season and be true premiership contenders. Bad bounces, bad umpiring, hitting the post can all be used as excuses. However, I know I won’t be making any.
This also signaled the possible end of Essendon’s dominance in the AFL. They will play Brisbane in the Grand Final next Saturday, and I think the injuries to Hardwick, Mercuri, and Hird will take too much out of them.
I am so proud of the effort this football club put into not only this game, but also this season. Many people (including many of our own) doubted us, especially come September. We got further than anyone could have imagined following our St. Kilda loss. We are no longer have potential, we are living up to that potential.
We will make amends next season…mark my words.
Essendon 4.2.26 8.7.55 8.8.56 11.10.76
Hawthorn 2.6.18 2.7.19 5.11.41 9.13.67
Goals: Essendon - S.Alessio 2, S.Lucas 2, P.Barnard 1, J.Blumfield 1, B.Caracella 1, C.Heffernan 1, J.Misiti 1, D.Rioli 1, S.Wellman 1 . Hawthorn – N. Holland 3, K. Barlow 1, A. Cox 1, B. Dixon 1, S. Greene 1, N. Thompson 1, T. Woods.
Best: Essendon – D. Fletcher, J. Misiti, S. Alessio, C. Heffernan, D. Solomon.
Hawthorn – N. Holland, S. Crawford, A. Cox, J. Hay, R. Vandenberg, A. Lekkas
Nick Holland – Kicked three and stood up when counted. Missed a shot he could have kicked in the third, but did his job. Proved Tony Shaw wrong about his shoulder anyway.
Jonathon Hay – Killed Hird, albeit he was injured, but still a class act. Best on ground.
Rayden Tallis – Tried all day, but his disposal let him down. Had a stellar second half after a disappointing first half.
Daniel Harford – I don’t think he did much. I suppose he could still be affected by the ankle injury, but I didn’t see him do much on the field.
Luke McCabe – Did his job on Rioli, and went forward late in the game to help in the scrimmages. I think he did well.
Shane Crawford – The skipper did some good things, put his body on the line, but didn’t stand out. Tried, but just couldn’t get going. Encouraging sign that we can get so close to Essendon without him or Chick firing.
Joel Smith – Looked after Mercuri until his ankle went, and then was allowed to do more running out of defence. Did his usual runs, but didn’t standout.
Daniel Chick – The inspiring Chick had his moments, fighting hard up forward and that chase on Barnes, but didn’t have the impact as the previous finals. Tried as always.
Ben Dixon – Hampered by an ankle injury, did precious little other then kick that goal in the final quarter.
Jade Rawlings – If Lucas could kick, Jade would have looked quite ordinary…
Richard Vandenberg – Played a good game. Ran hard and got his share of the T.W. Sherrin. Has really proved his worth, and is becoming a favorite of many a Hawk fan. Good game Butcher.
Nathan Thompson – Rucked well, but his lack of impact up forward cost us. Fletcher killed him down there, bar that goal he kicked in the last.
Trent Croad – I don’t know how much credit Trent will get, but I think he tried his guts out. He really slogged it out, and went hard. Didn’t have any brain explosions, and imagine if he kicked that goal…
John Barker – Got injured early, so had no or little effect on the result. Imagine if we had him forward…
Nathan Lonie – Didn’t get much time, but the signs are there. You just get excited when he gets the ball, but his disposal let him down today. A work in progress.
Steven Greene – This kid is all class. Kicked that goal when he got injured, played on, and didn’t do too badly. You just know when he gets it he will do something with it. He excites me too…
Tony Woods – Misiti played well, but Woods did some okay things with the ball. Probably his last game, and unfortunately didn’t get that much game time.
Kris Barlow – Kicked one goal, and did nothing else.
Mark Graham – Held Barnard right until the very death, where a lucky bounce gave him a goal. Heebie didn’t dominate, but he didn’t disappoint. Solid effort.
Adrian Cox – Played a really good running game from defence, tried his hardest all day, and kicked a good opening goal. Well done Nutter.
Angelo Lekkas – Really impressed me today – except with his kicking for goal. He needs to pass from 50 out, he just can’t kick set shots that well. His effort in tackling, chasing, and his delivery of the ball were great however.
Shaun Rehn – Beat Barnes in the ruck, and did one or two good things around the ground. Did his job, and that’s all we can really ask of him.
By Brett Collett
Essendon defeated Hawthorn by nine points in the first Preliminary Final in what was a true representation of what a final should be like. Alessio and Lucas kicked two for the winners, while Nick Holland was the only multiple goalscorer for Hawthorn with three.
Essendon were red hot favorites going into the match, even though they were without Coleman Medallist Matthew Lloyd due to suspension. Wallis was expected to come in, but Mark Bolton was a late inclusion.
The first quarter started as a hot contest, with the first goal coming from an Alessio snap from a ruck contest in the Essendon forward pocket at the ten minute mark.
There were many intriguing match-ups, with Jon Hay taking Essendon skipper James Hird, Mark Misiti dragging Joel Smith back to the goal square, Mark Graham on the dangerous Hawthorn reject Paul Barnard. Jason Johnson and Crawford played off each other, while Soloman took Barker, and Dustin Fletcher took Nathan Thompson.
From the bounce it was a hot footy, with both teams struggling to get the first few goals. After Allesio’s goal, it took another seven minutes for another to be scored. Barnard sprayed a set shot, Crawford missed a running shot, and Angelo Lekkas hit the post, before Darren Goldspink decided to start his anti-Hawthorn campaign by gifting Alessio another goal, for Jade Rawlings supposedly pushing him in the back.
Two minutes later Adrian Cox finished off some chip work by the Hawks with a nice goal from 45 metres out. Straight away Goldspink awarded another suspect free which sent the Hawk fans in a frenzy, this time to Chris Heffernan. He goaled, giving the Bombers a two goal lead, whilst dumbfounding the football world in the process.
Four minutes later Luke McCabe gave away (or should I say, the umpire handed) Rioli a free kick. Rioli kicked truly, giving Essendon a three goal break. Lucky for the sanity of all folk wearing brown and gold, Nick Holland kicked a goal just before the siren following a chain of chip kicks and a sweeping Crawford handpass.
We went into quarter time eight points in a rears, and with all four first quarter goals suspect for Essendon, with three coming from free kicks inside 50, and the opener following Alessio interfering with Rehn in the ruck contest. Hawthorn missed a lot of chances, and Hawthorn were obviously playing the better footy.
The second quarter was the quarter where Essendon showed their brilliance, with Hawthorns only score coming from a left foot dribble shot by Nathan Thompson, where he really should have goaled.
Scott Lucas again missed a set shot, before seven minutes in, Justin Blumfield marked and goaled from 35 metres out. Barnes spotted up Lucas not long later, and he sprayed it out on the full, earning a spray from me. Boy, should have I shutup.
Blake Caracella marked on a lead, and kicked truly, giving the Bombers a nice little buffer. Caracella got another chance, after another Essendon centre break, but kicked it on the full. Wellman scored a running goal from a Hawthorn cough up, which made it tough for the Hawks.
What was to follow will be talked about for a long time.
Scott Lucas took a mark outside 50, went back, and lined up for goal. He roosted it, it looked home, before Adrian Cox flew in a desperate bid to mark the ball. He marked it either before or after it crossed the line, and the goal umpire called it touched. Darren Goldspink ran from 50 metres away, had a discussion with the goal umpire, before they corrected the decision to a goal.
That looked to seal the game, with Caracella and Blumfield missing chances before the half time siren blew. That culminated a four goal to none quarter for the defending premiers, which looked to have ended the premiership hopes of Hawthorn.
Two goals and seven behinds reflected many of the missed chances Hawthorn squandered, mainly in the first quarter. Little did we know Hawthorn were about to come back with vengeance.
Hawthorn needed to score the first couple to have any hope at all, and Tony Woods kicked his first goal of the season, and what an important goal it was. Nick Holland missed a set shot, before Kris Barlow goaled after some great link work between Chick, Croad, and McCabe in the forward pocket.
Suddenly the Hawks looked a chance, and were back within four goals. As the brown and gold army started to find some voice, Lekkas missed from 50 out, before a seemingly injured Steven Greene kicked a goal. It looked like Damien Hardwick had popped his kneecap, but he played on, so I don’t know what happened there, although he was concussed in an incident in the first quarter.
At three quarter time, we were only trailing by 15 points. The crowd could sense an epic, and they weren’t to be disappointed.
It was like the opening bounce, as it was a red hot footy once again. Angelo Lekkas had another set shot, and once again missed. After the kick out, Crawford was chasing a ball near the boundary, when Mark McVeigh came along and decapitated him, yet no free kick.
Not to worry however, as a minute later Nathan Thompson marked 15 out and slotted it to make the margin only eight points. Two minutes later after a Hawthorn center clearance, Nick Holland marked 45 metres out and kicked an inspiring goal, to get the Hawks within two points.
That is as close as Hawthorn would get though.
Jason Johnson had a chance to goal for the Bombers, but blazed away and missed. The Hawks ran the ball down the other end, where they then decided to muck around, eventually leading to John Barnes having a paddock as he loped across the Hawthorn half forward line. Enter the inspirational Daniel Chick. He chased from 70 metres away, pressured Barnes into a short kick which missed the target, and Hawthorn forced a boundary throw in, while the crowd went nuts.
Wellman missed a set shot, Hawthorn rushed the ball to the wing, before Joe Misiti had a run and dobbed a running goal from inside 50. The ten point lead looked too much for Hawthorn to get back from, but once again Hawthorn decided to fight.
Jason Johnson got pinged for holding the ball by Angelo Lekkas, before he pin pointed a pass to the chest of Ben Dixon. He converted from 40 out directly in front to bring the margin back to four points, and bring the game to another level.
A midfield struggle resulted in Richie Vandenberg holding the footy on the Hawthorn forward flank, when Trent Croad called for and received a centred ball about 55 metres out. In his best Anthony Rocca impersonation, he went back, and went bang, hitting the post. Dare I say, if he kicked that goal, I think Hawthorn would have won.
The fact is, we were three points down, and Essendon got a goal through a Paul Barnard snap and uncanny bounce making the difference nine points. Essendon begin to play keepings off, and after Hawthorn coughed it up (again) on our forward 50, Scott Lucas kicked the sealer from outside 50.
Nick Holland took a mark, and kicked a goal on the full time siren, making the final margin nine points.
Down back, Jonathon Hay toweled up James Hird when on him, and although Hird got injured, he didn’t have a real impact on the game. McCabe did well on Rioli, and ran forward well at the end of the game, creating some options. Graham did his job, while Smith and Rawlings did well without standing out. Tallis played well in the second half, although his disposal let him down sometimes. Cox did well when he was on, showing enthusiasm, and pace off the line. Overall, I think the defensive unit did well, with only two multiple goalkickers for Essendon, and they weren’t even forwards.
The midfield was good without being sensational. Come to think of it, every line was like that today. Crawford was good when he got running, while Woods didn’t do the job on Misiti, who racked up many a possession. Vandenberg was good once again, surely securing his spot on next years list. Greene was creative when on, and copped an injury in the third term. Harford tried, but honestly didn’t do that much, while Lekkas was good, except in his kicking for goal. Ang, you must pass! Nathan Lonie was explosive when on, and Chick did some good one percenters, but didn’t do that much throughout the day.
Rehn won the ruck contests, with Thompson doing well and Croad moving there in the closing stages. Barnes was better around the ground, and Alessio got those two early goals, but whether he deserved them was another matter.
Our forwards only awoke in the last half, but with Barker injured early, and Dixon struggling and missing much of the game, we were missing some firepower up forward. Thompson and Holland stood up in the final stanza, with Dustin Fletcher and Dean Solomon playing good defensive games for the Bombers. Barlow crumbed a goal, Croad tried his heart out, and Dixon kicked an important last quarter goal.
The relevance of this game cannot be underrated. This game earnt Hawthorn respect. It signaled that Hawthorn are ready to take the next step next season and be true premiership contenders. Bad bounces, bad umpiring, hitting the post can all be used as excuses. However, I know I won’t be making any.
This also signaled the possible end of Essendon’s dominance in the AFL. They will play Brisbane in the Grand Final next Saturday, and I think the injuries to Hardwick, Mercuri, and Hird will take too much out of them.
I am so proud of the effort this football club put into not only this game, but also this season. Many people (including many of our own) doubted us, especially come September. We got further than anyone could have imagined following our St. Kilda loss. We are no longer have potential, we are living up to that potential.
We will make amends next season…mark my words.
Essendon 4.2.26 8.7.55 8.8.56 11.10.76
Hawthorn 2.6.18 2.7.19 5.11.41 9.13.67
Goals: Essendon - S.Alessio 2, S.Lucas 2, P.Barnard 1, J.Blumfield 1, B.Caracella 1, C.Heffernan 1, J.Misiti 1, D.Rioli 1, S.Wellman 1 . Hawthorn – N. Holland 3, K. Barlow 1, A. Cox 1, B. Dixon 1, S. Greene 1, N. Thompson 1, T. Woods.
Best: Essendon – D. Fletcher, J. Misiti, S. Alessio, C. Heffernan, D. Solomon.
Hawthorn – N. Holland, S. Crawford, A. Cox, J. Hay, R. Vandenberg, A. Lekkas
Nick Holland – Kicked three and stood up when counted. Missed a shot he could have kicked in the third, but did his job. Proved Tony Shaw wrong about his shoulder anyway.
Jonathon Hay – Killed Hird, albeit he was injured, but still a class act. Best on ground.
Rayden Tallis – Tried all day, but his disposal let him down. Had a stellar second half after a disappointing first half.
Daniel Harford – I don’t think he did much. I suppose he could still be affected by the ankle injury, but I didn’t see him do much on the field.
Luke McCabe – Did his job on Rioli, and went forward late in the game to help in the scrimmages. I think he did well.
Shane Crawford – The skipper did some good things, put his body on the line, but didn’t stand out. Tried, but just couldn’t get going. Encouraging sign that we can get so close to Essendon without him or Chick firing.
Joel Smith – Looked after Mercuri until his ankle went, and then was allowed to do more running out of defence. Did his usual runs, but didn’t standout.
Daniel Chick – The inspiring Chick had his moments, fighting hard up forward and that chase on Barnes, but didn’t have the impact as the previous finals. Tried as always.
Ben Dixon – Hampered by an ankle injury, did precious little other then kick that goal in the final quarter.
Jade Rawlings – If Lucas could kick, Jade would have looked quite ordinary…
Richard Vandenberg – Played a good game. Ran hard and got his share of the T.W. Sherrin. Has really proved his worth, and is becoming a favorite of many a Hawk fan. Good game Butcher.
Nathan Thompson – Rucked well, but his lack of impact up forward cost us. Fletcher killed him down there, bar that goal he kicked in the last.
Trent Croad – I don’t know how much credit Trent will get, but I think he tried his guts out. He really slogged it out, and went hard. Didn’t have any brain explosions, and imagine if he kicked that goal…
John Barker – Got injured early, so had no or little effect on the result. Imagine if we had him forward…
Nathan Lonie – Didn’t get much time, but the signs are there. You just get excited when he gets the ball, but his disposal let him down today. A work in progress.
Steven Greene – This kid is all class. Kicked that goal when he got injured, played on, and didn’t do too badly. You just know when he gets it he will do something with it. He excites me too…
Tony Woods – Misiti played well, but Woods did some okay things with the ball. Probably his last game, and unfortunately didn’t get that much game time.
Kris Barlow – Kicked one goal, and did nothing else.
Mark Graham – Held Barnard right until the very death, where a lucky bounce gave him a goal. Heebie didn’t dominate, but he didn’t disappoint. Solid effort.
Adrian Cox – Played a really good running game from defence, tried his hardest all day, and kicked a good opening goal. Well done Nutter.
Angelo Lekkas – Really impressed me today – except with his kicking for goal. He needs to pass from 50 out, he just can’t kick set shots that well. His effort in tackling, chasing, and his delivery of the ball were great however.
Shaun Rehn – Beat Barnes in the ruck, and did one or two good things around the ground. Did his job, and that’s all we can really ask of him.
By Brett Collett