The Hawks face their next big challenge against the perennially difficult Geelong, following a humbling defeat last week at Gather Round.
Easter Monday is a day traditionally reserved to arguably Hawthorn’s biggest rivals, in the Geelong Cats. This matchup has percolated steadily since the two sides met in the 2008 Grand Final, and has resulted in some highly memorable games since.
The tally from the last ten games is four to six, Geelong’s way, including 51 and 36-point wins in their last two clashes against the Hawks, the latter being last Easter Monday. Hawthorn last won this coveted fixture back in 2022, scraping by in a shocking two goal victory.
Last Easter Monday
Last Easter Monday was a dramatic affair. Chris Scott’s men got ahead early in the match, kicking seven goals for the quarter, three of those in shockingly quick succession, to Hawthorn’s sole major, kicked early on by Cam Mackenzie.
Hawthorn fought back hard in the second, with their attack shaving the lead to 11 points, while the defence kept Geelong’s forwards to one goal for the quarter.
Things turned up a notch following the major break. Despite starting the quarter with a goal from Mabior Chol, Geelong’s forwards had all the ascendancy, kicking six goals and expanding the lead to 36 by the fourth quarter.
Thunder and lightning disrupted the game, delaying the start of the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to shift Geelong’s momentum. The Hawks tried valiantly to chip away at the lead, generating nine more forward fifty entries than the Cats in the final quarter.
However, Hawthorn’s forwards were unable to convert, only kicking two majors from their nine shots at goal. Geelong, meanwhile, had all the answers, scoring three goals from their three shots at goal in the final quarter and maintaining their solid lead, finishing the day 36-points in front.
Head to Head
Hawthorn comes into this game 4-1, sitting at fifth on the ladder, while Cats sit at sixth at 3-2.
James Worpel typically plays well against the Cats, averaging 23.5 disposals from the past five encounters, as do Dylan Moore and Jarman Impey, both players hovering around 20 disposal averages across the last handful of meetings between the two.
Geelong and Hawthorn are evenly matched in the clearance game, with both sides averaging around 38 clearances/game, something that for the most part, represents similarities across the board in most major statistical categories. However, like Port Adelaide, who dominated the skies last Sunday, Geelong have an aerial advantage, averaging 101 marks to Hawthorn’s 83.
The big match ups to watch for are those on Jeremy Cameron and Tom Stewart. Both players are highly damaging in these clashes, as Cameron has averaged four goals from the last five matches against the Hawks, while Stewart is always prominent across half-back and through the midfield, averaging 24 disposals.
Coming off the back of a match where Connor Rozee orchestrated Port Adelaide’s victory from the defensive half, Sam Mitchell‘s plans to nullify Stewart will be particularly important.
The big changes for this week: Jack Scrimshaw returns alongside Connor MacDonald while Finn Maginness and Jack Ginnivan are this week’s omissions.
The Short of It
Following last week’s loss, this is a huge test for Hawthorn. Given their track record against Geelong, many have already written this game off in favour of the Cats.
A win here would be momentous for Hawthorn, both for their position on the ladder as it would propel them back into the top four, but also to remove all doubts circling after last week’s game.
This match is also the fourth annual Dare to Hope match, which aims to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research.
