Blog log from R3 of 2025: Hawthorn vs Western Sydney

GWS kicking with a strong breeze in Q1. (Q1 0:00)
Impey gets a terrible bounce on members wing, Jones gathers and sends Greene to 50m on a slight angle to snap the first goal! (Q1 0:00)
Cadman tries to soccer a goal from close range but too many Hawk bodies in the way, off them for a behind. (Q1 0:00)
Stringer misses from a throw-in from the pocket. (Q1 0:00)
Hogan rises in front of Barrass to mark a Whitfield long ball from the HFF to the hotspot, he tiptoes in and converts. (Q1 0:00)
Barrass touches a long kick to the square by Callaghan for a point. (Q1 0:00)
Barrass takes his eyes off the ball to bloke Cadman at a pack in the pocket 20m out, Cadman swerves the kick inside the left post on the breeze. (Q1 0:00)
The Hawks handball their way around outer wing, Idun fumbles a ground ball, Gunston pounces but snaps OOTF from 20m. (Q1 14:10)
Jones gathers a bouncing handball from Greene on the HFF and pokes a pass down the line to Hogan 30m out, his drop punt holds its line for the goal. (Q1 17:12)
Centre clearance Giants though Callaghan and Greene, Bedford threads a running snap from the pocket, Giants are on FIYAH using the breeze! (Q1 18:34)
No mark for Day from a short pass by Gunston to 40m on the flank but Stone comes in hot to give away a high contact free. Day hits the far left post. (Q1 24:24)
O’Halloran juggles a mark in front of Impey 45m out on a slight angle but hooks it left. (Q1 25:39)
Ginnivan is pinged for encroachment to bring Whitfield from members wing to 35m on a slight angle but the set shot skews wickedly to the left on the strong wind. (Q1 27:19)
Day thieves the footy off a fumbling Kelly at a stoppage on the wing, he feeds outside to Ward who sends a low ball to the hotspot where Hardwick marks and hits the post. (Q2 3:59)
Mackenzie’s baulk and kick to outer wing starts a slingshot play for the Hawks, Meek marks Gunston’s kick to the square for Hawthorn’s first goal. (Q2 6:01)
Gunston roves an Amon kick over the back in the pocket and has time to measure a snap from 20m, tries a checkside that flies across the face. (Q2 10:37)
Hawks force a turnover at half forward by Himmelberg, Nash pokes a pass to Chol 40m out in the corridor. Chol normally a decent set shot, wind blows his into the left post. (Q2 12:02)
Maginness misses a snap from a stoppage near the hotspot. (Q2 16:57)
Weddle has been flying all season and not holding onto marks, he is paid a dubious one over a pack 25m out on the flank, he converts! (Q2 17:47)
Impey baulks on the HFF and kicks over big traffic to Newcombe 30m out on a slight angle. Newcombe’s first kick of the game is worth six points. (Q2 20:17)
Barrass intercepts on outer wing and goes inside to Day, he releases Ward to go long to Watson who bodies out Himmelberg to mark at the hotspot and goal! (Q2 22:31)
Nash plays on to advantage from the next bounce, Hardwick can’t mark but Mackenzie stands up in a tackle to feed Moore for another one! (Q2 24:16)
Impey drops an intercept at CHB, Stringer roves and scrubs a kick towards Hogan in the square but it rolls past him for a point. (Q2 26:17)
Hawthorn rebounds coast to coast around outer wing from the kick in, Gunston marks Moore’s pass 35m out on the flank. This for the lead… flies near side right. (Q2 26:47)
Whitfield’s short kick to the HBF is spoiled by D’Ambrosio, Watson feeds Hardwick who tries a curling snap that curls too early from 25m. (Q2 27:34)
Day leaps over Kelly to intercept again on the HFF, he starts his set shot way right, wind takes it leftish… not enough. (Q2 28:43)
Day intercepts again from the long kick in to the HFF, he bombs long towards the top of the square… skids through from fully 60m! (Q2 29:18)
Hawthorn looked terrible in Q1 but have wrested the lead back with a barrage late in Q2. It’s that sort of game, dictated by a strong wind. (Q2 30:05)
Weddle gets a holding free on outer wing and plays on for a long bomb to the HFF, crumb flies over the back where Day roves and breaks a Taylor tackle for another big goal! (Q2 31:13)
A late review concludes that Idun got a blurry little finger to it, score changed to a behind. (Q2 32:37)
Coniglio is pinged for insufficient intent in the back pocket, practically impossible for Moore to kick this as the wind is blowing away from the goalface, he doesn’t score. (Q3 2:01)
Classic long rebound by the Giants, Cadman kicks long to the behind post where Greene marks over Sicily and curls in the goal. (Q3 4:12)
Battle kicks to grass from behind the wing, terrible result as the Giants tsunami all the way to Hogan for the easy goal from the top of the square. (Q3 7:27)
Impey misses a target kicking to the HFF but Hardwick gathers and spins away from his man to pass to the square for Gunston, first goal into the wind! (Q3 8:32)
Himmelberg it was who got his ankles broken by Hardwick’s turn. (Q3 9:02)
Coniglio is pinged for holding D’Ambrosio as the chase a crumb after a stoppage 40m out on the flank. Very tough set shot from there… Coniglio smothers on the mark. (Q3 17:23)
Watson is involved in a very time-consuming buildup that ends with Gunston gathering a dirty ground ball near the hotspot and giving inside to Morrison to roll through the goal! (Q3 23:03)
Watson receives from Ginnivan on centre wing, shows the footy to Whitfield then runs away from him to pass to the hotspot for Hardwick to mark and goal. (Q3 25:53)
Hardwick fights on at ground level after contesting at the hotspot, he gives to Gunston who curls in the goal off his left, Hawks skipping away into the breeze! (Q3 27:29)
Stringer snaps narrow to the left from traffic 35m out on the flank. (Q3 29:59)
Sicily is pinged for holding Hogan in a marking contest 40m out in the corridor, kick into the wind is short for no direct score. (Q4 0:56)
From the resultant stoppage, Bedford snaps GWS’s first goal into the wind from the hotspot. (Q4 1:55)
Daniels plays on to advantage from a free to GWS at the next bounce, Hogan marks in front of Sicily but again can’t make the distance. (Q4 3:12)
Hardwick marks just inside 50m on a slight angle, wind at his back but he shanks OOTF to the left. (Q4 4:22)
Hardwick catches a dithering Callaghan HTB at CHF, plays on and shoots off-balance… skids left. (Q4 8:38)
GWS can’t exit D50 without turning it over, Mackenzie passes to Gunston 40m out on the flank who shoots across the face. (Q4 12:42)
Watson earns a high contact free on Coniglio 50m out on a slight angle, kick is not long or accurate enough, off hands for a point. (Q4 14:22)
Watson roves deep in the pocket and draws a high contact free on Coniglio, but misses across the face expecting the breeze to do more to push it in. (Q4 19:58)
Battle turns his back on the ball and is pinged for contact on Hogan 20m out in front, who squeezes the kick inside the right goalpost. (Q4 22:38)
2:42 to go and now the Giants need to win a few centre clearances. (Q4 22:50)
Ash passes to Greene 45m out on the flank after the Giants boss the next bounce, Meek drops the intercept, Cadman roves but can’t snap, Hawks clear… (Q4 24:41)
Ball on the GWS HFF but Moore gets a high contact free and starts icing the clock, 1:30 to go. (Q4 24:41)