Blog log from 0 of 2026: Western Sydney vs Hawthorn

Battle is aghast at giving away a push free against Stringer on the boundary 25m out, but the set shot curls too early for a behind. (Q1 0:41)
D’Ambrosio is penalised for encroachment under the old rule to bring Riccardi from outer wing to near the hotspot, he boots the opening goal of an overcast afternoon. (Q1 2:19)
Newcombe sets Watson away from the next centre jump to scoot to CHF but his snap is to the left and rushed by Idun. (Q1 3:39)
Hawthorn forces a turnover on the kick in on the centre line and work the ball around the outer boundary, Gunston to Watson to Ginnivan who snaps the goal from 20m. (Q1 4:25)
Meek beats Briggs one on one to mark a Sicily pass to 25m on a slight angle, lack of an interceptor in the hole. He punches low and straight for his first goal. (Q1 8:26)
It was Briggs who gave away the holding free to Sicily at half back so he made two errors in the chain. (Q1 8:55)
Scrimshaw handballs blind over his head at half back but straight to Stringer who pokes a pass to the lead of Gruzewski, who marks and goals from 35m on a slight angle. (Q1 13:41)
Riccardi snaps very high and just long enough after a stoppage from 40m on a slight angle. (Q1 15:30)
Sicily is burned for aggressive positioning when the Giants get a surge going around outer wing, Brown draws the contact free 45m out on the flank and converts. (Q1 17:56)
Morrison gets stripped by Laverde on members wing and the Giants go downhill all the way, Barrass held without it but no free allowing Stringer to rove and goal from 30m. (Q1 20:41)
Hogan juggles a contested pack grab from the next centre clearance kick by Briggs to 40m out on a slight angle, he kicks straight as well, five in a row for GWS. (Q1 21:26)
Another centre clearance win via Briggs but Scrimshaw starts the rebound, Lewis provides the crumb for Watson who leads two Giants to the crumb and curls in a quality finish. (Q1 23:26)
Barrass intercepts at half back in front of Hogan and starts another q1uick rebound, Ginnivan scrubs a kick to the hotspot where Gunston receives and snaps the goal off the left! (Q1 27:12)
Another Briggs domination in the centre, Scrimshaw spoils in the back pocket but he and Battle fall over allowing Hogan to rove next to the behind line and goal from the square! (Q1 28:12)
Moore volleys a crumb to the left from the top of the square. (Q1 29:56)
Delana passes to the lead of Stringer to mark in front of Scrimshaw 35m out near the boundary. The Package’s drop punt is narrow to the left. (Q1 31:29)
After Meek is caught in possession on outer wing, Greene centres from the pocket to Hogan to mark 25m out on a slight angle and steer through his third goal. (Q1 32:57)
The first-gamer Gothard is penalised under the new stand rule in the centre to bring Butler to 40m in the corridor where he also kicks straight. (Q1 35:12)
Gothard misses a checkside snap from 20m in the pocket. (Q1 36:32)
Hardwick spoils a long Hogan ball to Stringer for a behind to prevent another tsunami goal to the Giants, who are looking fearsome on rebound. (Q2 3:16)
Gunston gets back first to a kick that went over his head to the pocket, Buckley overcompensates on the chase and watches Unc gather, prop and curl in the goal from 20m. (Q2 4:24)
Fonti spoils Barrass on members wing then receives for a pass to Gruzewski 40m out on the flank, who converts for his second. (Q2 6:59)
Stringer floats across the pack for a specky in front of Battle 15m out after the Giants rebound around outer wing with superior numbers and run. Package delivers. (Q2 9:14)
Ward scrubs a clearance from behind a stoppage 40m out, the ball lands behind Chol and dribbles for a point. (Q2 11:35)
Ash spoils Weddle at half forward, crumbed by Riccardi who passes to the corridor for Coniglio who converts from 40m. (Q2 18:50)
Amon sends a long speculator to the top of the square, Weddle plays for the free but the ball lands in the breadbasket of Chol behind the pack, he goals. (Q2 21:50)
Morrison kicks long from outer wing, Watson flies but again it goes over the back to be marks by Gunston, who misses from 40m on a slight angle to the left. (Q2 23:30)
Stringer marks near the boundary 35m out and delivers another straight set shot drop punt. GWS can’t miss! (Q2 25:48)
Watson checksides across the face from 25m on a slight angle after Ginnivan touches Whitfield’s rebound kick off the boot. (Q2 28:24)
Riccardi snaps weakly from half forward but gets a second chance for late contact by Ginnivan, his set shot looks terrible but is straight and long enough. Coach killer! (Q2 30:15)
Watson roves on the HFF, jinks away from Fonti and misses from near the boundary 40m out. (Q3 1:42)
Greene is penalised for encroachment to bring Ginnivan to the top of the goalsquare for a charity goal. (Q3 2:12)
Coniglio marks 45m out on a slight angle and continue GWS’s stellar goalkicking form with a lovely drop punt. (Q3 5:05)
Impey roves and misses off the left from near the hotspot. (Q3 6:12)
Riccardi passes to Stringer in the pocket 30m out on the end of another free-flowing Giants rebound from turnover. The set shot drop punt draws from left to right and in. (Q3 11:45)
Chol bombs long from a centre ruck infringement, crumb from Idun’s spoil falls in the lap of Butler who snaps the goal off his left off a step from 30m on a slight angle. (Q3 13:23)
Another free to the Hawks at the next centre jump, Nash’s long ball is marked by Chol 30m out in front who pokes the set shot to the left. (Q3 15:08)
Repeat inside 50s for the Hawks rising, Lewis draws a holding free on Laverde 25m out on a slight angle going for Amon’s low burner. He kicks straight. (Q3 16:13)
Sicily catches Delana HTB in the centre on a tsunami play, turnover results in a Chol pack mark from Weddle’s speculator to the hotspot. Mabior kicks straight this time. (Q3 20:50)
Rowston roves and shoots from 40m in front for the next goal from the centre, GWS favoured in that all day with Briggs winning first possession yet again. (Q3 22:13)
Scrimshaw fumbles and falls under contact 20m out, Coniglio roves but snaps to the right. (Q3 23:14)
Stringer pounces onto a Battle handball to no one after a stoppage in the pocket, he soccers off the instep from 10m for his fifth goal! (Q3 28:59)
Oliver puts a full stop on the contest with an outrageous Peter Daicos special from the boundary 20m out, GWS bullying Hawthorn at stoppages today. (Q3 30:44)
Stringer receives from Coniglio and snaps off a step from 35m on the flank but it curls across the face to the left. (Q3 32:29)
Briggs is pinged for contact on Lewis at a ball up 25m out in the pocket, but the set shot misses. (3 Qtr Time)
Amon fumbles a ground ball on outer wing, Delana pounces and passes to Stringer in the pocket 35m out, who shoots near side left. (Q4 8:37)
Gruzewski beats Weddle to mark on members wing, turns and goes to the flank for Riccardi to mark in front of Scrimshaw 40m out. Riccardi misses.
(Q4 9:11)
Gunston recovers after contesting to shovel out a crumb from 30m to McDonald, eventually Watson baulks and goals. (Q4 9:11)
Watson feeds Macdonald for a pass to Gunston at the hotspot for some junk. (Q4 18:00)
After Fonti rebound with a kick that drifts OOTF, Macdonald bullets another pass to Gunston 45m out on a slight angle, again Idun could do nothing. Unc boots his fourth. (Q4 22:03)
After minutes of play in the Hawks front half it’s the first-gamer Gothard who snaps the official sealer from half forward on another rebound. (Q4 26:23)
Battle misses from half forward in the last minute. (Q4 30:09)