Hawks deliver, rain hail or snow
Missing out on the AFL finals has not dimmed the joy of Hawthorn’s last three games of the season,
MY team has not made the finals this year but I’m happy. The past three weeks have been a fun time to be a Hawthorn supporter.
A night in the Canberra snow turned our season around, and while that turn came too late to secure a finals spot, the Hawks have ended the year on a high.
I was laughed at — by a fellow Hawks supporter and the newsroom footy tipping champion — for tipping the Hawks against the Giants in round 21.
But I knew it was going to be a cold night in the nation’s capital and was sceptical about the Giants’ abilities in those conditions.
It is now one of my all-time favourite games. It was the first time it snowed during an AFL game, and the weather was quite a spectacle on the night. Hawthorn also welcomed a new player, Changkuoth Jiath, and the Giants were held to their lowest score since joining the competition in 2012.
Thanks to some clever coaching by Alastair Clarkson, the Hawks heartily embraced the conditions and enjoyed the snow.
The post-game interviews with players were some of the most entertaining I’ve seen.
James Worpel, who was one of the Hawks’ best, revealed he had never seen snow before.
Isaac Smith, also on the best players list, said teammates on both sides started laughing when the snow began to fall, and that it was the first time he had had three cups of tea while playing footy.
The enjoyment of the game continued the following week but in a different way.
At Docklands with the roof closed there was no chance of the weather stealing the show, instead it was club great Jarryd Roughead’s time to shine one last time for the home crowd.
Against the Suns, the Hawks kicked away early and had an easy 70-point win.
In a game where his teammates were always looking for him, Roughy kicked six goals and the crowd went wild each time — and each time the much-loved champion did anything.
As Roughy moves on, Hawthorn’s younger players are stepping up, and that was evident in Perth on Saturday night.
I was fairly sure this game would be my last chance to see the Hawks in action this year and I just wanted to enjoy some footy and watch the Hawks at least put up a good fight against the Eagles, a team we lost to by just six points earlier in the season.
Winning in Perth seemed like a hard ask, but as the game got underway it was clear the Hawks were still enjoying their footy and were too much for the Eagles.
During a post-game interview on Saturday night, club president Jeff Kennett said the focus had shifted more towards enjoying the game
since Shaun Burgoyne in round 20 became the indigenous player to play the most VFL/AFL games.
With something to celebrate each week (Burgoyne’s milestone, the snow victory, Roughy’s last game and Isaac Smith’s 200th game on Saturday) Kennett said Clarko had taken to bringing the Esky into the rooms after each game and handing out beers.
As the players’ enjoyment of the game has been obvious, so has mine as a supporter.
The past three games in particular have been a joy to watch, and after each victory I’ve woken the next day still on a high from the game.
We now know that the Hawks will not be there in September, but what a way to finish the season.
While I’m happy with how the season has ended for my team, I’m going to miss the footy season, the few hours I spend each week getting engrossed in a Hawks game and forgetting all about life’s worries. But with the Hawks out of contention for the finals, I can just sit back and enjoy the best teams battling it out.
Not so for my husband, a Richmond supporter dreaming of another flag.