RIVALRY RELISHED
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AFL: Having cut his teeth in the white-hot intensity of South Australian Showdowns, milestone man Patrick Dangerfield took some time to appreciate the depth of feeling that exists between Geelong and Hawthorn.
Now in his fifth year in the blue and white hoops, the 2016 Brownlow medallist fully appreciates the significance of one of the AFL’s great modern-day rivalries.
Ever since the Hawks upset the rampaging Cats in the 2008 grand final, matches between the two clubs have taken on an extra edge.
That will be the case again tonight, even if the venue and (lack of) crowd will be very different to usual.
“Playing for a different club, you just don’t understand that history and rivalry as much as when you are playing those games and you feel that emotion and atmosphere from the crowd, which we obviously won’t get tomorrow night,” the 30-year-old Dangerfield said yesterday.
“But I certainly understand it now. “It’s a great rivalry and I think that’s one of the really healthy parts of our competition – that there are so many really good rivalries within the game.
“We add to that as a club and so does Hawthorn.
“We want to make sure it’s really combative and we both put on a good show tomorrow night.”
The Hawks will make the trip to Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium for the first time since 2006.
“They (Geelong) have a great record down there and we haven’t played there for such a long period of time,” Hawthorn coach
Clarkson said yesterday.
Clarkson said he expected a “dour” contest between two “rusty” teams, with both teams playing their first match in 85 days after the unprecedented season shutdown following the opening round.
“We need to play some of our best footy, but that’s going to be difficult because we haven’t played for such a long period of time – both teams are going to be rusty,” Clarkson said.
“I wouldn’t imagine it’s going to be a high-quality game, outside of the fact it will be a contest and two clubs will be going at each other pretty strongly.
“I can’t recall games at Geelong on a Friday night in the middle of winter being high-scoring affairs.
“Given the fact the skill level will be a little bit rusty … the pressure and
Alastair even the perceived pressure will be quite strong. Combine that with slippery and dewy conditions, the game won’t be a great spectacle.
“It’s likely to be a pretty dour and low-scoring affair. I think the fans won’t care, they’ll just like seeing their teams playing.”
After losing by 32 points to GWS in Round 1 back in March – with prime movers Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan both underdone after interrupted pre-season campaigns – the Cats are now in much better shape.
The Hawks – 28-point winners against Brisbane in their season opener – will be without vice-captain Jaeger O’Meara (facial fracture).
“He’s done most of the training but we haven’t been able to ramp it up to full-on contact … and the surgeon and doctor won’t allow us to do that until early next week,” Clarkson said.