AFL 2009 ROUND 1; HAWTHORN V GEELONG; MATCH PREVIEW PLUS TV / RADIO BROADCAST DETAILS
Ben Jensen 26 March 2009

By Ben Jensen AFL 2009 ROUND 1 HAWTHORN V GEELONG GRAND FINAL REPLAY GEELONG and HAWTHORN do battle at the MCG this Friday night in the much anticipated rematch of last year's Grand Final. Geelong have named a side with just two changes from the Grand Final while the Hawks have had to make six changes. MATCH RESULT AND REVIEW; CATS HOLD OFF HAWKS IN THRILLER AT MCG

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For the Cats Tom Hawkins will NOT play, with the other Tom, Lonergan, named at full forward and Joel Corey and Max Rooke named in the backline. Prior to the match it was presumed by many pundits Lonergan would fill a defensive role (he may still do so) while Hawkins would be named in the side. Instead Hawkins, who had a disappointing NAB Cup final, misses out while Ryan Gamble has been rewarded for his good form, David Wojcinski the other inclusion.

Premiers Hawthorn are going into the match a tad underdone compared to the Cats, although Geelong have their own worries having lost defenders Josh Hunt and Tom Harley in the last week to knee injuries. While the new rushed behind rule unfortunately (for Geelong fans) isn't retrospective, it will be in place in time for round one. This means any return to the enforced rushed behinds of the 2008 Grand Final and the Cats will receive a free kick virtually in front of goal.

LAST GAME DETAILS

INJURY LIST

LAST TIME

MATCH NEWS BY GOOGLE

Geelong coach Mark Thompson scotched rumours key forward Cameron Mooney will not play. "Even though he hasn't been playing he has been doing a lot of training and there hasn't been much wrong with him," Thompson said.

"Obviously it's not ideal and you would have liked him to have played one match but I imagine there'll be a lot of guys out there this weekend that have had limited preparations."

UMPIRES

McBurney, Wenn, S.Ryan

TIP?

Geelong by 27 points

BETTING (As At 22/3/2008) (Check OnThePunt for latest odds)*

* This information does not constitute investment advice. And if you think it does, you may as well invest in Babcock & Brown, Opus Prime or ABC Learning Centres.

MATCH NEWS BY GOOGLE

GEELONG

IN: Gamble, Wojcinski

OUT: Harley, Hunt (both injured)

B: Milburn, Scarlett, Mackie
HB: Corey, Taylor, Rooke
C: Ling, Enright, Bartel
HF: Kelly, Mooney, Gamble
F: Chapman, Lonergan, S.Johnson
FOLL: Ottens, Selwood, Ablett
INT: Blake, Stokes, Varcoe, Wojcinski
EMER: Hogan, Hawkins, Byrnes

THE ESSENCE OF THE GAME

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HAWTHORN

IN: Murphy, Whitecross, Taylor, Schoenmakers, Suckling, Tuck

OUT: Croad (broken ankle), Ladson (knee), Lewis (shoulder), Crawford (retired), Campbell (dropped), Ellis (hip)

B: Guerra, Gilham, Brown
HB: Hodge, Murphy, Birchall
C: Whitecross, Mitchell, Young
HF: Osborne, Franklin, Dew
F: Williams, Roughead, Rioli
FOLL: Taylor, Sewell, Bateman
INT: Renouf, Schoenmakers, Suckling, Tuck
EMER: Kennedy, Stokes, Thorpe

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CATS INJURY LIST

LATEST LIST

Tom Harley knee Rnd 6
Josh Hunt knee Season
Ranga Ediriwickrama hamstring 10-12 weeks
Bryn Weadon quad soreness Unknown
Stephen Motlop shoulder Unknown
Adam Varcoe hamstring Test
David Johnson hamstring Test (not named)
James Kelly gluteus Test (named)

HAWTHORN INJURY LIST

Xavier Ellis (hip) - test (not named)
Stephen Gilham (knee) - test (not named)
Jordan Lewis (shoulder) - 2 weeks (not named)
Ben McGlynn (foot) - 2-3 weeks
Rick Ladson (knee) - TBC (not named)
Max Bailey (knee) - indefinite
Trent Croad (foot) - indefinite (not named)

LAST TIME

GRAND FINAL, 2008

FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2008, 19:40 AEST, MCG

HAWTHORN DEFEATS GEELONG, WINS FIRST PREMIERSHIP SINCE 1991
Ben Jensen 27 September 2008

By Ben Jensen (In München) HAWTHORN defeated Geelong by twenty six points in front of over 100,000 people at the MCG today to claim their first premiership since 1991. The Hawks certainly played better, kicking goals when they had to, as evidenced by their score of eighteen goals and just seven behinds. The Cats on the other hand should have been in front at half time, the miss from metres in front of goal by Cameron Mooney epitomising their day, managing more scoring shots than the Hawks but at an inaccurate eleven goals twenty three. Luke Hodge was deemed best on ground, the former Geelong Falcon claiming the Norm Smith Medal ahead of teammates Stuart Dew, Cyril Rioli and Chance Bateman and Campbell Brown. Trent Croad broke a bone in his foot and was forced from the field in second quarter, was was fellow key defender and Geelong captain Tom Harley, who was badly concussed after an accidental clash of heads.

HAWTHORN 5.2, 8.3, 14.5 18.7 (115) DEFEATED
GEELONG 5.3, 6.12, 9.18 11.23 (89)

GOALS
HAWTHORN:Williams 3, Dew 2, Franklin 2, Roughead 2, Rioli 2, Hodge, Ellis, Bateman, Young, Brown, Ladson, Mitchell
GEELONG: Mooney 2, Rooke 2, Ablett 2, Lonergan 2, Johnson, Milburn, Chapman

BEST
HAWTHORN: Hodge, Sewell, Ellis, Osborne, Dew, Crawford.
GEELONG: Ablett, Ling, Scarlett, Johnson, Selwood, Corey.

CROWD: 100,012 at MCG

UMPIRES: M Vozzo S McLaren S Ryan

INJURIES: HAWTHORN: Croad (broken bone in foot) GEELONG: Harley (concussion)

REPORTS: Nil

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