I agree that most likely, in review, beating Hawks this season won’t be seen as massive ‘on field’ but that wasn’t what was special about this win for me. I think it would have been very easy for the moment to get the better of them. When their legs got heavy in the second I was guilty of thinking they had spent all the petrol tickets in that first ten minutes when they were clearly all running on pure adrenaline.
What was special (irrespective of opponent strength) was that they took all that excitement, pressure and build up and worked through the tough times. The fact that we have ‘found’ a forward line is not a fluke, we have now seen this ability to score across the entire preseason and first round. The evidence is there that Raz, Green, Walla and resting mids will all create pressure and goal opportunities. We have seen that JD has emerged as a genuine star forward in this league and Hooker is a very special player and there is no reason to believe he won’t become a brilliant forward in time.
So for mine it wasn’t the Hawks we were beating it was the Hawks AND everything else. The mind games, the doubts, the fear, the expectations and the fact that this was the first time that this team had run onto the park together, ever. To watch the chemistry around the stoppages between Heppell, Parish, Watson and Zerrett was electric especially when they have NEVER played a proper game together. That was special.
Watching the replay gave me chills and better perspective. We were in charge for most of the game, the extreme nervousness that I felt at the time seems unfounded when you watch how in control we were for the last 40 minutes of play. I then realised I had sat through the fourth quarter waiting, assuming that somehow the Hawks would find a way to steal it. Expecting us to start missing every shot on goal in a comedy of errors. Kind of waiting for Mitchell, Lewis, Hodge and Rioli to somehow pull the ball out of their ■■■ and score four goals in the space of two minutes from nothing. I was listening for the whistle fest that would signal “free kick hawthorn” was coming to save the day. As shameful as it sounds, I was waiting for a disaster that never came.
Instead I watched as the umpires let the play roll on with barely an impact on the result. I watched as the toothless tiger of their midfield plodded around. I watched as we slammed through goals from impossible angles and 50+m away. I watched as the midfielders controlled the clock with precise, accurate passing by foot and hand. I watched and we calmly, clinically and professionally iced the game and started with an impressive, by the numbers win.
That is why I think this game will be remembered and be the launching pad to something special. i don’t see us letting it go next week. I don’t think THAT essendon team is coming back. I think this team is harder both physically and mentally than that. I think our list is strong and the best 22 is truly a “best” 22. I think we have a great mix of talls AND smalls. I think our forwardline actually looks potent for the first time in years but it contains an element of defence as well. I am full lid off and it may haunt me, but I really think this team could achieve something special if they keep the work up.