TLM Countdown - Qualifying Final, 2013

**ScottH** · 29th October 2013, 08:22 AM

Thanks to chammond.

Qualifying Final: Sydney 7.9 51; Hawthorn 15.15 105 MCG

Hawthorn sent a strong message to rival clubs in the first game of the 2013 finals, kicking 11 goals to 3 in the second half to overrun Sydney by 54 points in front of 60,000 fans at the MCG.

Although the 2012 Grand Final is the contest that always springs to mind first, Hawthorn has in fact matched up well against Sydney in recent years, winning 9 out of 13 games over the past six seasons. For this match, both teams were depleted by injury and suspensions, yet were keen to make a major statement in the first round of the finals.

The first half was pretty much what was expected, a tightly contested, and sometimes bruising, game. The Swans led the clearances and contested possessions, but failed to capitalise, and the scores were level at 4.7 apiece at the halfway mark. The Hawks quickly got on a roll after half-time, and the Swans just couldn?t maintain their intensity. Hawthorn pushed on to a four goal lead by three-quarter time, and the game was pretty much all over bar the shouting.

Midfielders Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy and Ryan O'Keefe racked up 25 clearances between them, but the Swans? poor ball use in the second half just couldn?t take advantage of their efforts. In the final analysis, Hawthorn had 92 more possessions than Sydney, all uncontested, underlining the Hawks dominance once the ball cleared the stoppages.

GOALS: Tippett 2, Rohan, Pyke, Jetta, O?Keefe, White
Bob Skilton medal: Kieren Jack 35, Josh Kennedy 35, Ted Richards 20, Craig Bird 20

TLM Votes
5 Josh Kennedy
5 Kieren Jack
3 Mike Pyke
2 Jesse White
1 Ted Richards

TLM Leaderboard
47 Kieren Jack
46 Jarrad McVeigh
41 Josh Kennedy
39 Dan Hannebery
27 Mike Pyke
23 Nick Malceski
18 Kurt Tippett
16 Adam Goodes
16 Dane Rampe
14 Ted Richards
13 Ryan O'Keefe
13 Shane Mumford
11 Luke Parker
6 Craig Bird
6 Jesse White
4 Ben McGlynn
4 Tom Mitchell
4 Jude Bolton
2 Brandon Jack
1 Sam Reid
1 Nick Smith
1 Andrejs Everitt
1 Rhyce Shaw

In one of the closest fought TLM's in years the lead has changed again with Jack jumping fellow co-captain McVeigh, with an equal BOG with Kennedy. Kennedy remains in contention as does Hannebery, but looks like a tight finish for the Co-Captains.