Hollywood Hawks step up, prevail in a nail-biting finish over Swans at the MCG

Jack Gunston was a central figure in the Hawthorn teams that broke Sydney hearts in the 2010s. On Thursday night, he exacted more pain on another generation of Swans.

The Hawks established themselves as a contender by knocking off the super slick Swans in an early-season classic at the MCG.

Sam Mitchell’s Hollywood Hawks came from 20 points down early in the third quarter to overrun the Swans and prevail by 17 points – 14.15 (99) to 13.4 (82).

For much of the second half, only the more optimistic of Hawks fans could have foreseen their “wizard”, Nick Watson, putting the icing on the cake after the siren. Watson, as is his way, gave the Swans cheer squad a cheeky send-off.

This was a mature performance by the Hawks, who had a more complete game than the run-and-gun Swans.

Mitchell set the game up for his team in the second term when he threw a man behind the ball to slow down a match that had been played at a frenetic tempo, but they could not convert their ascendancy on the scoreboard.

It was not until the final term that their control of the ground was reflected on the scoreboard with five goals to the Swans’ one.

The Hawks won because they found more ways to score. The evergreen Gunston is having some Indian summer, bagging four goals, including the sealer after best and fairest season last year.

Mabior Chol, who was a handful for Tom McCartin, should have booted four, while Mitch Lewis was also influential.

The Swans were electrifying when they could chain handballs from half-back through the middle but were undone by their bookends.

Prized recruit Charlie Curnow was blanketed by Tom Barrass and was unsighted after kicking two on Josh Battle in the first term. When they needed him to bring the ball to the ground outnumbered by the extra behind the ball, he did not have an impact.

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Bye for now.

Sydney captain Callum Mills dismissed any suggestion that his club’s five-day turnaround contributed to their loss to the Hawks tonight.

Mills said his side would have dearly loved to beat the Hawks at the MCG, but they weren’t good enough on the night.

“That one hurts, we would have loved to get that one,” Mills told Seven.

When asked about the turnaround, he shut the question down quickly.

“Nah, who cares mate?” Mills told Seven.

Jack Gunston was a central figure in the Hawthorn teams that broke Sydney hearts in the 2010s. On Thursday night, he exacted more pain on another generation of Swans.

The Hawks established themselves as a contender by knocking off the super slick Swans in an early-season classic at the MCG.

Sam Mitchell’s Hollywood Hawks came from 20 points down early in the third quarter to overrun the Swans and prevail by 17 points – 14.15 (99) to 13.4 (82).

For much of the second half, only the more optimistic of Hawks fans could have foreseen their “wizard”, Nick Watson, putting the icing on the cake after the siren. Watson, as is his way, gave the Swans cheer squad a cheeky send-off.

This was a mature performance by the Hawks, who had a more complete game than the run-and-gun Swans.

Mitchell set the game up for his team in the second term when he threw a man behind the ball to slow down a match that had been played at a frenetic tempo, but they could not convert their ascendancy on the scoreboard.

It was not until the final term that their control of the ground was reflected on the scoreboard with five goals to the Swans’ one.

The Hawks won because they found more ways to score. The evergreen Gunston is having some Indian summer, bagging four goals, including the sealer after best and fairest season last year.

Mabior Chol, who was a handful for Tom McCartin, should have booted four, while Mitch Lewis was also influential.

The Swans were electrifying when they could chain handballs from half-back through the middle but were undone by their bookends.

Prized recruit Charlie Curnow was blanketed by Tom Barrass and was unsighted after kicking two on Josh Battle in the first term. When they needed him to bring the ball to the ground outnumbered by the extra behind the ball, he did not have an impact.