Match day guide and preview for the 2022 ANZAC Day game between the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks.
Match details
Who: Hawthorn Hawks vs Sydney Swans
When: ANZAC Day, Monday 25 April 2022 at 12.30pm
Where: University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston TAS
Weather: Min 8 Max 20. Chance of rain 5%
Head-to-head record since 1980: Played 75. Swans 28 wins. Hawks 47 wins.
Teams
Swans
IN: Lance Franklin
OUT: Sam Reid )omitted), Josh Kennedy (medi-sub)
Franklin comes back for the Swans with Sam Reid making way, while veteran Josh Kennedy remains out of the side after a quiet start to the season and may the used as the medi-sub once again.
Hawks
IN: Chad Wingard, Finn Maginness, Max Lynch, Will Day
OUT: Mitch Lewis (injured), Ned Reeves (injured), Changkouth Jiath (injured), Liam Shiels (managed), Tom Phillips (injured)
It was a costly Friday training session for the Hawks with excitement machine Jiath injuring his hamstring and Phillips hurting his ankle. Lewis is a huge loss for the Hawks’ forward line after a terrific start to the season, while Reeves was also in good form before hurting his shoulder. Wingard and Day are both important inclusions, while Maginness and Lynch are also in.
Final teams will be announced on Saturday at 4pm.
Season so far
Sydney Swans 5th – 130.3% | 486 points for | 373 points against | 4 wins 1 loss | WWLWW
Sydney were brilliant in the first half against West Coast last week, running out to a 70-12 lead at the main break before easing to a 63-point win.
Without Tom Hickey, Kennedy and Franklin, Sydney did the job with an incredibly young side that simply outworked the Eagles.
While Isaac Heeney is receiving all the headlines for his incredible form, Callum Mills deserves some love for his consistently brilliant start to the season.
The way the ladder is shaping up early in the season, it looks like there will be plenty of competition for top 4 spots and Sydney are well and truly in the mix.
Hawthorn Hawks 8th – 106.3% | 436 points for | 410 points against | 3 wins 2 losses | WLLWW
Not many had high expectations of Sam Mitchell’s Hawthorn heading into 2022, but they have been one of the surprise packets so far under the new coach.
They’ve just had the one poor performance, a 69-point loss to the Saints in round 4, but to their credit, they responded with a gritty win over the Cats in yet another Easter Monday classic.
The return of James Sicily has been important for the Hawks, while fellow defender Changkouth Jiath is one of the most exciting players in the competition.
Last 5 meetings
- 2021 round 13 – Swans 7.9 (51) defeated by Hawks 14.5 (89) at SCG
- 2020 round 8 – Swans 9.6 (60) defeat Hawks 7.11 (53) at SCG
- 2019 round 14 – Swans 12.10 (82) defeat Hawks 9.9 (63) at SCG
- 2018 round 23 – Swans 10.14 (74) defeated by Hawks 12.11 (83) at SCG
- 2018 round 8 – Hawks 10.11 (71) defeated by Swans 12.7 (79) at MCG
The Swans have won three of the last five meetings against the Hawks, although Hawthorn won the lone clash last year by 38 points.
The other four games have all been hard fought contests with margins of 7, 19, 9 and 8 points, so expect another close match.
This will be the first meeting between the sides in Launceston, however Sydney fans will have bad memories of the ground after last year’s one-point elimination final loss to GWS at the venue.
Player spotlight
Nick Blakey – Sydney
Blakey was in and out of the side in his first two and a half years playing as a forward but has come into his own since moving down back halfway through last year.
The Swans love getting the ball in Blakey’s hands coming out of the backline, with his ability to carve open defences with his blistering pace and lethal left boot.
He not only gives the Swans plenty in attack, but Blakey is also solid defensively. The 22-year-old is deceptively tall at 195cm and has a terrific ability to come across with a spoil when required.
Sydney had lacked a halfback with an ability to run and carry, but Blakey has added that element to a now well-rounded backline.
James Sicily – Hawthorn
Sicily missed all of last year through injury but has come back in fine form to start the 2022 season.
The 27-year-old is averaging 23.4 disposals per game, 9 marks, 6.4 rebound 50s and 2.8 intercept marks to put himself in early All-Australian calculations.
He was simply superb against Geelong last week, racking up 26 touches, 15 marks, including 5 intercept marks, and picked up 9 coaches votes.
Sicily has not only improved on the field, but he seems far more mature now as well with the once hot-headed forward now being touted as a potential future captain of the club.
Pre match predictions
Magnificent Mills: Callum Mills to have 30 disposals and kick two goals in a best on ground performance.
Gimme Moore: Dylan Moore to continue his fine form with three goals.
Swans by 12 points
