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Friday, November 22, 2024

Harry Himmelberg the hero as Giants beat Hawks in thriller

Harry Himmelberg’s AFL free agency price rose several notches after he won the match for GWS against Hawthorn and then saved it as well.

The Giants key forward, who is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, was the hero at Norwood Oval on Sunday as they won 10.17 (77) to 11.9 (75).

He took a soaring mark and kicked a goal at 28 minutes into the last quarter, putting the Giants in front by three points.

Three minutes later, Hawks forward Jarman Impey launched a long bomb from 50m and Himmelberg had stationed himself in defence to help preserve their thin lead.

He was on the goal line and as the ball went through, managed to make contact.

After a few anxious moments, the score review ruled it was a touched behind.

Fellow key forward Jesse Hogan also took a strong mark from the kickout and a minute after Impey went so close to replacing Himmelberg as the match winner, the final siren went.

“He has capabilities at both ends of the ground, so he’s perfectly suited,” said coach Adam Kingsley.

“In the same breath, he won us the game, he saved us the game too. It’s a pretty special effort … but we know he doesn’t have those opportunities without his teammates.”

With Himmelberg yet to decide what happens at the end of the year, Kingsley made it clear the swingman is a big part of their plans.

“He’s a really important cog to what we want to build. Whether that’s forward or back, we have that luxury with his capacity to play at both ends,” he said.

All four teams who played at Norwood Oval – Fremantle, Gold Coast, the Giants and the Hawks – went into this round on 1-3 records.

While Hawks coach Sam Mitchell was gutted, he also praised his young team.

“I’m a bit flat … but we passed the ‘eye’ test on a lot of things that you look for (as) a coach,” he said.

“Jarman was fantastic today and I was going to be so rapt for him if he had just got that extra foot on it.”

Norwood Oval was again a Gather Round success, with a full house of 9057 for the pulsating clash.

“I knew that 8000 people here sounds like 50,000 at the ‘G,” Kingsley said of the atmosphere.

As the scores suggest, the Giants went close to ruing their appalling inaccuracy.

Hogan also took a big mark 25 minutes into the last term, but missed from 20m, directly in front.

Giants midfielder Tom Green was best afield with 31 disposals and nine clearances, but he will face match review scrutiny after his tackle in the second term that slung Josh Ward to the ground.

Mitchell was particularly pleased that when GWS kicked the first goal of the third quarter, the Hawks hit back immediately and eventually led at the last change.

In their previous third terms so far this season, Hawthorn had managed just one goal.

“They (players) knew about the third quarters, it was everywhere,” he said.

“But the energy about them, the talk and the commitment to making change – that was the stuff that was a positive out of today.

Midfielder Jai Newcomber relished the tight dimensions of Norwood Oval and starred for the Hawks, along with James Worpel and Conor Nash.

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