Hawthorn 3.1 6.4 7.7 11.9 (75)
Sydney 4.4 4.5 8.6 10.10 (70)
Goals – Hawthorn: Rioli 2, Gunston 2, Burgoyne 2, Hill, Ceglar, Lewis, O'Rourke, Puopolo. Sydney: Rohan 4, Papley 2, Sinclair, Towers, Kennedy, Parker.
Best – Hawthorn: Gunston, Rioli, Mitchell, Hill, Birchall. Sydney: Rohan, Parker, McVeigh, Mitchell, Papely.
Umpires: Donlon, Ryan, Farmer.
Crowd:Â 42,314 at SCG.
​Hawthorn dealt premiership rivals Sydney a heartbreaking defeat on Thursday night after Cyril Rioli kicked a last-gasp goal to seal a five-point win and extend the Hawks' lead at the top of the ladder.
More Sport Videos
Hawks beat Swans in breathtaker
Sydney lose to Hawthorn in SCG heart-stopper (S: 10.10.70 - H: 11.9.75)
The Swans fought back from a disastrous second quarter to put themselves within touching distance of top spot, only to fall apart at the last minute.
Few defeats can have been as painful as this, with the Swans faithful left feeling as though they had been forced to battle the Hawks in the absence of both their star forwards.
![Cyril Rioli soars over a crowd of Swans players to mark.](/web/20160919150524im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/6/4/r/7/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gq640o.png/1468548403609.jpg)
Kurt Tippett watched on from from the stands and Lance Franklin would have wished he was sitting beside him after enduring what can only be described as a horrendous evening.
Franklin's match-winning ability in big games prompted Sydney to open the cheque book three seasons ago, but in failing to kick a single goal and just two behinds against his former club, the big man was virtually anonymous while the Hawks' stars ran riot.Â
"We did a lot right for a long time in the game," Swans coach John Longmire said. "[Shaun]Â Burgoyne and Rioli kicked two from 50 and they're champions, they play the big moments well."
The narrow loss is a bitter blow to the Swans' hopes of winning the minor premiership, with Hawthorn extending their lead to eight points thanks to a relentless performance that gathered momentum as the match went on.
They started behind at the first break after the attention on Franklin had left Sydney's Gary Rohan in space to torment the Hawks, kicking Sydney into a 28-19 lead.
A thunderous long-range goal by Hawthorn's Paul Puopolo immediately after the restart cut through the calm at the SCG before the ever-dangerous Rioli stabbed another goal through a minute later to dash the Swans' lead.
It was the start of the Hawks' residency inside the Swans' 50 in the second quarter. For all their possession and territory, there were few ways past the defensive wall marshalled by veteran Jarrad McVeigh.
However, only so much pressure can be sustained before cracks emerge, and when the Hawks managed to finally pry open more chances, it required an equal amount of brilliance to take them, with Jack Gunston's acute kick defying the odds for a six-pointer.
The defensive pressure of the Hawks consolidated their lead by half-time, having restricted the Swans to just a single behind in the second quarter.
Hawthorn refused to loosen their grip and while the Swans emerged in third quarter with more purpose and composure, it failed to have an immediate impact. For all the renewed vigour within the Swans, Franklin still looked a forlorn figure while Rohan continued to spearhead their attack.
The nimble half-back brought Sydney to within a point, kicking his third goal of the evening. The 25-year-old was upstaging the former Hawk and minutes after Franklin spurned another good chance, Rohan put the Swans into the lead with a powerful kick under pressure from narrowly inside the 50m line with Sydney taking a 54-49 lead into the final quarter.
A jovial Malcolm Turnbull was in the stands and with every camera glance seemed to be in a more celebratory mood following his success this week, but even he would have found it impossible to relax.
The lead continued to change hands when the Hawks' Shaun Burgoyne's goal was cancelled out by Sydney's Luke Parker. A careless free kick saw Hawthorn's Jonathon Ceglar march 50m before delirium swept across the crowd of 42,314 when Papely scored yet another vital goal for the Swans.
However, it proved only to expose a wound Rioli would puncture with a thunderous long-range goal to seal the win with just a minute to play to snatch the result.
"We're under no illusions, we didn't play our best footy tonight but nor did we allow Sydney to play theirs," Alistair Clarkson said.Â
SYDNEY v HAWTHORN
VOTES
Luke Parker (Syd) 8
Sam MItchell (Haw) 7
Gary Rohan (Syd) 7
Cyril Rioli (Haw) 6
Tom Michell (Syd) 6
Â
0 comments
New User? Sign up