Source : ABC NEWS
Hawthorn livewire Nick Watson has accused Sydney supporters of throwing a full soft drink container at him in a heated finish to their AFL clash.
Watson put the finishing touch on the Hawks’ hard-fought 14.15 (99) to 13.4 (82) win at the MCG on Thursday night with a goal after the siren.
He was then involved in an animated exchange with fans in the section of the ground occupied by the Swans’ cheer squad.
“They were throwing Coke Zero cans out there … I saw one just go straight past me,” Watson told Nova on Friday.
“I dunno what happened with the guy but … it just landed right next to us.
“Lucky it didn’t hit any players, but yeah, a few players saw it.
“I mean, I was giving them heaps, but I’m not sure a Coke Zero bottle to the face in return would’ve been nice.”
A cult hero for Hawks supporters as well as one of the league’s renowned agitators, Watson regularly engages with fans on the other side of the fence.
“It’s good for the game. I feel like people like it,” he said.
“Sometimes in a close game like that it’s a bit of fun.”
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Watson shook off heavy knocks to his hip and head in the third quarter, playing a key role as Hawthorn overran Sydney with 5.5 to 1.1 in the final term.
Both sides are among the 10 teams facing an early-season bye after featuring in Opening Round this month.
The Hawks have an 18-day break before their next outing, which is the traditional Easter Monday clash with Geelong.
“We’ll not say it’s a disadvantage because we don’t want to have that mentality,” Watson said.
“But people can lose momentum, which is annoying. It’s so weird having a bye this early.
“I liked it [the opening round] because we played in it, but I’m not fussed if it goes out of the game either.”
Swans coach says Curnow a ‘work in progress’ after loss to Hawks
Sydney coach Dean Cox concedes boom recruit Charlie Curnow will take time to adjust to his new team’s game style after a quiet showing in the loss to Hawthorn.
Charlie Curnow started strongly against Hawthorn, but was then neutralised for most of the match. (AAP: James Ross)
Former Carlton key forward Curnow was dangerous early at the MCG on Thursday night, kicking two first-quarter goals.
But he was blanketed by Tom Barrass after quarter time, going without a kick and limited to just three handpasses as the Swans fell to a 14.15 (99) to 13.4 (82) defeat.
It came after Curnow kicked three goals in the season-opening win over the Blues and went goalless in a follow-up victory over Brisbane.
“The ability for Charlie to perform consistently, he’s still working his way through at our football club,” Cox said after his side’s first loss of the season.
“One thing we try to say is, ‘At all times, compete as hard as you possibly can and try to read the cues up the ground when we are bringing the ball through.’
“There’s some inconsistencies throughout that at times and it will be a work in progress we’ve got to put time into.”
Cox said Swans ruck star Brodie Grundy also has some adjustments to make, having given away another two free kicks under new ruck rules introduced this season.
Grundy gifted the Hawks centre clearances by crossing the centre line before engaging his opponent, prompting a discussion with his coach at quarter time.
“It was just about being decisive with your approach. Whatever you decide to go with, do it,” Cox said.
“If you want to stay down, you just can’t cross the line. You know that. Otherwise the timing adjustment you need to do.
“It’s always learning and he gave away a couple last week, so it’s just a different rule that they’re trying to get used to. He fixed that, which was good.”
Cox lamented Sydney’s inability to win the ball at the coalface in the second half, when Hawthorn won a one-sided contest possession count 89-57.
But he refused to blame the loss on the absence of star duo Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney, who went out of the team with injuries.
Heeney (hamstring) is a short-term prospect, though Gulden (shoulder) is expected to miss four months.
“At times you’re going to miss your players that don’t play,” Cox said.
“But we went into the game extremely confident that the 23 that played could get the job done, and for parts of it they showed that.”
Sydney has a 16-day break before their next game, when they take on Cox’s former side, West Coast, in Perth.
AAP
