Hawthorn farewells Hodge with victory to end the Bulldogs’ season
TODAY’S LINE-UP: Matthew Lloyd, Jimmy Bartel, Daniel Harford, Dwayne Russell, Bruce Eva, Mick Warner, and Doc Larkins.
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FULL TIME
Hawthorn has won by nine points to end Luke Hodge’s career with a win.
However, as the result ends the Bulldogs’ season, it means Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd’s careers don’t end on a happy note.
The Bulldogs are the first reigning premier to miss the finals since Hawthorn in 2009.
#Farewell 😢 pic.twitter.com/entDbjPbqO
— 3AW Football (@3AWisfootball) August 25, 2017
Click play for highlights of the match
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Retiring Hawthorn champ Josh Gibson joined the 3AW commentary box before the game.
He said Alastair Clarkson is committed to making each person on the list a better player.
“You want to repay the faith he has in you,” Josh said.
“I just wanted to win for him and do my best every time.”
Click play for the full interview
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Despite the Bulldogs wearing their normal blue strip, the umpires are wearing light blue tonight.
And the fans have noticed:
Why oh why are the umps in blue? One team wearing blue! Can’t see them on the big telly!
— mark mcdonell (@mcdonellaussie) August 25, 2017
@3AWisfootball Umpires wearing blue and the Doggies are playing?#facepalm#getthebasicsright!!!
— Nick Lipscombe (@darragreek01) August 25, 2017
#AFLHawksDogs what genius dressed the umpires in blue? @afl
— Matt Sanderson (@sandersonsledge) August 25, 2017
The Bulldogs wear blue so are the umpires tonight…Epic Fail by the @afl again #wearsomethingelse
— Jacob Towne (@JTowne7) August 25, 2017
Umpires in blue for the first time in ages. Dogs wear….blue. This should be fun. #AFLHawkDogs
— Laurence (@LaurenceRosen) August 25, 2017
For the record…
The AFL umpires are wearing blue this round to raise awareness for OPSM charity partner OneSight. #AFLHawksDogs
— AFL (@AFL) August 25, 2017
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Bulldogs assistant Daniel Giansiracusa spoke to 3AW before the game.
He fired back at Sam Newman’s comments about his former teammate Robert Murphy on The Footy Show.
Newman said Murphy had taken too much credit for the 2016 premiership, which he didn’t play in.
But Giansiracusa shrugged off the comment.
“I don’t watch the show, I don’t know of many people who do,” he said.
“He’s a big part of what we did last year.”
Click play for the full interview
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THE BUILD-UP
The emotion will be pumping on Friday night as the Hawks and Dogs send off three modern legends.
Hawthorn’s triple-premiership captain Luke Hodge will bid farewell, while Rob Murphy and Matthew Boyd will almost definitely line up as Bulldogs for the last time.
Once the ball is bounced, the Dogs are the only side of the two who can still make finals, but a lot would have to go right.
Can the Doggies keep the dream alive? Or will the Hawks make it the end of the road for Murphy and Boyd?
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