Parting shots: Rioli's chicken wing, Hayden Ballantyne's shocker among talking points from Hawthorn's Grand Final win
BALLANTYNE'S shocker, Cyril's chicken wing and Fyfe's busted radar - all the big talking points from Hawthorn's Grand Final win.
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BALLANTYNE'S shocker, Cyril's chicken wing and Fyfe's busted radar - all the big talking points from Hawthorn's Grand Final win.
BALLANTYNE GETS STAGE FRIGHT
Hayden Ballantyne talks the talk, but on the biggest stage he spectacularly failed to walk the walk.
Ballantyne slipped at crucial moments, decided against passing to an open Michael Walters in the goalsquare before spraying a set shot, then missed a golden opportunity to make the Hawks nervous in the final minutes.
Think i know what the reply will be to Hayden Ballantyne when he mouths off from now on. #willinvolvethewordchoke
— Warwick Green (@_WarwickGreen) September 28, 2013
He didn't even get under the skin of his Hawthorn opponents, and questions will now be asked about how he handles the big occasion.
There is nowhere to hide in a Grand Final and it can be a cruel stage for small forwards - just ask Leon Davis.
CYRIL'S CHICKEN WING
Cyril Rioli earnt a free kick for holding the ball in the third quarter, but the match review panel might take a different view when they look at the tape on Monday.
Rioli pinned Michael Barlow with one hand behind his back, reprising ugly memories of Chris Judd's tackle on Leigh Adams last year.
It isn't the first time Rioli has employed the tactic - he pinned Bulldog Ryan Griffen and Saint Jarryn Geary with similar tackles during this season.
Rioli’s teammate Brian Lake may also come under the microscope for this errant elbow on Michael Walters.
CROWLEY FIZZER
Ryan Crowley went to Sam Mitchell at the first bounce, as expected, but there were none of the forecast fireworks.
The Docker tagger kept Mitchell on a tight leash - his 12 disposals was well down on his season average - but Mitchell still had an impact with seven tackles.
Follow Al Paton on Twitter: @al_superfooty
FYFE'S BROKEN RADAR
Freo's Nathan Fyfe looked like a potential matchwinner early, grabbing the ball in tight spaces and floating across packs to snaffle marks.
But he couldn't make the Hawks pay in front of goal.
Twice in the first term Fyfe lined up for set shots and twice he sent the ball sailing out on the full as the Dockers ended the quarter goalless.
He wasn't the only culprit, with Danyle Pearce spraying a flying shot on the run and Matthew Pavlich also missing a simple set shot before halftime.
LAKE SUPERIOR
Brian Lake completed the fairytale story by winning a remarkable Norm Smith Medal.
He dominated Matthew Pavlich for most of the afternoon - apart from a brief purple patch in the third quarter - and repeatedly repelled Freo attacks with his trademark intercept marks.
Lake's move to Hawthorn could be one of the great win-win trades, with Lake helping the Hawks to a flag and the Dogs likely to be enjoying for years the talents of Nathan Hrovat , who they picked up with the draft selection the Hawks parted with to get Lake to Waverley.
He won the medal by one vote from Jack Gunston, who kicked four goals.
Good luck if you had money on Lake before the game - he was $67.
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