Ben Ronke proves the matchwinner for Sydney, the curveball Hawthorn never saw coming
DERMOTT Brereton claimed John Longmire never throws anything different at Alastair Clarkson but at the MCG, Sydney shocked Hawthorn thanks to the season’s biggest surprise, Ben Ronke.
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DERMOTT Brereton claimed Alastair Clarkson enjoyed coaching against the rigid John Longmire.
“(Longmire) never really throws anything at Clarkson,” Brereton said. “He’s an astute coach, but he doesn’t throw curveballs.”
The Hawthorn champion probably had a point. Since the 2012 Grand Final, Clarkson had navigated the Hawks to nine wins from 12 games against the Swans.
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But this time Longmire threw something at Clarkson the Hawks had never encountered. His name was Ben Ronke, 20 and he simply couldn’t be contained.
There was no Buddy and up stepped a nobody. It was spectacular stuff from the young Swan, booting Sydney’s first five — yes, five — goals.
At quarter-time Ronke had four kicks for four goals. The third-gamer was laughing as he went back to slot his seventh goal in the final minutes.
He had good reason — Ronke had just gobbled a mark in the goalsquare and was about to seal an eight-point win to maintain Sydney’s perfect interstate record this season.
Isaac Smith’s cross kick was marked by Gary Rohan, who sent it long to the unknown kid for the matchwinner.
Who was he, fans wondered? Well, he was a kid Calder Cannons plucked from St Bernard’s, where he once kicked nine goals in a VAFA under-19 game.
Swans recruiter Kinnear Beatson plucked him in the 2016 rookie draft, likening him to a young Kieren Jack, and Ronke had Hawks fans plucking their hair out.
Ronke’s first three goals were immediate replies and his fourth came on the quarter-time siren, after earning a free kick for taking down the usually-slippery Shaun Burgoyne.
The fifth, kicked seven minutes into the second quarter, came after he marked 55m out, played on, was brought to ground by Ben McEvoy, stood up, steadied and goaled.
Suddenly Sydney boasted four players to boot five first-half goals since 1999 — Tony Lockett, Lance Franklin, Barry Hall and Ben Ronke.
After a lifeless third quarter, Ronke collected a ground-ball and levelled the scores early in the final term.
At that stage Ronke had six out of Sydney’s nine goals to go with 10 strong tackles and Clarkson had a new headache.
He became the first player to kick seven goals and lay 10 tackles. Ronke’s sixth major handed him a Swan’s first bag of six against the Hawks since Lockett in 1998.
It was a shame a brilliant contest was witnessed by the lowest crowd between these clubs in 12 years, owing to the shivering temperature.
But we should be used to it — the past five games between these two empires have been decided by 14, five, six, six and now eight points.
There were seven lead changes and seven times the scores were level.
It was just the fifth game this season the three-quarter time leader has been beaten, and Sydney has now inflicted two of those.
On a night where plenty of stars were subdued, it was a stage for the lesser lights.
Daniel Howe kept Josh Kennedy in check and George Hewett did likewise with Tom Mitchell.
Jaeger O’Meara and Smith had little influence while Dean Towers and Gary Rohan offered little for Longmire.
Instead it was 100-gamer Jake Lloyd who enjoyed 12 disposals in the third quarter on his way to a career-best (36 disposals), journeyman Ricky Henderson’s second quarter and emerging star Blake Hardwick’s intercept work which glistened under the Friday night lights.
Luke Parker was one gun to fire, exploding through a pack to boot a beautiful third-quarter goal and then putting the Swans in front with less than four minutes to play.
But Parker also had his number taken for a high hit on Jarman Impey.
Over to you, Michael Christian, after what Eagles coach Adam Simpson dubbed a “sloppy” week by the match review officer.
Paddy McCartin, nursing his head after a seventh concussion five days ago, sat in the MCG stands watching brother and fellow key forward Tom’s debut for the Swans.
But it was the Ronke Riot which stole the show.
SYDNEY 4.1 6.4 7.7 12.7 79
HAWTHORN 4.3 5.4 9.6 10.11 71
LANDSBERGER’S BEST
SWANS:Ronke, Lloyd, Parker, Hayward, Heeney, Hewett, Grundy, Cunningham.
HAWKS: Sicily, Gunston, Breust, Burgoyne, Hardwick, Frawley, McEvoy.
GOALS
SWANS: Ronke 7, Hayward 3, Parker 2.
HAWKS: Gunston 5, Breust 3, Morrison, Roughead.
INJURIES
HAWKS: Impey (head)
REPORTS
SWANS: Parker rough conduct on Impey
UMPIRES
Dalgleish, Rosebury, Foot
CROWD
32,784 at MCG
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