- Stephen Coniglio and Harry Himmelberg have a pre-match smoch
- The giant players seemed to have planned the scheduled time
In an unexpected moment on Saturday evening, GWS Giants Stephen Coniglio and Harry Himmelberg players were spotted by sharing a pre-match kiss before their defeat against Hawthorn.
The two players seemed to have planned the affectionate moment, each heading towards each other after the team fights in Launceston.
Himmelberg and Coniglio met in the middle of the park and then looked for for the bench.
The team’s teammates moved away from the two players shaking their heads and smiling.
This is not the first time that Coniglio has been involved in such an incident, the star footy being embraced by Rhys Palmer during a goal celebration in 2016.
At the time, Palmer said it was just a little fun and a nod to the Italian heritage of his teammate.
Stephen Coniglio and Harry Himmelberg shared a pre-match kiss before their defeat against Hawthorn
The Hawks kept first place on the scale after the result of 10.16 (76) to 9.10 (64) on GWS
Unfortunately, the kiss of Coniglio and Himmelberg was not a sign of good things to come, Hawthorn recovering from an opening deficit of five goals to overthrow the GW of 12 points.
The Hawks, 4-0 to start a year for the first time since 2014, have kept first place on the scale after the result of 10.16 (76) to 9.10 (64) in a windy launceston.
The 11 goals in the first half were scored with the wind, GWS opening an advance of 37-2 in the quarter.
Hawthorn came to life at the back of the second mandate with the breeze on their backs, cutting six goals in 13 minutes for an advance of 46-39 at halftime.
Will Day and Nick Watson were strongly involved and the two also had beautiful touches while Hawthorn broke the back of GWS with four consecutive majors at the end of the third against the trend.
Giants Gun Jesse Hogan, who exceeded the total goal with four back of a broken inch, set up a tense finish when he reduced the margin to 12 with less than three minutes on the clock.
But Hawthorn rushed well to stand in front of a crowd of 14,021.
“I am extremely proud of our answer … They obviously jumped us,” said Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
Hawthorn rushed well to stand in front of a crowd of 14,021
“Their pressure and intensity at the start of the game were just a little to be honest.
“The breeze helped in the second but maintain that in the third was pleasant.”
Hawthorn, who has a Bye next weekend, eliminated Sydney, Essendon and Carlton in the first three laps.
The previously undefeated giants were close to full resistance, with the ruling medalist Coleman Hogan Back and Jake Strunger making his debut at the club.
Hogan had an early impact with two goals in the first mandate when his team was running.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, shared the majors between nine players, the veteran Jack Gunston obtaining a double.
The Hawks Big Man Lloyd Meek surpassed the GWS rucks and finished with 31 lives, while Cam Mackenzie had a summit of 30 eliminations.
Despite the final score, the Hawks barely obtained a shot in the first quarter in which they dragged in the 1950s 22-6.
They had the yips in front of the goal with the gale behind them at the start of the second, with Gunston and Mabior Chol lacking shooting.
But they found their composure despite a bright bright breakdown.
Giants coach Adam Kingsley said his team could not put the brakes on hawthorn when it counted.
“The two teams are capable of scoring in short gusts … During the moments when the opposition has a momentum, you must be able to minimize the damage,” he said.
“And we couldn’t do that.
