Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson wore shorts and his players appeared genuinely excited when it started to snow for the first time during an AFL match in Friday’s Round 20 clash against GWS in Canberra.
In contrast, the Giants endured a miserable night before, during and after the snow fell at UNSW Canberra Oval as they were dealt a 56-point drubbing at the hands of the Hawks.
Speaking after his side’s shock loss GWS coach Leon Cameron conceded he was ‘embarrassed’ by the performance .
But the usually mild-mannered coach bristled at the suggestion from a reporter the freezing temperatures and the white stuff falling from above had anything to do with the result.
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“Nah, that’s a stupid statement really. Who said that?” Cameron quipped.
“…It wouldn’t have mattered if there was sun out there, they still would have won with that sort of appetite around the contest.
“I mean that’s a silly comment.”
Clarkson, who is known for his at times prickly approach to media conferences, was full of boyish enthusiasm at his post-match press conference when asked about the historic snowfall.
“It hasn’t happened in the history of our game,” Clarkson said.
“I knew it was raining because there’d been a bit of drizzle and light rain falling even prior to the game.
“But the crowd got excited (when it started snowing), I was wondering what the cheers were but the crowd were excited, our players were excited, we were excited.
“It doesn’t happen in league footy in our country and for the first time we were fortunate enough that it happened in our game.”
