It was a tough season opener for both Hawthorn's Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) and Community Wheelchair Football League (CWFL) sides, going down to Richmond in Round 1 of the 2024 season at the State Netball Hockey Centre. 

For Hawthorn's VWFL team, the match shaped up to be a cracking rematch of the 2023 Grand Final, in which the Hawks were crowned premiers. 

However, the Hawks were on the back foot from the beginning, missing a contingent of premiership stars including dominant forward duo Finn Broadbent and Yassin Hill, who are both overseas playing tennis.

It was a scoreless opening term for the brown and gold while Richmond piled on 35 points. 

A bright spark followed in the second term though, with Liam Fitzgerald scoring his first goal in the brown and gold.

Fitzgerald followed up with another major in the third quarter to put the Hawks within 88 points, but the Tigers had already reached triple figures by the end of the period.

Rhys Higgins got on the scoreboard with a goal to begin the fourth term but in the end, Richmond was too strong, running out as winners by 117 points.

It was a similar tale for Hawthorn's community team, who suffered defeat against Richmond by 112 points.

Goalscorers in that game were familiar figures Robbie Deverell and Gerard McCarthy, while it was great to see Ben Van Raay make his brown and gold debut.

Hawthorn now has a bye in Round 2 before turning its attention to facing Essendon in Round 3.

Feature image taken by Nerissa Byrne Photography. 

Image ID: A Richmond player is talking to a Hawthorn player while awaiting a ruck contest. The umpire is standing behind them while holding a ball up in the air and his whistle to his mouth.