How to watch Hawthorn Hawks vs Essendon Bombers AFL live and free
Essendon can keep their flickering hopes alive while Hawthorn are playing for pride in this clash of old rivals. A Fox Footy exclusive, this is how to watch.
Neither of these famous Victorian clubs would be anywhere near the position they would like entering the run home of the 2020 AFL season. The Hawks showed early promise but just one win in their past eight games has them stuck in the unfamiliar bottom four.
Essendon are six points outside the top eight with a game in hand. So a strong win against the Hawks will keep them in the hunt. Yet with games against West Coast, Geelong and Port Adelaide to come, the Bombers would still be long odds to qualify for the postseason.
When is Hawthorn vs Essendon?
In the most unusual of seasons, this clash to kick-start round 14 of the AFL draw is at a highly unusual time. Do your best to finish work early as the first bounce is at 4:40pm AEST on Thursday 27 August.
How to watch Hawthorn vs Essendon
Channel 7 and Foxtel split AFL broadcasts in Australia. This match is live and exclusive to Fox Footy. Unless you have a subscription to Foxtel iQ, Foxtel Now or Kayo Sports, you won't be able to catch the action anywhere across the country.
Our top pick for content, value and features is Kayo Sports, it's the only way to get Fox Sports without Foxtel.
There is also Watch AFL if you are overseas. We have a full guide to the AFL season here.
Stream Hawthorn vs Essendon on Kayo Sports
You can watch the Hawks take on the Bombers for no cost using Kayo's 14-day free trial. After the trial period, a Basic subscription is $25/month to watch on 2 screens or $35/month for a third screen. You can check it all out in our Kayo Sports review.
Kayo has a wide range of special features to add to your viewing experience. You can watch up to four sports at once on the same screen using SplitView. You can also make sure the scores are hidden if you are tuning in a little late with No Spoilers. Key Moments and an Interactive Stats segment are also options.
If you're stuck at work during the game there's also a pop out window you can use to watch the game in the corner of your screen.
In total, Kayo broadcasts more than 50 sports, including a variety of timeless, evergreen content. It is compatible with Macs and PCs, plus iOS and Android devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV, Sony Bravia TV and Samsung TV (2017 or later). You can see a comparison of Kayo vs Foxtel here.
Live stream AFL on Kayo: Start your 14-day FREE trial now
Who will win Hawthorn vs Essendon?
Both the Bombers and Hawks would have expected far better campaigns in 2020. Hawthorn added some experienced players to their roster in an effort to compete for another flag. But it hasn't worked and they will miss the finals for the third time in four years.
Yet again Essendon have been maddeningly inconsistent and unable to win the crucial games that would have pushed them up the ladder. They are still just in the hunt for the finals, but it looks an uphill battle. We do think they will get the points here and keep their hopes alive.
Image source: Kayo Sports website
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