hawks v crows

[lasher]

a 1 point loss to the swans, devestating considering we should have knocked'em off...anyway,its over now and we have to look on to this week at the "G" where we take on the crows...they are also down on form,only above us on percentage due to the hammering they gave the tiges...( who we lost to )...
this is another chance for a win ..put simply,we should beat the crows...we must beat the crows...!!!!

i have no doubt that this week we will see thompson and holland back in the side..holland kicked 5 and took a heap of marks for boxhill while thompson kicked 3...
now they have to perform in the big league..
i hope they prove me wrong but i dont think they are capable of doing it in the big league..certainly not on a consistant basis anyway..they are reserve players at best...
however,until the end of the year they are our main forward targets...ouch that hurts to say...

a win is a must..looking at our draw afterwards i give these predictions...

bombers ( MCG ).. heavy loss - ( as usuall )
blues ( telstra ).. should win
saints ( telstra ).. heavy loss
pies ( MCG ).. should win
eagles ( york ).. should win
port ( MCG ).. very slight hope
roos ( MCG ).. a chance
dees ( MCG ).. loss - ( on current form )
dogs ( telstra ).. should win
lions ( MCG ).. loss
tigers ( MCG ).. should win
cats ( skilled ) ...loss


GO HAWKS......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ramma]

We will beat Adelaide this week.
If the finals are any chance (and many would argue they're not already), we MUST beat Essendon the following week. Given it's at the 'G and not Telstra Dome, pray for rain...given their game is based on moving the ball quickly, they are useless in the wet. Win that, as unlikely as it may seem atm, we're 4-7 with Carlton to play, and with bums up, we should win that (5-7).
Can't see us beating the Saints (5-8), but then 3 winnable games (Pies, WCE at YP, and PA at the 'G - 8-8). Win 4 of the last 6 and we might still do it - it's never over 'til it's over, but it is skin of the teeth...one more loss over the next 3 weeks and it will be over.
And I certainly agree Lasher that Holland and Thommo should come back in - we need both of them to find some senior ball this week to get them up for the Essendon game.

[andrew coombs]

As hard as it is to stomach, Hawthorn will be far better served in the long term with a 15-16th finish and five wins or less. Another fruitless late run will deprive us of the high draft picks we so desperately need and once again paste over the realistic quality of our list, coaches, medical staff, recruiters, general football department, chronic lack of leadership etc.. A near wooden spoon season makes for plenty of cold winter nights but a look at the current plight of the Saints,Dockers and Cats is indicative of the pain we will need to endure to go ahead.

[Ramma]

You can have your wooden spoons Andrew - I don't want them. We proved a couple of years ago that you don't need to finish bottom to get the number 1 pick(s), so if we do trade hard at year's end, we don't need to finish bottom to get them. The stigma of a wooden spoon is too big for me - our recruitment department can do their job. Whatever happens for the rest of this year, changes, one way or another, WILL be made.
My 'appraisal' on the games for the rest of the year is no more fanciful (if currently a little more unrealistic) than the doom-sayers predictions atm. We've certainly shown more heart in the last 2 weeks, and with just a drop of luck, those 2 one point losses being wins, we'd be 4-5 and either just in or just out of the 8.
Funny game football.