Opinion How do we beat Hawthorn?

[Prem87]

The Hawks are in incredible form, they look unbeatable at the moment.

Will our game plan be competitive against this Hawthorn beast?

Are they tameable? Peaking too early? What does Simpson have up his sleeve?

What is your plan to beat them? What can we do?

I personally believe the only way to beat them is through run and carry to break through their zone.

It's why our overlap from HB - Our High Risk Hard Running in waves - and ball movement transition training Simpson has taught over the last couple of years is so important.

 

[MWPP]

I don't have any plans. But I really hope McGovern returns for that match!
I was actually pretty confident about this game (certainly more confident than Richmond/Collingwood away and Sydney at home) until the last couple of weeks. I'm still quietly confident we won't be blown away at home and will be able to almost match them in a shootout (at the MCG though...different story, which is why I desperately don't want them to finish top 2). Who knows, we might even win if "luck" (injuries, suspensions, umpires, accuracy in front of goal, the bounce of the ball, the weather etc) favours us....
Until the Sydney game, their away form had looked shaky, so I'm hoping that it was the anomaly.
On another note, when was the last time we beat a team despite kicking fewer scoring shots than them? :/ Feels like we're overdue!

 

[King LeBron]

Need to beat Sydney first before we even think about the Hawks. If we can't beat them then we can kiss goodbye to even getting close to the Hawks

 

[ep2018]

We don't. Just hope Richmond drop one or two games so we can still finish top 4 despite losing. Their pinpoint kicking will cut the 'Weagles Web' to pieces.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I'd be tempted to go 1-1 all game all over the ground instead of any type of zoning. Their skills are too good and will work through the zone. Have to pressure not only the ball carrier but especially the options they have to kick to.

 

[JinmboJones]

I like our chances, especially at home. Hopefully we beat Sydney, maybe drop the game against freo and have everyone jumping off the bandwagon only to come back and smash the hawks.... mmm, delicious.

http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-n...n-wreck-hawks-threepeat-dream-20150724-giizsk

 

[Chris_6678]

Simpson said today Gov is a chance next week as hammie is a 1-2 week. I would hold him back to the Hawks game.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I think it is great we can have this conversation. Let's face it none of us thought we would be where we are so it is exciting.
Personally I don't think we can beat them yet, they are at the peak of their journey where as we are just starting ours. I have no doubt we can score against them but as opposed to many other sides this year they will hurt us when they break through our press.
I think it is exciting to be even talking about. Time will tell. Where there is life there is hope. Let's take care of Sydney first.

 

[bzparkes]

We don't. Just hope Richmond drop one or two games so we can still finish top 4 despite losing. Their pinpoint kicking will cut the 'Weagles Web' to pieces.

Your transition into ndot will be complete soon if you keep this kind of negativity up...

 

[MWPP]

Simpson said today Gov is a chance next week as hammie is a 1-2 week. I would hold him back to the Hawks game.

Hope so! It would be awesome to see some of our players return earlier than forecast (our injury list, which was admittedly released on Tuesday so might be out of date, says 2-3 weeks).

 

[ChampRevesby]

We won't beat them. Their elite kicking, run/spread and scoring power will tear us a new one. The only positive is that the whole team will be able to get plenty of learning points from the game. Good opportunity to see where we are really at.

 

[squashface]

We won't beat them. Their elite kicking, run/spread and scoring power will tear us a new one. The only positive is that the whole team will be able to get plenty of learning points from the game. Good opportunity to see where we are really at.

Agreed, given we seem to loosely base our game on Hawthorn's, it will be good for them to see how the big boys go about it.

 

[eagles rule]

if WCE BRING their game and not get intimidated we`re a good chance I think ,they have some solid strengths but so have we ..

 

[Wadsworth]

I'd be tempted to go 1-1 all game all over the ground instead of any type of zoning. Their skills are too good and will work through the zone. Have to pressure not only the ball carrier but especially the options they have to kick to.

But 1 on 1 footy would get destroyed by good skills. Zoning works because it gets multiple players to more dangerous positions.

 

[boondy]

Sydney , Essondon , Port , Gws have beaten them this year . Collingwood gave them a good run with pressure . If we put enough pressure on them we can beat them .

 

[Wadsworth]

The Hawks have been incredible the last few weeks, but form will ebb and flow. Collingwood took it right up to them a few weeks ago. They're a great side, but "if it bleeds, we can kill it"!!!

 

[Wadsworth]

But let's try to take care of Sydney first. I am pumped for the opportunity we have tomorrow

 

[The Falcon Strike]

To beat hawthorn would require a NN special IMO

However one of Hawthorn's great strength's in their unpredictability in their forward line as they rotate huge numbers through there.

The benefit of our defence is it is largely non-individual focussed. So the likes of Wellingham, Butler, Ellis, Shepp and Hurn will be comfortable rotating on any player.

Ultimately though we have to win it clean out of the middle and lock it in there.

In saying that - everything would have to go our way including kicking straight

 

[mad_eagle]

Pray...pray a lot!!!

 

[Matera92]

With a bat?

Seriously though will be a cracker of a game, we won't get blown out of the water though. I think with Easy playing we'd have a decent crack but I think this year might be a bridge too far.

 

[Lenny316]

To beat hawthorn would require a NN special IMO

However one of Hawthorn's great strength's in their unpredictability in their forward line as they rotate huge numbers through there.

The benefit of our defence is it is largely non-individual focussed. So the likes of Wellingham, Butler, Ellis, Shepp and Hurn will be comfortable rotating on any player.

Ultimately though we have to win it clean out of the middle and lock it in there.

In saying that - everything would have to go our way including kicking straight

This and play dirty when it counts because if we do beat them I have no doubts one of our players will be injured early. There's been signs of it this year when things don't go their way. Punch tackles, and all that sort of stuff. Kill or be killed we should hit them first.

 

[LordHaart]

With a bat?

Seriously though will be a cracker of a game, we won't get blown out of the water though. I think with Easy playing we'd have a decent crack but I think this year might be a bridge too far.

Nah Gov will be back and him and Barrassi will double team them.

Actually think we have one of the better backlines to play on their forwards. Schofield on Roughead, Gov/Barrass on Hale/RR, Sheppard on Gunston, Wellingham on Breust, possibly Hurn on Puopolo. The main challenge will be the pressure they place on us to try and force turnovers - if we can maintain our reasonably good DE we should be able to at least kick a respectable score and prevent them from kicking a damning one.

Still would tip them by around 5 goals, let's see how we fare against Sydney and the Gary Coast Suns and then reevaluate.

 

[ConcreteWaters]

We've got the gameplan to go head to head. NN to dominate in the ruck and we'll need Shuey to stand up and be counted in a big game. We've got a forwardline to trouble them. Best defence is attack and I hope we stick to our guns and try and beat them in a shootout. Could be one of the games of the year if we come to play. Could also be Round 3 derby levels of embarrassment (except the Hawks won't take their foot off the pedal at half time) if we're not mentally prepared.

 

[Illeagle]

I think that with NicNat and co in the midfield, we will generate enough attacking opportunities. If our forward entries are clean on the day and we don't waste our chances by kicking behind after behind after behind, then maybe we're a chance.

 

[Schrodinger]

Just a couple of dot points as I feel I may be overstaying my welcome a bit with long-winded posts -

- We should be grateful/excited that we can even have a thread of this nature and it not being a joke. Imagine if someone on the Carlton board had started this thread last week. I am indebted to our team for giving me the privilege of at least holding on to a sliver of hope.

- As mentioned earlier, 1 on 1 would be disastrous. Our only hope is to continue with what has worked this year. The Hawks are so talented at an individual level that 1 on 1 would be a very, very bad idea. At least with the web, there is at least some hope of negating the "on paper" talent differential

- Our only hope is to somehow achieve centre clearance dominance and then lock it in to our 50 somehow through pressure. If Hawks have more centre clearances than us I think they will win easily (and may win even if we have more centre clearances). So based on this, I think this is where our primary source of hope lies

- Remember that a team's form is never linear or stable. 4 weeks ago people were saying the Dockers were unbeatable. If, on the day before thanksgiving, you ask a turkey to predict what Christmas will be like, he will use recent form to predict something which looks rather like things do now. However the day after on Thanksgiving, things end up taking quite a turn for the worse. Hopefully the Hawks experience their own Thanksgiving (well, not in terms of actual death/decapitation of course) between now and when we play them.

Oh dear, even my dot point posts are long. Hopeless. Just hopeless. My parents were right all along