Ultimate Glory Hawthorn blue sky discussion thread 2023

[CD Xbow]

Boof heads gone, that should give us enough blue sky for the young Hawks to sneak into the finals.

 

[FB19]

What I am looking forward to and what I think is critically important for where we are is the performance of the players who are most likely on their last chance in 2023 and hoping they make it. If that happens we will have some tough calls but we will be making them from a position of list strength we haven’t seen for a long time. Imagine if players like Seamus Jeka Morris Long play double figure games in 2023 or even more blue sky become best 22? If that happens and I will show myself out, the sky’s the limit!

 

[Dewnior]

Just give me a r1 spanking of the Scum and it'll just about make my year.

That and another Easter Monday victory

 

[bigmaxi]

This feels like 2005-2007 period. Where you could see the improvement from the younger players at the time. It was great and exciting to watch.

This time instead of being excited about Lewis, Mitchell, Roughie, Buddy and Hodge. We have the likes of Day, McGuiness, Duke, CMac to be excited about!

This!
I am old enough to be able to boast all the flags we have won have been since I was born. I admit in the success filled 80’s I grew bored , apologies. We won all the time. Yawn
I went to more games in the early Clarko years 2005-2007 than I did in all the 80’s . It was exciting again to watch my club build full of promise, rising to a new challenge.
I would leave games in 2006-2007 thinking that Hodge, Franklin, Roughead, Lewis ,Mitchell etc, kid can play.
I wasn’t disappointed .
2008 I took my young family to their first Grand Final, we smashed them. Being that it was, Geelong was such a bonus.
I find myself here again, full of hope charged with enthusiasm that here we come again.
thank you SYL, I love the threads that are full of, possibly child like optimism, but, here we come again.
I hate the bagging of the club I love, the odd reality check , sure I get it , keep the lid on. BUT when the time is right I am ripping the lid off like an old stubborn Band-Aid.
Go Hawks.

 

[smish]

I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve got a fair few and actually quite bullish on a lot of these…

• Will McCabe to come on as a top 15 pick and vindicates our trade for Weddle as a masterstroke.
• We become the unsociable hawks again. Mongrel and big tackles led by Sicily, Lewis, Newcombe, MacDonald, DGB, Worps, Meek.
• We push for finals and the media will call for a royal commission into how Hawthorn has “rebuilt under our noses”
• We beat * round one and the salary cap rorters easter monday.
• We trade up to nab Harley Reid or a long term CHF partner for Lewis.

Some more player specific ones:

• Will Day has his breakout year.
• Lewis has an injury free year and genuinely competes for the Coleman.
• Worpel with a lighter frame returns to his best and becomes our inside bull, easing the load on Newc and allowing our other mids to use their skills.
• Sicily rightfully is named in the AA team (actually scratch that, let’s be realistic)
• We lock away Dylan Moore and he finally gets recognised in the media.
• Hardwick makes the AA side as the best lockdown small defender in the comp.
• Cooper Stephens locks his place in the starting midfield (I’m very bullish on this).
• DGB puts on 4-5kg of muscle and starts to solidify himself as the pick of 2020.
• Blanck makes full back his own and becomes our gorilla defender, allowing DGB and Sic more freedom to do what they’re best at.
• Cmac takes his game to another level and gets more mid minutes, becoming one of our top few players.
• Mackenzie wind rising star and Weddle top 5.
• Ward and Butler continue to build and get continuity before their breakout year in 2024.
• Brockman plays the full season and becomes our X-factor forward.

 

[smish]

You want big tackles but don't mention Nash.
Odd.

He’ll be suspended for the year after he makes Tsatas cry rd 1

 

[Fleabane]

I’ve been waiting for this. I’ve got a fair few and actually quite bullish on a lot of these…

• Will McCabe to come on as a top 15 pick and vindicates our trade for Weddle as a masterstroke.
• We become the unsociable hawks again. Mongrel and big tackles led by Sicily, Lewis, Newcombe, MacDonald, DGB, Worps, Meek.
• We push for finals and the media will call for a royal commission into how Hawthorn has “rebuilt under our noses”
• We beat * round one and the salary cap rorters easter monday.
• We trade up to nab Harley Reid or a long term CHF partner for Lewis.

Some more player specific ones:

• Will Day has his breakout year.
• Lewis has an injury free year and genuinely competes for the Coleman.
• Worpel with a lighter frame returns to his best and becomes our inside bull, easing the load on Newc and allowing our other mids to use their skills.
• Sicily rightfully is named in the AA team (actually scratch that, let’s be realistic)
• We lock away Dylan Moore and he finally gets recognised in the media.
• Hardwick makes the AA side as the best lockdown small defender in the comp.
• Cooper Stephens locks his place in the starting midfield (I’m very bullish on this).
• DGB puts on 4-5kg of muscle and starts to solidify himself as the pick of 2020.
• Blanck makes full back his own and becomes our gorilla defender, allowing DGB and Sic more freedom to do what they’re best at.
• Cmac takes his game to another level and gets more mid minutes, becoming one of our top few players.
• Mackenzie wind rising star and Weddle top 5.
• Ward and Butler continue to build and get continuity before their breakout year in 2024.
• Brockman plays the full season and becomes our X-factor forward.

Well, if you're feeling a bit mopey for whatever reason, this is certainly the thread to come to!

 

[Mojo]

cough top 8 cough

 

[eldorado]

Pushing for a spot in the eight...heart says we could, head says probably not.

We WILL improve via the development of our players.

Connor Mac to excite, Brockman will remind us of what we saw 2 years ago, genuine competition for a lot of spots with a young united group pushing each other to exceed.

Hoping for a kind run from the injury gods...given this, I am absolutely confident we will outperform last season.

What is there not to be excited about? Blue sky indeed!

 

[grumbleguts]

Oppositions elite midfielders will see they've been named on Finn Maginness and asked to be dropped.

 

[Gene Simmons]

I had plenty of 'robust' discussions about the Hawks over the Xmas catch ups, It just annoys me when I hear things like "Hawks have gone too hard too early" "Hawks got rid of all the experienced players"..etc All the tripe that is often mentioned in the Hun & SEN..

So much to look forward in 2023...Like the further development of guys like Day, CJ, DGB, Jai, Moore, Lewis, Ned, Ward, CMac..

The introduction of Meek, Greene, Stephens, Amon, McKenzie & Weddle..

Can Wingard stay on the park for 20+ games?

Can Worpel recapture his 2019 form?

Lets go Hawks

 

[burger09]

For me the highlight of 2022 were the breakout years from Newk, Moore, Lewis and Reeves.

We need some, or all, of Stephens, Ward, McDonald, Meek, Brockman, Day, Blanck, DGB, Morris, Butler to do the same in 2023.

This and the kids showing that they can play will do me. Can't wait to see what we're capable of.

 

[LRobbo]

We run all over that pig of a club in Round 1 with a McKenzie rising star and Lewis kicks a bag on their rubbish defence with us rubbing their noses in it with an 8 goal last quarter to win comfortably.
We owe that mob, losing to them last year was embarrassing

 

[Crawfo]

Funny how the narrative by the media is around how hard our year ahead will be.

I'm so much more excited and optimistic about the Hawks than I have been for years and years. You can really see the relationships developing at the club and it shows on field. They care.

You can see where Sammy is taking them. They had a bold list management period which we all were crying out for.

Bring on the year of Will Day dominating!

 

[extractasam]

I want to see the ex - port brigade stand up.
Impey, Amon, Wingard all their best seasons in brown and gold. Amon to really challenge himself to go out and win our BnF.

We need senior talent like air and these 3 hitting their straps would do wonders for our progress

 

[Bruno Oresar]

List looks healthy. New midfield talent via a very shrewd/underrated (by footy media) draft and trade period sees an influx of young big bodied mids, utilities and a ruck. Lots to like. We could make the eight but watch us soar in 2024 when we have two preseasons plus into some of the emerging midfield stars. I’m feeling very bullish about our prospects for the first time since 15 era. No more bargain basement patch up recruits. Just genuine blue chip big bodied youth which we are amassing under the radar.

 

[Topiary]

Grizz would have loved this thread.

 

[SJT76]

In no particular order I’m most excited by the potential improvement of (just to pick 1 or 2 out of so many options): CMac, Butler, Day, Brockman, Reeves, Finn, Ward, Weddle, Stephens, Worpel, Frenchy

 

[Mojo]

In no particular order I’m most excited by the potential improvement of (just to pick 1 or 2 out of so many options): CMac, Butler, Day, Brockman, Reeves, Finn, Ward, Weddle, Stephens, Worpel, Frenchy

What's most exciting, because of our youth, we have 10-15+ players we can expect significant improvement from.

It'll be fun to watch which ones announce themselves as potential stars of the AFL.

 

[Hawthorn23]

The development of our future midfield is going to be really fascinating.

Expecting some rough games early on as they learn to exist without the senior bodies in Mitchell and JOM, but I think we will see a really promising brigade by the end of the season.

Pumping 20+ games with a core of Newk, Ward, Moore etc playing consistent footy with each other is going to be massive for the following few years, and I cannot wait for this journey to begin again

 

[Tassie Cryptik]

The lie of a midfield with no senior bodies will be put to rest by Nash, Newk and Meek.
Teams will also lose the week after playing us as their midfielders will be pummelled by ours.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I’m really looking forward to MacKenzie putting the ball on Lewis, Punk, Kosi and Chad’s chests.

 

[HedgeFund]

I’m really looking forward to MacKenzie putting the ball on Lewis, Punk, Kosi and Chad’s chests.

The acquisition, and development of players with elite footskills is what I’m really looking forward to.

It’s been a while TBH.

So even if we aren’t winning heaps of games, if we are able to produce passages of play where the opposition can’t get near the footy and we score, then that will be a big positive.

 

[Yuley95]

I'm really looking forward to people/teams underestimating us and coming in with a poor attitude only to find themselves knocked on their arse. I want to see the young brigade physically imposing themselves on these occasions.

Meek running through a pack and leaving carnage, Newk with a savage 'don't argue', Butler tackling like his life was on the line.

Also looking forward to a little arrogance and flair at times. In particular, I want to see at least 3 instances throughout the season of CMac plying like time slows down for him, weaving through traffic, assessing his options and choosing something that no one else sees and delivering with pinpoint accuracy then turning to stroll back to the centre like it was nothing... all the while, Hawks player goes back and slots it.

 

[Brant]

I’m really looking forward to MacKenzie putting the ball on Lewis, Punk, Kosi and Chad’s chests.

MacKenzie, CMac & Ward all delivering to the advantage of the leading Forward will be awesome.

Also, I can't wait for Jack O'Sullivan to cement himself as a 1st team regular by season's end.