Round 1 2015 v Geelong. I'm tipping it gets ugly!

[Procrastinator35]

Pre-season training down at Simonds Stadium.

Stripes = Present & Correct
Gay Factor = Commensurate
Flogginess = Definite equivalency

Conclusion: Context apprropriate!

 

[Footy 1st]

100% agree ... that is disgraceful condition for an AFL footballer, injury waiting to happen.
Cut him some slack ... He has had issues ... But also needs to be realistic about what it takes to play top-level AFL.

Upon seeing the latest pics of the Cats forwards Clarkson has stopped Lake, Gibbo & Chip from training and replaced their preseason regime with a gruelling fast food, pub sessions & soap operas watching program in order to beat them at their own game.... Shrewd Clarko, very shrewd

 

[PenAndPaper]

I'm hoping it gets ugly for Mackie. Of all the whiny geedong players I hate, Mackie seems to irk me the most.

Seems this game doesn't have the usual anticipation that precedes a cats hawks clash. Maybe coz the cats are slipping into irrelevance. And nothing would s**t their fans more. Everyone wants their team to be lived or hated

I would love if there was a stat on the amount of times players either take the ball over the line or instead of picking it up under pressure just let it roll over...mackie would be a shoe in for that award.

Never wants to pick up the hard ball, instead takes the weak option and goes out of bounds

 

[Steven Tyler]

I would love if there was a stat on the amount of times players either take the ball over the line or instead of picking it up under pressure just let it roll over...mackie would be a shoe in for that award.

Never wants to pick up the hard ball, instead takes the weak option and goes out of bounds

Sometimes that is the smarter option!

Remember the Friday night game v Geelong, the one where Hawkins kicked the winner as the siren went?
If only Poppy had done a Mackie 1 minute earlier up in our forward pocket!

 

[kimbopen]

Sometimes that is the smarter option!

Remember the Friday night game v Geelong, the one where Hawkins kicked the winner as the siren went?
If only Poppy had done a Mackie 1 minute earlier up in our forward pocket!

More than likely that Poppy would have been called for "Deliberate Out of Bounds" though ...

 

[Big A]

Sometimes that is the smarter option!

Remember the Friday night game v Geelong, the one where Hawkins kicked the winner as the siren went?
If only Poppy had done a Mackie 1 minute earlier up in our forward pocket!

But he thought he was the karate kid

 

[Hawker55]

It's a bit like Pakistan v India in cricket, and Heart/City v Victory in the A-league. Pak and Heart/City (like Geelong) treat every game against the "archenemy" like a final. Almost to the detriment of their performance in every other game. Hawthorn/Victory/India treat it as "just another game", and believe they (mostly) have far bigger fish to fry.

How quickly you forget. We are nowhere near treating it as 'just another game'.

 

[Ram-Man]

what happens if Hawkins and Clarke eat each other?

they'll be massive.

Disclaimer: Author knows sufficient physics to understand the paradoxical nature of the above statement.

Pre-season training on the Geelong forward line ...

 

[PenAndPaper]

Sometimes that is the smarter option!

Remember the Friday night game v Geelong, the one where Hawkins kicked the winner as the siren went?
If only Poppy had done a Mackie 1 minute earlier up in our forward pocket!

No doubt it is the smarter option sometimes. Its just ridiculous how often he actually does it and so much of the time under minimal pressure where he could give to a team mate who is clear and build a quick attack.

 

[Kil Phearns]

All I'm saying is, they throw everything into these games. Beating us is more important than winning a flag to them, especially now that they've dropped off a bit and are not really in flag contention (for the time being). These games drain them, and they usually come out flat the following week.

I understand how they feel. I used to be a bit like that when we were regularly losing to Essendon (1998-2005) and Carlton (1992-2000). "I don't care whether we make the finals or not, please, please, please can we beat the Bombers/Blues!"

 

[cryptor]

All I'm saying is, they throw everything into these games. Beating us is more important than winning a flag to them, especially now that they've dropped off a bit and are not really in flag contention (for the time being). These games drain them, and they usually come out flat the following week.

I understand how they feel. I used to be a bit like that when we were regularly losing to Essendon (1998-2005) and Carlton (1992-2000). "I don't care whether we make the finals or not, please, please, please can we beat the Bombers/Blues!"

Their team is quite different now. Many of the players who lined up against us in the 2008 GF are gone. The ones who remain at the club are:
Bartel
Mackie
Taylor
Enright
Selwood
Lonergan
Johnson
Stokes
Kelly

With Chapman gone I think a lot of that "beat Hawthorn at all costs" hate drive has left the group. Selwood and Johnson are the only two in that list that I feel still have the ability to turn a game by themselves, but I don't know if they're really motivated by 2008 as much as they just like testing themselves against the best teams. With Johnson possibly going to miss with his ongoing foot issues and Selwood appearing vulnerable to the tag from Langford and Shiels there might be a strong desire to beat us at all costs but I don't know if they'll have the man power to match.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

I think there is genuinely about a 4 - 5 goal difference between us and the Cats now. How the losses and inclusions will alter that from last year is anyones guess. They have added Clarke and Stanley and lost Varcoe and Christensen. I think they have bolstered their second forward stocks but I don't think either Clarke or Stanley are the answer to all of their problems up forward. Losing Christenson and Varcoe will be a big loss to them. They were already looking on the slower side of the ledger last year and was certainly magnified when Christensen was out.

We will have the best back six, on paper, that we have put out for a very long time. Probably since Croad, Brown and Gilham worked well as a unit in 07 / 08. We also have more midfield depth than we have had for along time with Anderson, Whitecross and O'Rourke all vying for places this year.

The game will probably be close until half way through the second or so. I think we will do them by about mid 20s to mid 30s.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

I think there is genuinely about a 4 - 5 goal difference between us and the Cats now. How the losses and inclusions will alter that from last year is anyones guess. They have added Clarke and Stanley and lost Varcoe and Christensen. I think they have bolstered their second forward stocks but I don't think either Clarke or Stanley are the answer to all of their problems up forward. Losing Christenson and Varcoe will be a big loss to them. They were already looking on the slower side of the ledger last year and was certainly magnified when Christensen was out.

We will have the best back six, on paper, that we have put out for a very long time. Probably since Croad, Brown and Gilham worked well as a unit in 07 / 08. We also have more midfield depth than we have had for along time with Anderson, Whitecross and O'Rourke all vying for places this year.

The game will probably be close until half way through the second or so. I think we will do them by about mid 20s to mid 30s.

Pretty much like the Qualifying Final.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

.... They have added Clarke and Stanley and lost Varcoe and Christensen. I think they have bolstered their second forward stocks but I don't think either Clarke or Stanley are the answer to all of their problems up forward. Losing Christenson and Varcoe will be a big loss to them. They were already looking on the slower side of the ledger last year and was certainly magnified when Christensen was out....

Not bad changes by the cats. They needed more forwards, dunno if they got good ones but at least they went hard at what was available. It does highlight what a dumb move it was to dump Pods.

 

[bris tarangau]

We kick accurately and we'll win by lots! As others have said, 2013 PF was a good example of the Hawks dominating but failed to make use of the many chances they had, hence the close scoreline in the end.
Just blow them away and wait to hear what their coach has to say.

 

[Taskmaster]

We kick accurately and we'll win by lots! As others have said, 2013 PF was a good example of the Hawks dominating but failed to make use of the many chances they had, hence the close scoreline in the end.
Just blow them away and wait to hear what their coach has to say.

Mission Accomplished..?!?!?!?

 

[Threadkilla]

Mission Accomplished..?!?!?!?

Expanded version:

"Look, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses, but I think with how many of our blokes were playing with injuries, and that suspension we copped last week that was completely unwarranted - we equipped ourselves very well. Then there's the illegal tactics that the hawks employ that goes unnoticed by the umpires, coupled with us coming off a 6 day break, and that free kick for we didn't get when player X took a massive dive... Oh, and there's no way I'd label the hawks cheats, but I'm pretty sure they've been taking PEDs... So if you take that all into account, and the fact we took our foot off the pedal in the last... I'd be inclined to say that game was mission accomplished, in a lot of ways..."

 

[Mitchell54]

I am confident we can handle their forwards and beat their midfield.

Forwards? There is no need to beat their forwards. McEvoy will tap it down to Hodge, he handballs it out to Mitchell. Mitchell does a short chip kick to Burgoyne who handballs it to Rioli running pass and he will kick straight to Roughead. Roughead kicks a goal.

 

[Mitchell54]

We could see a completely different line-up in Round 1 compared to our Grand Final side. Players like Litherland, Woodward, Anderson, Whitecross and Hartung will all be desperate to push for a spot in our side and O'Rourke right now is leading the race for a spot in the team. Yes we can't fit them all in but this just makes competition for spots even more stronger now and this also means that we've got good depth.

If Ceglar can continue to improve his game then there's a good chance he may overtake Hale for a spot in the team at some point during the season.

Completely agree. Duryea is still trying to cement a spot in the best 22. He has almost got it

 

[Mitchell54]

I am going to have a go at our round 1 team.

B: Gibson Lake Stratton
HB: Birchall Frawley Burgoyne
C: Hill Mitchell Smith
HF: Rioli Gunston Poupolo
F: Hale Roughead Bruest
Foll: McEvoy Hodge Lewis
Int: Shiels Langford Suckling
Sub: Duryea

How does that look?

 

[Manila_Hawk]

I am going to have a go at our round 1 team.

B: Gibson Lake Stratton
HB: Birchall Frawley Burgoyne
C: Hill Mitchell Smith
HF: Rioli Gunston Poupolo
F: Hale Roughead Bruest
Foll: McEvoy Hodge Lewis
Int: Shiels Langford Suckling
Sub: Duryea

How does that look?

How does it look? It looks unbeatable to me !!!!!

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

^^
That's what is go with too. Safe bet.
Premiership side with Frawley in for Spangher.

 

[Brant]

I am going to have a go at our round 1 team.

B: Gibson Lake Stratton
HB: Birchall Frawley Burgoyne
C: Hill Mitchell Smith
HF: Rioli Gunston Poupolo
F: Hale Roughead Bruest
Foll: McEvoy Hodge Lewis
Int: Shiels Langford Suckling
Sub: Duryea

How does that look?

Swap Gibbo with Stratts so that they're on the correct side to support their dominant foot & we'll be fine.
Won't surprise me to see Hartung in our Round 1 Team

 

[Hodginator]

Suckling seems to be on a bit of modified training. They might not be in a hurry to play him round 1.

 

[cryptor]

Suckling seems to be on a bit of modified training. They might not be in a hurry to play him round 1.

Had a small part of his knee cap removed in his ACL knee some weeks ago. Was in an article on the AFL website Friday. I posted it in the main training watch thread.