Round 21: Fremantle vs Hawthorn - Patersons Stadium

[Spoken4]

Getting back on topic - contrary to popular belief, I see today's result as a total dead rubber in terms of both sides' flag aspirations. Freo are somewhat of a threat to me regardless of whether they can beat Hawthorn in a late-season H&A game or not, even if they are a rung below Swans/Hawks.

As for Hawthorn, their primary focus will be on ensuring players are cherry ripe for September. Being reigning premiers and arguably the team to beat, I'd imagine they would be supremely confident of knocking off any side this finals series. They might chalk up two more wins against us and the Pies, but if their best 22 available are fit heading into the finals then it's inconsequential. History suggest that eventual premiers tend to drop a game or two in the several rounds prior.

Well both sides played it like it was a final, and the game showed that Freo has regained their form and pressure of last season.

 

[pablo668]

Enjoyed the game today. Freo did really well to win it.
My take on things

Freo, absolutely had to win to stay in the four, Hawks not so much.
Hawks traveled and had injury concerns.
Freo really needed to beat Hawthorn to stop the Hawks having the wood on them.
Hawks looked to run out of puff for a couple passages during the game. The only other thing separating the two teams was the occasional utensil up or drop in intensity. This often resulted in easy goals, both ways.

Not sure what to think of the umpires. Mystifying calls both ways.

To me Freo needed to win this to prove that they could beat Hawthorn to be a real challenger for the flag.

As far as the talk of Geelong earlier in the thread, jeeze, write them off at your peril. Will be dangerous in September yet again.

 

[HappyChappy35]

History also tends to suggest the reigning premiers are almost no chance of winning the premiership back to back.

Didn't say they will go B2B, but it's worth noting that late-season losses (such as Hawthorn's today) have historically meant little when it comes to winning premierships.

 

[Spook]

Enjoyed the game today. Freo did really well to win it.
My take on things

Freo, absolutely had to win to stay in the four, Hawks not so much.
Hawks traveled and had injury concerns.
Freo really needed to beat Hawthorn to stop the Hawks having the wood on them.
Hawks looked to run out of puff for a couple passages during the game. The only other thing separating the two teams was the occasional utensil up or drop in intensity. This often resulted in easy goals, both ways.

Not sure what to think of the umpires. Mystifying calls both ways.

To me Freo needed to win this to prove that they could beat Hawthorn to be a real challenger for the flag.

As far as the talk of Geelong earlier in the thread, jeeze, write them off at your peril. Will be dangerous in September yet again.

No injury concerns for Hawks at all, 22 fit men went into the game, close to full strength. Travel no factor hawthorn travel only 1 time a year less than Dockers. Hawks did look liked they ran put of puff but it was an intense game and Freo ran out a bit as well. What burnt Hawks was the purple patch in the 3rd and not being able to limit the goals in that period. All good teams have the play at some stage, you just have to make the best of it or limit it.

 

[romeoh]

Ok, imagine 4 on 4 at a stoppage. Sandilands the dominant ruckman, hawthron set up with mitchell as the most defensive. Sandilands wins tap, dockers receive, dockers players start to spread hawks to pressure, mitchell goes to tackle with Crowley up his bumb mitchell tackles making it a 2 dockers and 1 hawks, ball comes out therefore hawks have extra man now. Mitchell sacrificed his possession game by doing this. Sometimes mitchell didn't even need to tackle because he took Crowley with him as Crowley would not run off.

Ok thanks for that. Almost getting it!

 

[hk89]

For the umpteenth time, we've been mentioned in a negative light by others, yet you single out my post? What was initially a light-hearted dig has obviously offended some.

I'm not offended, my initial reply just pointed out why there might have been a bit more conspiracy theory brewing going on in the Friday night game day thread than this one...

 

[HappyChappy35]

Well both sides played it like it was a final, and the game showed that Freo has regained their form and pressure of last season.

As I said, I don't think many people needed to watch today's game to know that Freo are capable of recapturing their 2013 form. Have a surprise element about them and can flick the switch on unsuspecting teams with manic pressure at any time, as occurred during the 2nd/3rd quarter today.

Hawthorn shouldn't be too nonplussed by the result. They are still the team to beat with Sydney IMO.

 

[Spook]

Ok thanks for that. Almost getting it!

It's funny the perception of the 2014 GF and people,thinking that Crowley did a great job tagging mitchell, how could this be if Crowley had 0 tackles and mitchell 7. Makes no sense hey.

 

[Connoisseur]

It's funny the perception of the 2014 GF and people,thinking that Crowley did a great job tagging mitchell, how could this be if Crowley had 0 tackles and mitchell 7. Makes no sense hey.

Getting ahead of yourselves there aren't ya?

 

[Spoken4]

It's funny the perception of the 2014 GF and people,thinking that Crowley did a great job tagging mitchell, how could this be if Crowley had 0 tackles and mitchell 7. Makes no sense hey.

Think we've all watched enough footy to that stopping a player getting to the next play is the role of a tagger. You don't need to tackle them to do that.

 

[Tedeski]

Great win by Fremantle today. Timing their run nicely under the second best coach in Australia.

I am probably the least surprised person in Australia. I've been talking up the Dockers' premiership chances all year. I laugh at the idiocy of people who have dismissed their chances (and Geelong's, for that matter)

I'm just glad it's not all on Hawthorn to stop the AFL-Swans from winning this year's flag. If the Hawks can't win it, then I wouldn't mind seeing a club like Freo win it. At least they would deserve it. They pay their own way in the AFL. They play by the WA/SA/Vic rules and they're not given any favours or leg-ups by the league's administrators.

Still going on about this!

If the Swans win the flag it's good to see you are comforted with deluded way of thinking but it will still be in the record books as the 2012 one is where Sydney Swans defeated Hawthorn by 10 points on Hawthorns own home ground the MCG.
In the mean time your midfield looked very vulnerable today.

 

[Righteo]

Was a must win for Freo and they did well to win it. Unfortunately though it was only due to home ground advantage, Hawks would have killed them at the MCG. Will have to lift another level if they are to win a grand final this year

Nice backhander m8

May as well not rock up if we have to play them in Melbourne in the finals I guess, just like if we were to face Geelong at Simmons somehow it just wouldn't be worth the fuel tickets eh.

 

[hk89]

Ah wrong I recon. He didn't stop Mitchell from tackling which played right into our hands. Mitchell had 7 tackles, Crowley 0. What that meant was around contests Mitchell was the tackler not the winner or receiver, so when Mitchell tackled, Crowley was only concerned about Mitchell which gave us the 1 extra once ball was loose and we won the clearances on the day and the flag.
Today Lyon didn't do that and who won the clearances. Mitchell sacrificed his possession game for the team and it worked. Go have a look at the stats, Crowley 0 tackles in the GF and Mitchell 7. GF Clearances Hawks 42 to 34.
Today in the 3rd qtr we got belted in the clearances and they kicked enough in that time to win. Lyon didn't make the same mistake.

Yeah, there is always a downside to putting a negative tag on an opposition player, but I'd still rather have had the ball in Mitchell's hand a lot more often, than having our other mids - many of whom use it less sensibly than Mitchell - benefit indirectly from Mitchell being tagged. So I still think that matchup was a win for Freo and Crowley even if it did have some up sides for us.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Freo fans obsessed about Geelong obsessed about Hawthorn obsessed about Sydney obsessed about everyone else

Am I doing it right?

 

[hk89]

Still going on about this!

If the Swans win the flag it's good to see you are comforted with deluded way of thinking but it will still be in the record books as the 2012 one is where Sydney Swans defeated Hawthorn by 10 points on Hawthorns own home ground the MCG.
In the mean time your midfield looked very vulnerable today.

Not as vulnerable as Sydney's looked when they came up against ours a few weeks ago. Sydney mids were smashed, and only won their previous clash against our mids when it was Lewis+Box hill's midfield (although to be fair Langford seems to be holding a spot in the best 22 now).

 

[Daveismad]

As neutral observer and not a freo hater as I'm an eagles fan

Walters is class ....he's very very good and extremely underrated by the eastern states media

He was the difference today ...not sure how many goal assist he had but he looked poised

Hawks got beaten in a shoot out on a dry deck ...no rough no Rioli hurts ...Rioli loss is huge .....

It's odd as I think freo can still win the flag ...they travel ok

They will get swans week 1 at ANZ I presume and even if it's scg I like freo's smalls on that ground also

Let's put the saints loss as a bad day at the office ..we've had those yeah ....freo are as good as as the other top 3 on their day and they play game style that I think will stand up as it involves in defensive pressure

The hawks didn't have time today to execute those sublime kicking skills because there was serious heat on their backsides all day .....that's the difference

But I don't think thanks would be too worries also ....classic game next week ....as the result really doesn't matter

But if the Geelong cats were to beat hawthorn say by 5-6 goals ....there percentage would dip ...if freo's got a boost then we could still see hawks finish 4th

I like Geelong next week ...why

The Perth trip factor and they chased tail all day ...flights back ...

This could see hawks finish 4th yet folks .....play swans in Sydney ....Geelong v freo at MCG ...

Interesting game next week

 

[Tedeski]

Not as vulnerable as Sydney's looked when they came up against ours a few weeks ago. Sydney mids were smashed, and only won their previous clash against our mids when it was Lewis+Box hill's midfield (although to be fair Langford seems to be holding a spot in the best 22 now).

But I'm not the one who thinks we have the p'ship in the bag.

 

[Daveismad]

It's funny the perception of the 2014 GF and people,thinking that Crowley did a great job tagging mitchell, how could this be if Crowley had 0 tackles and mitchell 7. Makes no sense hey.

It's not just tackles

It's blocking Mitchell's effect disposals and blocking space are just as crucial

I saw it as even ....

 

[Cdreamer]

Freo was so good today, hawthorn a bit off and missing some important players but Freo was great. Can definitely win the premiership if they can keep up this form. In fact any of the top 4 teams could claim it this year.

 

[BEEG]

Boy, I thought the hawks Geelong obsession was bad but the purple haze are taking it to a new level.

Geelong supporters are obsessed with thinking people actually have an obsession over them

 

[hk89]

It's funny the perception of the 2013 GF and people,thinking that Crowley did a great job tagging mitchell, how could this be if Crowley had 0 tackles and mitchell 7. Makes no sense hey.

Except when you look at more than Mitchell's tackle stats, it makes perfect sense. Mitchell averaged 28 possessions a game in 2013. The week before against cats in prelim he had 38, with 8 inside 50s! Against Freo, he had 12 possessions and 1 inside 50. I find it hard not to chalk that up as a win to Crowley (and Sam is probably my favourite Hawthorn player). Did his 7 tackles versus Crowley's 0 produce 7 inside 50s for Hawthorn? I sincerely doubt it.

 

[SBYM]

Geelong supporters are obsessed with thinking people actually have an obsession over them

Everyone likes to feel needed.

 

[hk89]

But I'm not the one who thinks we have the p'ship in the bag.

Your reply makes no sense. You were having a go at a Hawthorn guy pumping up Freo's chances (and having a sideways at Sydney's leg ups from the AFL), he said nothing about Hawthorn having the premiership in the bag, and if anything implied it would be hard to win it against an AFL backed Sydney outfit - which it will be.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

****.

Who's going to come out for McPharlin and Ballantyne. Everyone played above average today..

What about Ibbotson ?

 

[Tedeski]

Your reply makes no sense. You were having a go at a Hawthorn guy pumping up Freo's chances (and having a sideways at Sydney's leg ups from the AFL), he said nothing about Hawthorn having the premiership in the bag, and if anything implied it would be hard to win it against an AFL backed Sydney outfit - which it will be.

We are tiring of the "AFL swans" stuff.

Move on.
its a Hawk flag this year.