Unofficial Preview Round 8 Early Thoughts: Sydney v Hawthorn

[MarkP]

Debut new kids against Hawthorn is not ideal.

And that's the point.

15 odd round to go till finals. We have had 1 débutant this year.

If we have 3 go down we are looking at players with zero AFL experience when we are dead set in a flag window.

* the trade ban, I am not that keen to toss kids to the Freo and Hawk grinder untested, particularly at finals time. Clock is ticking already.

 

[Membling]

Manuel?

Qué?

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I would not have shaw out there id of already blooded jones, marsh, hewett depending on form, hell put bird out there, shaw does f all

Jones had achilles issues, we tried Robinson in the NAB he looked awful.

 

[MarkP]

I would not have shaw out there id of already blooded jones, marsh, hewett depending on form, hell put bird out there, shaw does f all

I am the same with Goodes. What do you really lose these days. We get excited when he kicks a goal and gets 10.

Toss Jones forward and tell him to keep the ball there and kill someone. I would love to see that to be honest.

 

[Ticky009]

Would have loved to see Heeney in this game Would have been a great test for the kid and see what he's made of.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

And that's the point.

15 odd round to go till finals. We have had 1 débutant this year.

If we have 3 go down we are looking at players with zero AFL experience when we are dead set in a flag window.

**** the trade ban, I am not that keen to toss kids to the Freo and Hawk grinder untested, particularly at finals time. Clock is ticking already.

Trade ban has nothing to do with it man, Jones im certain will get his chance through the season and i think he is ready for AFL football.

Basically what we have now is good enough to win the flag.

 

[bungee]

So same ground and basically the same 44 players

They are of course missing their skipper and the norm smith winner

But essentially Horse is letting the same side that let us all down face the same side that humiliated them

Mitchell in for Malceski. Not sure if that's a win, probably a break even.

 

[bungee]

Agree but we had 7 weeks to do it

And you know maybe it is the time if form warrants it to be honest, pick the team who are in form regardless of opposition

On form you'd have to say Rampe is below par but I can't see any ready made replacement. He needs a chance to get confidence back and I don't think a spell in the 2s would help. This week will be a real test for him. Hope he comes up trumps.

 

[bungee]

I would not have shaw out there id of already blooded jones, marsh, hewett depending on form, hell put bird out there, shaw does f all

You know I think you're being too harsh on him. Shaw was good last week and his stats are pretty much the same as the last few years. A few clangers but he creates and runs the lines. Besides, he stood up in the GF so he should be relied upon to do it again.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

You know I think you're being too harsh on him. Shaw was good last week and his stats are pretty much the same as the last few years. A few clangers but he creates and runs the lines. Besides, he stood up in the GF so he should be relied upon to do it again.

Shaw clangers have been really costly mostly because he tries to be to cute looking for short passes inside our 50.

I rather he just clear the damn thing down the boundary line.

 

[bungee]

That's because it is the best our list has to offer bar 1 18 year old kid.

The cupboard is bare after this lot unless you count Towers, Brownlow medal hopeful Bird and Jones as some type of savior group.

There is not a player with experience after that lot.

It is a concern to be honest and playing a 35 year old that is limited tells you how awful our immediate depth is.

Mark, I get your point about lack of depth but I think you're too focused on age. Experience is a positive factor on the side of age, as is stamina. Besides, younger players generally head our list for injuries. The older, bigger bodied guys usually go pretty well unless brought down by chronic problems which have developed over time (e.g., Marty Mattner). Goodes is in good nick. He was running hard right to the end last week. I think you underestimate him. He was always a slow starter.

 

[bungee]

Shaw clangers have been really costly mostly because he tries to be to cute looking for short passes inside our 50.

I rather he just clear the damn thing down the boundary line.

Any clangers in defensive 50 are magnified 100 times even before being placed under the BF electron microscope. Often clangers further up the ground are the reason our defenders are under pressure in the first place.

We need to be cleaner overall with our ball use. I'd like nothing more than a quiet day for our defence.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Any clangers in defensive 50 are magnified 100 times even before being placed under the BF electron microscope. Often clangers further up the ground are the reason our defenders are under pressure in the first place.

We need to be cleaner overall with our ball use. I'd like nothing more than a quiet day for our defence.

Our ball use around the ground is generally fine its when approaching the 50m line the team goes schizophrenic and loses the plot.

 

[bungee]

Our ball use around the ground is generally fine its when approaching the 50m line the team goes schizophrenic and loses the plot.

Can't for the life of me understand why we can't hit a target inside 50. It's not like we don't have options. No wonder Buddy has to wander off to the wing to get some clean balls (no pun intended)

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Can't for the life of me understand why we can't hit a target inside 50. It's not like we don't have options. No wonder Buddy has to wander off to the wing to get some clean balls (no pun intended)

It's a credit to Buddy skill that he manages to get goals at ground level.

I think it's quite easy to understand we generally have poor foot skills but elite handball skills (hence why we handball so much)

 

[The King!]

Any clangers in defensive 50 are magnified 100 times even before being placed under the BF electron microscope. Often clangers further up the ground are the reason our defenders are under pressure in the first place.

We need to be cleaner overall with our ball use. I'd like nothing more than a quiet day for our defence.

Key to the win, mids need to reduce defensive workload

 

[MarkP]

Trade ban has nothing to do with it man, Jones im certain will get his chance through the season and i think he is ready for AFL football.

Basically what we have now is good enough to win the flag.

Trade ban just took surety out of it. What if we had Patful for example? I would be a lot more comfy but who wouldn't I guess.....bad example, maybe even an Everitt type, 50 odd gamer or something.

I agree totally we have the cattle to win - if we can keep them on the park. It drops away so quickly after our best 22 is all.

I will stop now or

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Trade ban just took surety out of it. What if we had Patful for example? I would be a lot more comfy but who wouldn't I guess.....bad example, maybe even an Everitt type, 50 odd gamer or something.

I agree totally we have the cattle to win - if we can keep them on the park. It drops away so quickly after our best 22 is all.

I will stop now or

Patful would just be competing against Laidler, we had options in the DFA market but didn't choose to take anyone.

Want my honest opinion? depth is a load of wank every team in the AFL struggles if they lose 2-3 of their best players.

 

[MarkP]

Mark, I get your point about lack of depth but I think you're too focused on age. Experience is a positive factor on the side of age, as is stamina. Besides, younger players generally head our list for injuries. The older, bigger bodied guys usually go pretty well unless brought down by chronic problems which have developed over time (e.g., Marty Mattner). Goodes is in good nick. He was running hard right to the end last week. I think you underestimate him. He was always a slow starter.

Yep I get the point. And do agree. But it is not so much what Goodes can do but what he can't anymore for me.

As I have said before I know Goodes can still turn it on for a game every so often or a quarter here and there but his downside is so great against the good teams.

Don't mistake that for I am wanting him to fail. I hope he proves me wrong. And as I have also said it speaks wonders for him that he is better than the kids still. It is not so good for the kids but who should see his position as a job opportunity and demand it through performance though.

On a side note, how the hell does Fletcher play this game at 40. Truly astonishing.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

ITS TIME WE BROKE THE SHACKLES AND RIPPED THE CRUTCH OUT OF IT. CMON BOYS. SHAKE THE BROWN AND GOLD MONKEY OFF THE BACK. - IM EXCITED -

I'm nearly suffocating under the weight of your mixed metaphors.

 

[McRobie]

Reid will probably have to play back with them keeping shoey in the side and lake back , means they will prob go with shoey , rough , hale , gunston forward

Good thing about that is the forward pressure shouldnt be that good.

 

[Tedeski]

Here's a fact.
So far this year, we have been blown away in the first quarters or halves by Essendon, Freo & heavily scored against in first halves by a Geelong with no Hawkins, at home & also against a Doggies team.
We are not travelling as well as last year & we are going into this game with a defender who may play his last game for the club should he continue to hand over the ball to the opposition for a free shot at goal, more than once in a match.

Any player in our game 22 that can't be defensive when we don't have the ball should not get a gig if we are a fairdinkum threat for the flag. I can confidently say that we have compromised that already & are avoiding the hard calls based on the fact that we are sitting third. When the season appeared that it was slipping away early last year, hard calls were made against dual p'ship legends of our club.
I am fully expecting this Saturday night to be walking away from the MCG with a predictable loss to our main rival for the flag in the same predictable manner.

I hope I can look back on this post with embarrassment at how wrong I got it.
I doubt it though.
If my fears are realised, then we will see the true end of an era.

Prove me wrong by all means!

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Here's a fact.
So far this year, we have been blown away in the first quarters or halves by Essendon, Freo & heavily scored against in first halves by a Geelong with no Hawkins, at home & also against a Doggies team.
We are not travelling as well as last year & we are going into this game with a defender who may play his last game for the club should he continue to hand over the ball to the opposition for a free shot at goal, more than once in a match.

Any player in our game 22 that can't be defensive when we don't have the ball should not get a gig if we are a fairdinkum threat for the flag. I can confidently say that we have compromised that already & are avoiding the hard calls based on the fact that we are sitting third. When the season appeared that it was slipping away early last year, hard calls were made against dual p'ship legends of our club.
I am fully expecting this Saturday night to be walking away from the MCG with a predictable loss to our main rival for the flag in the same predictable manner.

I hope I can look back on this post with embarrassment at how wrong I got it.
I doubt it though.
If my fears are realised, then we will see the true end of an era.

Prove me wrong by all means!

Sorta like playing Collingwood at ANZ i always expected a predictable loss and a win would be a pleasant surprise

Some times teams just have you by the balls Hawthorn is one of them.

 

[Troystenvic]

If we dish up the same crap as GF this place will melt like the wicked witch of the West. Surely we wont have to watch another uncompetitive effort.

I am however confident of a good showing

 

[Troystenvic]