Scratch Match 10 Feb

[cryptor]

I'm really surprised (but extremely excited) that Birchall is playing through the middle. I remember reading somewhere that Clarko has restrained himself of the temptation of playing Birch through the middle because his kicking out of the backline is so elite that'd be stupid to move him. Anyhow, hope we get to see some more Birch action in the midfield throughout NAB

Could be testing the waters to see if he can play Birchall in the middle more to allow Howe some game time on the back flank rather than just going all in. Then as Howe adapts to the game speed they can increase his minutes in the midfield and move Birchall back to the flank (with the benefit of now knowing if we ever needed to call on him in the middle we could).

 

[nickrebellious]

I'm really surprised (but extremely excited) that Birchall is playing through the middle. I remember reading somewhere that Clarko has restrained himself of the temptation of playing Birch through the middle because his kicking out of the backline is so elite that'd be stupid to move him. Anyhow, hope we get to see some more Birch action in the midfield throughout NAB

Could be a way of also giving Mitchell, Hodge and Burgoyne more time on the back flanks.

 

[Gralin]

Could also be they see Birch going into the middle to play that part of Roughy's role if needed, rotating between the backline and middle instead of forward line and middle

 

[streetspirit]

And Birch has a nice body-on-body mean streak that would be useful in midfield blocking etc...

 

[Davo23]

And Birch has a nice body-on-body mean streak that would be useful in midfield blocking etc...

Yep, and Birch is not only strong in a contest, he has good quick hands.

He's able to get the ball and get it to someone to use it.
That's more important in the stoppage than kicking.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Less than a week until footy. Finally!

 

[Ordovician]

Could also be they see Birch going into the middle to play that part of Roughy's role if needed, rotating between the backline and middle instead of forward line and middle

I think that is it in a nutshell.

 

[Boo71]

And Birch has a nice body-on-body mean streak that would be useful in midfield blocking etc...

Birch's hardness is very very underrated, indeed I've seem comments saying he is soft on here.

The hardness of all our "veterans" is possibly going to be the hardest trait they have to replace. Though players such as Doc are going to carry the torch just fine as our next batch of Vets, even Bruest has a hardness that is missed by too many, imo.

 

[Crock]

Spoke to Birch when he first came to the club. Asked him what position he played, he said midfield but he'd already been told by the club that he would be playing in the backline!
Whilst it might have been in his junior days he does have some experience in the midfield!!!

 

[whiteTiga2k]

Sorry i didn't see any write up about Howe, how was he?

 

[daniel23]

Anderson killing it for kangas in both practice matches hurts

 

[DannyJ]

Anderson killing it for kangas in both practice matches hurts

We know he's got talent. But we've got culture that requires wanting to be at Hawthorn.

He didn't want to be here 100%.

The reward for that is Burton.

 

[bris tarangau]

We know he's got talent. But we've got culture that requires wanting to be at Hawthorn.

He didn't want to be here 100%.

The reward for that is Burton.

It will become depressing for him to watch others from Hawthorn win premiership medals in the next 5 years.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Sorry i didn't see any write up about Howe, how was he?

Was running off a HBF for the senior team. Can not recall him in the guts. It was hard not to be excited about Howe last season. Containing that excitement has got a lot harder. Very clean and precise. Plays within his limits and makes great decisions with the footy. Natural footballer.

 

[madhawksfan]

Anderson killing it for kangas in both practice matches hurts

He looked the goods last preseason for us and didn't step up when the real stuff started. Based on that, he should fit right in at North.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Anderson killing it for kangas in both practice matches hurts

There might just be a bit of extra mayo on that.

 

[eldorado]

There might just be a bit of extra mayo on that.

I just heard it as the lead in to the sports wrap on Nine news

Must be North's membership drive week...

 

[PhatHQ]

I'm really surprised (but extremely excited) that Birchall is playing through the middle. I remember reading somewhere that Clarko has restrained himself of the temptation of playing Birch through the middle because his kicking out of the backline is so elite that'd be stupid to move him. Anyhow, hope we get to see some more Birch action in the midfield throughout NAB

Birch, Howe & Langford out of the centre would be pretty fun to watch!

 

[JoeHawk]

Just read all the reports. Thanks to all. However, didn't see any mention of WhiteX. Anything to report?

 

[Ordovician]

Sorry i didn't see any write up about Howe, how was he?

There has been a lot of hype about Howe this preseason both in official hawk's media and whispers around the club.

On Wednesday he lived up to a fair bit of it.

He was exceptionally good and did some lovely things like pin pointing targets and took a very clever mark. His composure, movement in traffic, and option selection was exceptionally good. I thought that he was in the best three or four behind Birchall and somewhere around JOR's performance level in that next rank, so something like third best on the field would be about the mark.

 

[Ordovician]

Just read all the reports. Thanks to all. However, didn't see any mention of WhiteX. Anything to report?

He got a few possession in the first half of the game while playing out on the flanks for the Purple team. I did not notice him much after that. They were rotating some "managed" players through the game so he may have spent a bit of time on the bench, which being on the far side of the ground was very hard to observe. Given that there were several pies dumbasses, like A Rocca, spying on the game trying to figure out how footy should actually be played because lord knows, FIGJAM would not have a clue, this was probably a deliberate measure.

He looked composed and used the ball neatly. Playing out there he was never going to dominate play and he is too far down the order to get a run through the centre. However, what he did do he executed well so you can't really ask for much more than that.

 

[Lethality]

Birchall and O'Rourke both have that inside midfielder JPK/Watson build, just with better disposal.

Yes, O'Rourke has the same hump as Birchall, Ablett, and others.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

So JOR, Howe, Sicily and Kiwi are putting the real pressure on selectors for round 1?

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

So JOR, Howe, Sicily and Kiwi are putting the real pressure on selectors for round 1?

JOR, Howie, Langers and Billy are my main contenders but none cover Rough/forward or Lake/defender spots.

For the Rough replacement, I think Timmy will end up as the preferred option. Both he and Sicily struggle body on body but I reckon Timmy works harder. For the defensive spot, Kurt is in front but I reckon he'll get found out at AFL level.

 

[Brant]

JOR, Howie, Langers and Billy are my main contenders but none cover Rough/forward or Lake/defender spots.

For the Rough replacement, I think Timmy will end up as the preferred option. Both he and Sicily struggle body on body but I reckon Timmy works harder. For the defensive spot, Kurt is in front but I reckon he'll get found out at AFL level.

Why is this? Not big enough to play on the monster forwards? Doesn't know the game enough yet or have the requisite skills etc.? Or simply won't get there?