Preview AFL Round 5 - Geelong v Hawthorn, MCG, Monday 21 April 3:20PM

[winty]

3 things that will be different this time around:

- We now have a proper ruck division.
- We now have a fully fit full forward, and they most likely won't have Lake.
- We'll both have the same amount of rest. Last time we played them they had an extra week.

 

[Teriyakicat]

When was the last time Hawks lost? Been a while.

v Richmond R 19 last year

 

[Biggy_Boy]

3 things that will be different this time around:

- We now have a proper ruck division.
- We now have a fully fit full forward, and they most likely won't have Lake.
- We'll both have the same amount of rest. Last time we played them they had an extra week.

We'll also have Enright. We are, however, missing Corey, Pods, Vardy, Christensen, Motlop and J. Hunt from the side that took them on last time.

It's hard to be optimistic about this one. Hawks look incredibly powerful at the moment, and their side just seems a lot more balanced and clean than Geelong does.

 

[Scottland2007]

Sometimes we can get more out of a loss than a win )

This. As long as we don't get belted, it might show us what areas we need to improve on. A lot of teams will start studying and hunting the hawks, knowing they will be the side to beat later this year. Maybe September it will be our turn to "hunt the shark".

 

[SleazySimon]

I agree with a few others so far in this thread, winning this one is not as important as competing and 'knowing' we can beat this awesome hawks outfit.

I think we might get rolled....

4 points not important? still have some tricky games against port, freo and essendon to come

 

[SleazySimon]

Been waiting 6 months for this!

Finally have fit ruck stocks and the back-line looks as solid as it has been in a few years. Taylor Hunt looks to have found his niche alongside Enright and Kelly while Blicavs (and Brown) have been a lot more effective when floating back to help out our KPD's.
Murdoch was a little quiet yesterday but his pressure is supreme and that's what we will need plenty of, tackles, tackles and more tackling.

im optimistic like you.
look, i know Hawthorn look invincible, but no team is - lets not forget Essendon nearly rolled them in round 2. And as you say we have a lot more ins than the Prelim last year.

 

[fpm84]

We'll also have Enright. We are, however, missing Corey, Pods, Vardy, Christensen, Motlop and J. Hunt from the side that took them on last time.

Pods and Josh were liabilities in the prelim. Bundy and Mots are obviously huge outs, but the inclusion of Enright, McIntosh and Simpson balances the ledger somewhat.

Hawks will have a few out too - Sewell, Schoenmakers and Lake and Stratton either missing or underdone playing their first matches of the year.

 

[catempire]

We will need to improve by six or seven goals to be competitive.

 

[SleazySimon]

We'll also have Enright. We are, however, missing Corey, Pods, Vardy, Christensen, Motlop and J. Hunt from the side that took them on last time.

It's hard to be optimistic about this one. Hawks look incredibly powerful at the moment, and their side just seems a lot more balanced and clean than Geelong does.

Are we really missing them though? Bundy and Mots would improve our 'weakest' area but put a line through the rest. Vardy and Pods did nothing in last years PF and Horlin-Smith is already an upgrade on last years Corey. We actually have a tagger for Mitchell this time too.

 

[winty]

Wonder if we'll see Bartel play on Hodge on Monday. That match-up will be worth the price of admission alone.

 

[Commando]

4 points not important? still have some tricky games against port, freo and essendon to come

Sometimes losing a battle helps you win the war.

Am I hoping we lose? Of course not but Hawthorn are playing better football at the moment.

 

[BotsMaster]

im optimistic like you.
look, i know Hawthorn look invincible, but no team is - lets not forget Essendon nearly rolled them in round 2.

A Hawthorn friend of mine told me last night that game showed the definite weaknesses within the Hawks side.

So maybe worthwhile watching that game again.

 

[Turbocat]

Hawks are at the height of their power and in stellar form.
But Geelong are playing better football than last year already. Looking like a better team than 2013.
Geelong to win by 2-3 goals.

Geelong are looking as they may be a better team in 2014 than 13 but its all potential so far , not sure we are playing better footy ...yet.

3 things that will be different this time around:

- We now have a proper ruck division.
- We now have a fully fit full forward, and they most likely won't have Lake.
- We'll both have the same amount of rest. Last time we played them they had an extra week.

Pretty close to 3 ticks , but we still lack the finish of a fit in form Motlop. Burbs is still a bit off that level.Can we please lean to kick straight , even Guthrie is devoid of this.

But really , I really have not studied the personnel to much or the way they are playing. To me its got little do with style it all about upstairs. The little Man , Billy Brownless used to call him.

I know one thing , that when Hawthorn plays well they are confident , they always have talent and put confidence and talent together you get arrogance and right now they are flying..... But in the back of their mind is the little man. A little man saying stuff like the Apollo Creed quote from Rocky 2

Yes we won but did we beat them?


There not going to be happy till they return us to the dark old days , just like Micky said...
..
This guy don't just wanna win, you know, he wants to bury ya, he wants to humiliate ya....



and so it is for the Hawks V us , they would just love it to give us a wooping like they gave Freo. Really stick it to us. Put us back in our Hick Town little hole never to be seen of or heard of again and let them go about winning another 10 flags or so.

So with no thought of anything other than our own pride, lets beat them Cats . Remind them we are still here , we are not going anywhere.

 

[karencatsfan]

Hey vinum, Langford mainly came in off the wing or back of the square to tag Ablett last night. Did a much better job than the stats suggest as Ablett rarely had a damaging disposal for the 35 he had.

I think Langford will get the job on Selwood as he has so far been given Maloney, Watson, Mundy and Ablett. You guys are a little tougher though as I think teams really need to close check both Selwood and SJ. We certainly rarely run 2 hard tags as it messes with out own structures too much. We went to Selwood with Shiels in the PF and Stevie J cut us to pieces. We switched it around late in the second and Selwood cut us up in the second half so what do you do?

This will be the game of the season so far I think. Finally a true blockbuster. With the traditional blockbuster teams all being below par, despite all the pre season hype. Heres looking at you Richmond, Carlton and Collingwood. I have said this for about 5 years that Hawthorn vs Geelong games are the best modern day rivalry and far better quality games than any of the traditional rivalries. These are the current versions of the Essendon vs Collingwood or Richmond vs Carlton games of the 80s

I know its still early days, but who are your likely ins/outs for this game? I heard that Spangher possibly hurt his ankle-is he likely to come up in time? Is Lake due back?

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Are we really missing them though? Bundy and Mots would improve our 'weakest' area but put a line through the rest. Vardy and Pods did nothing in last years PF and Horlin-Smith is already an upgrade on last years Corey. We actually have a tagger for Mitchell this time too.

I certainly agree about Hunt. I think we're a better side without him. He was a negative rather than a positive in last year's prelim. However, I'm not so sure about Pods and Vardy. I think it's vitally important to our structure to have a second tall forward to help Hawkins out. With Pods gone, the belief was that that would be Vardy, but obviously that's not happening this year. It means we either have to rely on the likes of Blitz, a resting ruckman in HMac or Simpson, or the likes of Brown or Walker. None of them really instill me with confidence or the belief that they're going to provide more than Vardy and Pods did last year.

 

[sarah.13]

Wonder if we'll see Bartel play on Hodge on Monday. That match-up will be worth the price of admission alone.

Would be nice to shut up HODGEPODGE FOREVER!

 

[Scottland2007]

Would be nice to shut up HODGEPODGE FOREVER!

there is no shutting up HP

 

[Scottland2007]

Would be nice to shut up HODGEPODGE FOREVER!

Or are we talking a Dexter style shutting up forever? Take a ride on the "slice of life", putting plastic on the walls and floors and walls etc.

 

[BIGANT]

Geelong are looking as they may a better team

Pretty close to 3 ticks , but we still lack the finish of a fit in form Motlop. Burbs is still a bit off that level.Can we please lean to kick straight , even Guthrie is devoid of this.

But really , I really have not studied the personnel to much or the way they are playing. To me its got little do with style it all about upstairs. The little Man , Billy Brownless used to call him.

I know one thing , that when Hawthorn plays well they are confident , they always have talent and put confidence and talent together you get arrogance and right now they are flying..... But in the back of their mind is the little man. A little man saying stuff like the Apollo Creed quote from Rocky 2

Yes we won but did we beat them?


There not going to be happy till they return us to the dark old days , just like Micky said...
..
This guy don't just wanna win, you know, he wants to bury ya, he wants to humiliate ya....



and so it is for the Hawks V us , they would just love it to give us a wooping like they gave Freo. Really stick it to us. Put us back in our Hick Town little hole never to be seen of or heard of again and let them go about winning another 10 flags or so.

So with no thought of anything other than our own pride, lets beat them Cats . Remind them we are still here , we are not going anywhere.

Gold...love it, now upload the fight rocky's love em
My old side back in the day played the rocky 4 movie b4 the game....ha motorvation

 

[AM]

We will need to improve by six or seven goals to be competitive.

Not sure the difference is that big CE. However, agree the Hawks will start deserved favorites.

The Cats have surprised me with the level of performance this year. Hopefully that will continue on Easter Monday.

 

[ZAD1]

Would be nice to shut up HODGEPODGE FOREVER!

We apologise for him . Just a question about your side, how close to 100% do you think you guys are playing at? Probably hard to answer, and you always seem to raise against us anyway so it probably won't matter a lot.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

We'll win this.

 

[Big Tom 2013]

We apologise for him . Just a question about your side, how close to 100% do you think you guys are playing at? Probably hard to answer, and you always seem to raise against us anyway so it probably won't matter a lot.

That is tricky to answer. Maybe playing at around 80%, reckon there'll be a fair few differing opinions though.

Hawks seem to be up and about early. How close to 100% do you think you are?

 

[cynical]

As long as we bring good intensity we should win

 

[winty]

Would be nice to shut up HODGEPODGE FOREVER!

Bartel could get 30 possessions, 12 marks and 7 goals while keeping Hodge to 12 possessions and a mark, and HP will still argue Bartel was overrated as his direct opponent had a dozen touches.