Preview 2025 Preliminary Final: Geelong v Hawthorn, 19 September 2025, 7.40pm @ MCG

[Hawkk]

Time to open up those festering wounds in Handbagger hearts - no mercy for the Corio trash!

Needs more major 1991 Semi too

 

[Leather Poisoning]

We've just come off our best 4 quarter effort of the season. No lapses, no relent. We cruised for the last half of the last quarter but we were on for the entire game - it was incredible.

Geelong's preparation has been the opposite. Only one game in 3 weeks compared to us playing in Western Sydney and Adelaide.

I hope we somehow win this - I'm so happy with our season now. The win against Adelaide did it for me. I don't care if we win or lose the prelim.

The players are hungry and are now believing that they can win big games. I reckon we buried the Port Adelaide demon last night.

Now it's the big one.

 

[thehardway]

Weddle is one of the few players in the competition who can challenge him for aerial ability, speed and endurance.

Ollie loves to charge forward expecting his team to win the ball (and he's damn good at it). But he really hasn't come across a prospect like Weddle which requires him to be defensively accountable.

Going to be a key matchup for the game.

Yep, Weddle is the best match-up. Dempsey is a very good athlete and endurance runner but Weddle is better. As you said he likes to run hard forward when Geelong takes possession. Weddle will need to be awake to this but the upside is Weddle can do the same and hurt them on the turnover. It'll be Dempsey that tires first, not Weddle

 

[KermitJagger]

It might be because I never expected Hawthorn to reach a preliminary Final this year, but I have a feeling that this is close to a free hit as you'll ever get. The Cats will be feeling the pressure. The Hawks also will feel the weight of expectation, but I feel like they have outperformed their expected finishing position already, so this is bonus football for me.

Idk how people thought we wouldn't get deep into finals. We almost made a prelim last year without Day and Sicily.

This isn't a free hit imo, it's later than it seems. As soon as your window opens - as ours is - start striving for premierships.

 

[tommyk72]

Really interested in seeing how we back up another high intensity match. That's the reason why 5-8 very rarely win a flag - the intensity needs to be maintained for four straight weeks. We have done incredibly well, and I'm optimistic that with our running brigade we will be able to front up again.

It's really a free hit - the boys should be going out there, running themselves ragged and having fun. C'arn Hawkas!

 

[KAMSTAR HFC]

Two question marks for me.

Lewis had a fairly underwhelming game again. Hard to be critical, but the stakes are high. Ramsden or Bruest are potential replacements (Dear is still injured).

CJ covers the ground well and runs hard both ways, but he coughs up the ball too often with skill errors, resulting in turnover goals. McKenzie or Huswaite are potential replacements.

Starting to believe

 

[tommyk72]

No change for me. I don't think any of the other options (Ramsden, CMac, Breust) will add more to the side than what would be taken out if we remove Lewis/CJ.

Although CJ is not playing perfectly, the chaos he creates when he comes on with his running and movement plays right into our hands with our small half forwards. I'm hoping it will "click" more for him in the next game, and all of this experience will set him nicely for the pre-season and next year. There's still a player there.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

I am a bit worried about this. I didn’t like Gunstons facial and body language on the bench - looked concerned.

I don't know anything but to be fair he's not a smiley guy. Has a real resting bitch face

 

[StillAtLarge]

We need to put a hard tag on Miers. He is their most effective link man

Just Holmes imo. Make Miers accountable by putting someone dynamic on him

 

[westhawk]

Dempsey plays on the wing. It will be Mass or Weddle

Has to be Weddle, he will kill Mass in the air. Weddle will destroy him.

 

[bigmaxi]

Time to open up those festering wounds in Handbagger hearts - no mercy for the Corio trash!

Thanks for this ACA brings back great memories. There is no one left from my old handbagger hatred days so have had to move on. Smith, the pr0n star coach and the dangerflog, more than enough for me to sharpen a new steely desire for their demise. They are a solid team and real test for our lads but nothing ventured nothing gained, we can win it if we want it enough. After last nights performance it goes without saying.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Fingers cross Ginnivan and Gunston are ok. All eyes on the injury report though. We are really accumulating injuries at the wrong time of year though.

As Mitchell said last week, Dear won't be available until GF at a minimum so we either give Lewis another go or try out Ramsden. Personally I think Lewis has had enough chances. 4 possessions and no score in 3 quarters isn't going to cut the mustard. Ramsden has his limitations but I'm not sure he could be worse than that. Lewis looks slow and unaware of his surroundings.

CJs position in untenable. He's lucky we've been up by 30 plus in both games he's come on because he's been a disaster in both games. I can see what Mitchell is trying to do but putting him on a wing to run while Weddle goes forward to cover for the big man we have just subbed but he's just a complete liability. I'm not sure if Morrison is available or if Bailey MacDonald has been good enough in the VFL but right now I'd take almost anyone over CJ.

Geelong are a good team in a great structure. A much different story to Adelaide and GWS. They will deservedly start favourites however if we play our best we can knock them off even if they are a bit off.

Battle on Cameron
Barrass on Neale
Scrimshaw/Sicily peeling off.

I'm more worried about the midfield. If we let Holmes and Smith get off the leash we are toast.
Atkins has really become a beast mid like a better version of Worpel. Would be happy to get Nash onto him

Assuming Stanley doesn't get up, Meek should have first tap all night although Blicavs could hurt him around the ground as that extra mid.

We also will work out who to send Butler to?
I would say homes but not sure if his fitness would be up to it

 

[bigmaxi]

I don't know anything but to be fair he's not a smiley guy. Has a real resting bitch face

Meet him a few times, he really does.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

I just remember our game earlier in the year. Was out worst kicking game by far. So many unforced errors. Only loay by 7 points in the end

 

[Sonny Hayes]

One thing I like about this match up for us is Geelong don’t move the ball quickly and like kicking it long.

I’ll back our back 6 in against that sort of ball movement all day. If we can just break even in the middle I think we are a huge chance.

 

[Cleavy]

hopefully we don't fall into the Geelong trap with our forward 50 entries.

 

[TylerDurden]

Stanley wont get up.

So the Meek v Blicavs battle is a huge one.

 

[burger09]

Stanley wont get up.

So the Meek v Blicavs battle is a huge one.

We'd almost prefer Stanley to play I'd think.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Don't want us to be too Geelong centric. Sure, put someone on Holmes and get the Cameron matchup right but really, if we play to our potential I think we win. Simple as that

 

[SA HAWK]

We have a few injury concerns?

Ginni, gunston & impey.

 

[KAMSTAR HFC]

Their top 12 fantasy scorers V ours.
Cats = 21308
Hawks = 20746
Cats are +562

Not an excat method for comparisson, but we are very closely matched with tallent.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

I just remember our game earlier in the year. Was out worst kicking game by far. So many unforced errors. Only loay by 7 points in the end

We were abysmal and should have won

Hence why we'll play 50% better and win by 6 goals

 

[VandoHawk]

We have a few injury concerns?

Ginni, gunston & impey.

Mitchell said that they were sore from the short recovery so we just rested them for extended periods in the last.

Was reported they had some 'awareness' after the game but most players do.

Unless something unexpected happens, all of them should play.

 

[parsons nose]

They're too efficient, no matter how good our defense

Agree with this. In our last encounter I walked away from the game feeling we had enough looks to get the chocolates but they found a way through better efficiency around goal. In fact, it seems to be a pattern that has played out a lot in our matches against them. We simply must get a better return on chances, because we’ll likely get enough chances.

Anyway, it’s a game for the ages. Irresistible force, immovable object and all that.

 

[indianhawks]

Already exceeded my expectations. So hopefully, we don't play under any pressure and we can be damaging