AFL 2025 Second Preliminary Final - Cats v Hawks Fri Sept 19th 7:40pm EST (MCG)

[Tadpole]

Worse than that. Dillon will drive himself to Chris' house, paddle in hand to cop his flogging.

 

[Mr Meow]

Not really. They both picked against us last week and most weeks.

Same with Geelong. They're going with a Hawthorn vs Brisbane grand final but the old Cats and Pies did a great job to make it this far!

 

[spudmaster]

Nerves starting to really kick in now.
Excited as heck for the game and hopefully an awesome atmosphere, and am still somewhat in disbelief we made it to an MCG final with all the interstate sides floating around this year.
Hope it's a ripper for neutrals as well!

 

[Long Live HFC]

Win or lose Cats v Hawks is the best rivalry in the competition as far as footy goes (as opposed to geographical rivalry), and has been for years.

I get the angst between the supporter groups but imo there should be more (grudging) respect.

 

[Hawkk]

Com'on Hawks !! Love they sent us legend Hodgey to get the Lions 'sorted out' when Lions were wooden Spoon mugs.

Taking us from the very bottom 2018 straight up into the Finals in 2019 with 16 wins, and have played Finals ever since.

Thanks Hodgey !! (turned boys like Harris into men ) and on the path to Premiership Glory .
(along with 'daddy' Fages too. also coming from Assistant coach job at Hawthorn to the Lions )

Thanks Hawks ! Hoping you Go get the Win and see you in the Grannie

Peter Knights and Leigh Matthews too

 

[Mr Meow]

Win or lose Cats v Hawks is the best rivalry in the competition as far as footy goes (as opposed to geographical rivalry), and has been for years.

I get the angst between the supporter groups but imo there should be more (grudging) respect.

There is plenty of respect compared to say Collingwood vs Carlton or Richmond vs anyone.

 

[Pistol Night]

There is plenty of respect compared to say Collingwood vs Carlton or Richmond vs anyone.

Why would we respect Carlton? You need to be challenged occasionally to earn respect. We respect North more

 

[StackedHunch]

Com'on Hawks !! Love they sent us legend Hodgey to get the Lions 'sorted out' when Lions were wooden Spoon mugs.

Taking us from the very bottom 2018 straight up into the Finals in 2019 with 16 wins, and have played Finals ever since.

Thanks Hodgey !! (turned boys like Harris into men ) and on the path to Premiership Glory .
(along with 'daddy' Fages too. also coming from Assistant coach job at Hawthorn to the Lions )

Thanks Hawks ! Hoping you Go get the Win and see you in the Grannie

Just hope you don't end up getting Cooper Hodge, too. There's such a thing as oversharing...

 

[MisterMarcus]

Hawks fans, are you getting a bunch of 'neutral' opposition fans coming onto your team board to troll you?

We've had Richmond posters, and some brand new accounts that are almost certainly alts, come over and make complete muppets of themselves.

It's pretty funny. But also a bit weird.

 

[Xtreme]

Hawks fans, are you getting a bunch of 'neutral' opposition fans coming onto your team board to troll you?

We've had Richmond posters, and some brand new accounts that are almost certainly alts, come over and make complete muppets of themselves.

It's pretty funny. But also a bit weird.

Just non finals participants trying to get involved in finals fever!

 

[Jim Prideaux]

The fact they tried to play the underdog card is hilarious.

Hawthorn will NEVER be underdogs. You can't win in every decade and be like, "oooo just happy to be here, house money blah blah blah"

Delusional, in their own echo chamber.
Its a freaking Prelim, there is no hiding under the cover of excuses.

But factually, we are in fact the underdogs, since we have in fact finished lower on the ladder and have had to play an extra game on top of both our games being interstate. Add in the betting odds if that’s what floats your boat.

We are the underdogs, that is an indisputable fact.

Now can we win, absolutely. Will we win? I dunno, hopefully. But bugger off with your woe is me rubbish lad.

I’m hoping for a good game, I’m hoping even more for a good game that we win.

 

[Mr Meow]

But factually, we are in fact the underdogs, since we have in fact finished lower on the ladder and have had to play an extra game on top of both our games being interstate. Add in the betting odds if that’s what floats your boat.

We are the underdogs, that is an indisputable fact.

Now can we win, absolutely. Will we win? I dunno, hopefully. But bugger off with your woe is me rubbish lad.

I’m hoping for a good game, I’m hoping even more for a good game that we win.

Factually you are in fact correct according to facts, in fact. Fact.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Factually you are in fact correct according to facts, in fact. Fact.

Facts bro

 

[FootyLad0]

But factually, we are in fact the underdogs, since we have in fact finished lower on the ladder and have had to play an extra game on top of both our games being interstate. Add in the betting odds if that’s what floats your boat.

We are the underdogs, that is an indisputable fact.

Now can we win, absolutely. Will we win? I dunno, hopefully. But bugger off with your woe is me rubbish lad.

I’m hoping for a good game, I’m hoping even more for a good game that we win.

Imagine trying to play underdog status in the Final 4 teams….especially when you’ve dominated the League for what? How many decades now?
You aren’t convincing anyone

Facts bro!

Best team will win because they played better, both teams evenly matched

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Factually you are in fact correct according to facts, in fact. Fact.

That is a fact.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Imagine trying to play underdog status in the Final 4 teams….especially when you’ve dominated the League for what? How many decades now?
You aren’t convincing anyone

Facts bro!

Imagine that theirs is a top 4 with a double chance and an another 4 without it and betting companies that exist, facts, champion.

 

[FootyLad0]

Imagine that theirs is a top 4 with a double chance and an another 4 without it and betting companies that exist, facts, champion.

Ooo snippy are we?

Just focus on the game and stop hiding behind excuses.
Best team will win because they were better and executed as such.

Rather than using a built in cop out excuse, explain why the Hawks will win?
What strategy they should use and what players will impact the game the most?

 

[bigfarter]

Win or lose Cats v Hawks is the best rivalry in the competition as far as footy goes (as opposed to geographical rivalry), and has been for years.

I get the angst between the supporter groups but imo there should be more (grudging) respect.

I always find the grousing on this site between supporters really funny because my favourite footy memories (outside of Grand Final wins) have been at Hawks/Cats games at the height of the rivalry. Without fail would make game-long friends with Hawks fans nearby as we all held our head in hour hands and heart in our mouths with how close those games were.

I love the rivalry and I think it's fantastic that it endures and is being resurrected tomorrow. Do I feel sick about the result? Yes! Will I have a laugh with some Hawks fans at the G tomorrow while watching? Almost certainly. I love these games and though a loss would be a bitter pill to swallow I'm glad it's happening just for the threatre of it all.

Back when I was an AFL member I would bring random friends to watch Cats/Hawks games during the 09-13 period. They all said it was the best standard of footy they'd seen live and one (a Dees supporter back then, to be fair) "It's like watching a different sport."

People here can snipe and bemoan and demean but these are two clubs who play the game well and manage to keep up the top (or not drop too far) with regularity and seeing them against each other with all chips on the table is what sport is about. Bring it on!

 

[Mr Meow]

Imagine that theirs is a top 4 with a double chance and an another 4 without it and betting companies that exist, facts, champion.

Technically it's true that Hawthorn enter as underdogs but to go back to betting talk the line is set at 8.5 points, which is nothing really. A bit of inaccuracy or a couple of big moments swings that quite easily.

Looking logically at both team's form lines throughout the year, not much splits them.

Geelong were 4th-6th premiership favourites most of the season, then Collingwood imploded, other top teams played each other and Geelong won their QF. Somehow that exploded them straight up to premiership favouritism but there is little discernible difference in any of the 4 remaining teams.

A prelim underdog of proper distinction would be Carlton against Brisbane in 2023 or Brisbane vs Geelong in 2022. This one is closer to line ball no matter what the odds say.

 

[joe444]

Geelong fans are very, very confident. I fear a loss will probably break them…

It'll come close

But I suspect some of the same Cats fans who are posting about how close it will be are the ones who will be the most outraged and self-pitying if we lose.

I'd rather just be that fan who thinks we'll win comfortably and deal with the shock/trauma later.

 

[joe444]

I always find the grousing on this site between supporters really funny because my favourite footy memories (outside of Grand Final wins) have been at Hawks/Cats games at the height of the rivalry

Amen brudda. My experience, too. Definitely a disproportionately lower level of trolling/shitfighting/nastiness. A really nice absence of conspiracy theories, too.

 

[Hawkk]

Technically it's true that Hawthorn enter as underdogs but to go back to betting talk the line is set at 8.5 points, which is nothing really. A bit of inaccuracy or a couple of big moments swings that quite easily.

Looking logically at both team's form lines throughout the year, not much splits them.

Geelong were 4th-6th premiership favourites most of the season, then Collingwood imploded, other top teams played each other and Geelong won their QF. Somehow that exploded them straight up to premiership favouritism but there is little discernible difference in any of the 4 remaining teams.

A prelim underdog of proper distinction would be Carlton against Brisbane in 2023 or Brisbane vs Geelong in 2022. This one is closer to line ball no matter what the odds say.

Gambling is irrelevant and should not be allowed in these sort of threads. Strictly from a Hawthorn POV this year has shown serious progression. We did not go under the radar (unlike last year) and have missed our best (Day) and second best (Wettle) for large portions of the year. We still have major holes in this squad — namely in the midfield — but are now making serious strides to address those (namely Petrecca and Merrett). Come what may I think this has been a very successful season (irrespective of tomorrow) and we are primed to go again over the next 2-3 years.

I was at the Suns game in round 5 2024 and if you told me that in the space of 18 months we’d be getting 5 finals into Watson, Newcombe, Wettle, Moore, Macdonald, Ward, Dear (3) I would have taken that 99 times out of 100. Getting a chance to play 2 finals in front of 98,000 plus will be invaluable experience over the next two or three years.

That’s not to say I don’t fully expect we put up a good showing tomorrow, and I give us a strong 40/60 chance, but I am fully aware where Hawthorn currently sit and can see where they are going. The key is to keep building and fix the midfield this year, and then go again and jag a KPF or two to replace Gunston over the next two windows.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Technically it's true that Hawthorn enter as underdogs but to go back to betting talk the line is set at 8.5 points, which is nothing really. A bit of inaccuracy or a couple of big moments swings that quite easily.

Looking logically at both team's form lines throughout the year, not much splits them.

Geelong were 4th-6th premiership favourites most of the season, then Collingwood imploded, other top teams played each other and Geelong won their QF. Somehow that exploded them straight up to premiership favouritism but there is little discernible difference in any of the 4 remaining teams.

A prelim underdog of proper distinction would be Carlton against Brisbane in 2023 or Brisbane vs Geelong in 2022. This one is closer to line ball no matter what the odds say.

mais monsieur meow, i agree. But old mate was suggesting that hawthorn fans were inventing the underdog status. We are underdogs. But that won’t mean that if we win you’ve choked or we’ve had a win for the ages. It will be a simple win, that would be an upset. I hope that happens, I’ll be sad if doesn’t.

 

[Hawkk]

mais monsieur meow, i agree. But old mate was suggesting that hawthorn fans were inventing the underdog status. We are underdogs. But that won’t mean that if we win you’ve choked or we’ve had a win for the ages. It will be a simple win, that would be an upset. I hope that happens, I’ll be sad if doesn’t.

100 per cent. We can win, it’s our home ground (which we play better than anyone else) and we took them to seven points earlier this year. But the ladder does not lie.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Ooo snippy are we?

Just focus on the game and stop hiding behind excuses.
Best team will win because they were better and executed as such.

Rather than using a built in cop out excuse, explain why the Hawks will win?
What strategy they should use and what players will impact the game the most?

Footy lad bloko, Geelong is the favourite, quite fairly too given ladder position and winning their first final, which makes Hawthorn the underdog. It’s not an excuse, it is just an undeniable fact. If you can’t understand that, that’s ok ok. Just say “I’m a dumb dumb who can barely breathe and walk at the same time”.

As for tactics, hawthorn will use the quick handball game during transition to try and switch direction or create space. Further to that an attempt to halve high balms coming in to our forward 50 to allow our plethora (a Greek word, in English) of small forwards to cause chaos. From Geelong I’d expect fast and powerful running through the middle with quick changes in angle to deliver well to a gifted forward line.