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

[grumbleguts]

This is a coward punch to me, I don’t know how it avoided more attention.

 

[vaughnie]

Question - I'm an afl gold member with hawk club support.

How much will my ticket be
1. If I sit in the afl reserve?
2. If i sit as hawk club member in ponsford stand?

I found hawk members club pricing so I some that's what I pay in the hawks ponsford stand and its the same for afl members?

I can't find pricing for afl reserve though

$30 for AFL gold member in the afl reserve

 

[MC_9]

I feel like the key matchup for this game is going to be Mullin vs Newcombe. If Mullin shuts down Newc we will struggle. If Newc can break the tag with support from the rest of the midfield group, it will go a long way to winning.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Hill and Scaife definitely not up to it.

Has to be Frenchie or BMac if we have changed.

I would like CJ out for BMac but don't think it will.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

For those who are MCC, I see the reserved seats go on sale 9am tomorrow.

Can I enter the site and virtually line up before then or does that start at 9?

I

 

[MistyAvalon]

one more game to get through. I do wish it was a Sat afternoon game... Melb is still freezing at night
least of my worries but you know

 

[mustang]

They will dial up the pressure on us. Like nothing you've seen. Will we cope? Can we return serve, and harder. This will be the ball game.

It will be like the Port game last year, have they learnt from that we will see

 

[Malik90]

IN: MacKenzie
OUT: Ginnivan (injured)


B: Hardwick, Barrass, Impey

HB: Sicily, Battle, Scrimshaw

C: Amon, Ward, Weddle

HF: MacDonald, Lewis, Moore

F: Gunston, Chol, Watson

R: Meek, Newcombe, Nash

INT: D’Ambrosio, Worpel, Butler, MacKenzie, Jiath (Sub)

EMG: Serong, Ramsden, Hustwaite

 

[Hawkk]

 

[Bedi]

If the shoe fits. Smith is the biggest attention whore since Capper, the biggest **** up since Fevola on Brownlow night, the nastiest player since Akermanis at the death of Jim Stynes, but hides behind the skirt of mental health when he's called out. He's a gutless coward who deserves to be seen as such.

Snorting too much powder aint going to help in that regard

 

[Chioli]

I feel like the key matchup for this game is going to be Mullin vs Newcombe. If Mullin shuts down Newc we will struggle. If Newc can break the tag with support from the rest of the midfield group, it will go a long way to winning.

I haven’t watched him enough and no doubt he’s done massive jobs on Daicos and Mcluggage. Can he be as effective on a midfield bull or do the cats send O’Connor to Newc?

 

[seysearles]

I haven’t watched him enough and no doubt he’s done massive jobs on Daicos and Mcluggage. Can he be as effective on a midfield bull or do the cats send O’Connor to Newc?

How has Newc performed under a tag to date? How often does he get a full clamp? I dont recall off the top of my head.

 

[earthworms]

I feel like the key matchup for this game is going to be Mullin vs Newcombe. If Mullin shuts down Newc we will struggle. If Newc can break the tag with support from the rest of the midfield group, it will go a long way to winning.

Toyota Corolla vs Hydrogen Bomb

 

[seysearles]

I hope Hardwick or Sicily makes sure that this turd gets his face imprinted into the side hoarding on Friday. Ive never seen a footballer who plays a role for the public thats so far from his real persona in my life. Laps up the "so brave" narrative like a pomeranian looking for attention.

View attachment Bailey Smith.mov

 

[MasterSamurai]

Their backline is similar to ours in that they have mid to tall sized intercept backs. Need Lewis and Chol to put in big shifts and I'd definitely have Mack in for Ginni. Butler and Mack can swap the half frwd/ midfield roles.
Mackenzie's weakness isn't getting the ball, it's the way we are trained to hassle and tackle wth pressure WİTHOUT the ball. Thats why Butler is preferred in the midfield mix. Once Mack works out the defensive side of our game, he'd be pick every week.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Won’t forget Smith putting the ball into Impey’s head very disrespectful ….. deserves some payback. Hope someone gets into Smith’s face as he will lose the plot and give away 50’s guaranteed!

just spend the first quarter punching the ball into Geelong face, i mean, its only a fine. Right?

 

[onthemoney]

McKenzie has to be the in if we need to make a change. Form line isn’t ideal, but has the talent and won’t have to be the #1 mid like he has had to be at Box Hill of late.

On composure and willingness to meet finals pressure I’d love Serong, but just not seeing a clear role for him.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

After rewatching the Crows game, Lewis holds his spot. Was missed by the kicker on three occasions, two of which would have been shots for goal. His pressure and ability to bring the ball to ground were good. Did not get outmarked once either.

As much as I don’t trust CJ under the heat, he will stay in the side. Only change will be if Ginni is ruled out. In which case Frenchie comes in and he and Butler split time between midfield and HFF.

A quick start will be crucial. Teams coming off a long lay off often start slow. If we can get a 2-3 goal jump on them it would make a nice change from the usual script where we are chasing them.

They will be fresher and are good at running out games so getting an early lead and making them spend tickets to catch up is our best chance.

Our backline matches up well with their forwards. Miers is a tough matchup because he gets up the field and uses the ball well. Impey to go with him as he can hurt him the other way with his run and carry. Dimma on Stengle, Battle on Jezza, Scrim and Sicily to share responsibility for Danger and Barrass to take Neale.

Need the versions of Meek, Ward, Worps and Nash that we had on Friday. Can’t expect Newk to dominate like he has against an experienced and disciplined unit. Other guys will need to win clearances and run interference for him.

What an opportunity against our biggest modern day rival. Great experience for the boys regardless of result.

With that said, let’s smash these pricks. Sick of Smith and Dangerfield’s smug faces.

Reckon the bloke who is pretty pivotal for them you didn't mention is Mannagh, we don't have the right matchup for him he will cause us issues just like Easter Monday.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

They will dial up the pressure on us. Like nothing you've seen. Will we cope? Can we return serve, and harder. This will be the ball game.

It's a prelim mate, alot of our boys have been waiting for this. If we're not expecting intense physicality were not in the right headspace. I've yet to see a team dial up the pressure to the extreme on them because they always seem to set the tone. Expect us to be very physical in this one. Mitch doesn't like this mob you can tell by the way he answered the question about them in the presser. " Annoyingly good hopefully we can get rid of them".

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

It's also guys like Atkins (best tackler in the comp), Bowes, Miers etc.
They apply elite pressure.

Turn the tables on them. Attack them all ferociously everytime they get near it. Miers I reckon would go into his shell a bit of were really physical with him. Nice guy and good player but it's a prelim.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

This is the team that have the dangerous smalls that will cause havoc if we are not dialled in down in the backline. Dimma and Impey will take the 2 most dangerous but they have 4-5 of them. 1 of our talls will have to play smaller. They utilise this setup to their advantage alot. Alot of them cheat our the back too which is why you see them unattended during games frequently.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I haven’t watched him enough and no doubt he’s done massive jobs on Daicos and Mcluggage. Can he be as effective on a midfield bull or do the cats send O’Connor to Newc?

Don't be surprised they send O Connor to Weddle. Scott is the most cerebral coach in the business and thinks 2 steps ahead. They would see Newk and Weddle as the genuine threats to them just like Rayner and Mcluggage were. We must not allow them both to control the narrative, bump, push and scrag these blokes at every opportunity without giving away a free to put them off their games. Do not allow Scott to orchestrate the tone of the game.

 

[MasterSamurai]

**** them. Just be the hunter from the get go and dial up the pressure two fold!
I. Want. Blood.

 

[brew]

**** them. Just be the hunter from the get go and dial up the pressure two fold!
I. Want. Blood.

Don’t let them jump us and keep the pressure up for 4 qtrs!

 

[Hawkspot]

If Ginni misses, I’d have Bmac in as sub with CJ starting. Bmac allows us to add speed and throw Impey forward for a spark if we need it.

Either him or Mackenzie.

Is Ginni just tightness? Sam definitely said he would be better next week than he was last week, though I guess he has to say that.