No Oppo Supporters General AFL discussion and other club’s news - Part 10

[cryptor]

Just heard that Battle and Hardwick are going to be playing for Victoria in the State of Origin game, and Barrass is playing for WA.

Is anyone else concerned that we have 3 of our most important players being risked in this, especially as they are all defenders? Hopefully it's not a serious game and just a bit of a run around and kick, like the NBA all star games are.

Not really. They’ll probably be playing this instead of our preseason match. So game exposure before round 0 is the same.

The state of origin will hopefully have a bit of extra intensity compared to the typical preseason game but all players are in the same boat in terms of wanting to represent their state jumper in the right way while also not writing themselves off by being overly physical.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Was having this discussion with a mate - if you could pick a past hawk to come into our midfield now to complete it who would it be? It would be Crawf for mine. I reckon everything he had is what we need now in our mix.

Toss up between Sam Mitchell and Shane Crawford.

Crawf for his all round game (he could play anywhere) and Mitch for his unrelenting competitiveness and consistency.

 

[killerspud]

It’s dumbfounding that someone would care more about Victoria (or the state you’re supporting) beating another state over risking a star player to injury costing them a shot at the flag.

Premierships or GTFO is my view.

I still have nightmares about seeing Tony Hall go down - one of my favourite ever players

 

[lethalselbow]

Just had his SSP chance extended.

The 16 players training for an AFL lifeline this summer

The bulk of players training in a bid to win the last list spots available will return in 2026

www.afl.com.au

My bad. Read a snippet which suggested he'd gone the other way.

 

[kazzooka]

Not really. They’ll probably be playing this instead of our preseason match. So game exposure before round 0 is the same.

The state of origin will hopefully have a bit of extra intensity compared to the typical preseason game but all players are in the same boat in terms of wanting to represent their state jumper in the right way while also not writing themselves off by being overly physical.

But playing a preseason match for Hawthorn is practicing playing the Hawthorn way. A Hawthorn pre-season match has meaning and is important for our team.

Only thing Victoria vs WA is good for is potentially allowing these guys to develop relationships with Butters and Merrett.

 

[cryptor]

Was having this discussion with a mate - if you could pick a past hawk to come into our midfield now to complete it who would it be? It would be Crawf for mine. I reckon everything he had is what we need now in our mix.

Chuck Shaun Burgoyne in the centre with Will Day and Jai Newcombe please. Those 3 getting fed by Meek/Reeves would win flags.

 

[CHUBBSS]

E. Hollands not making it at Carlton

I’d heard his got his pace and game back, reckon he will get another shot

 

[SodaPop]

No love for Hodge?

 

[matey]

I still have nightmares about seeing Tony Hall go down - one of my favourite ever players

And it was Andy Collins that laid the tackle . I’m no fan of the format one bit!

 

[Atch]

Does anyone here actually want to see the state of origin?

 

[The Chad and I]

Loved Sam Mitchell, but there's no way I am pining for a slow midfielder to slot into this team, even with his strengths.

Hodge, Crawford, Platten.
Jarman as a midfielder would have been the ideal addition to the three-peat era.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Does anyone here actually want to see the state of origin?

Not really. But at least the nostalgia of the state jumpers might be pretty cool.

 

[JRH]

With draft and trade news going year round, they should play state of origin as a preview for the mid season draft. Vic v all, must nominate to be in the draft to play. Top up the sides with some retirees for some leadership. Risking listed players is absolute madness. And to be honest I just couldn’t care.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Does anyone here actually want to see the state of origin?

Personally I am very meh on the whole thing.

Even when it was a thing in the 80s/90s I never really got the appeal but maybe that's just me.

And when look at the farce that is the NBA All Star matches are these days that makes it even less appealing if it's going to be anything similar to that dross.

 

[grumbleguts]

As if anyone would pick anyone other than Leigh Matthews.
They'd have to be joking surely.

 

[Dewnior]

Was having this discussion with a mate - if you could pick a past hawk to come into our midfield now to complete it who would it be? It would be Crawf for mine. I reckon everything he had is what we need now in our mix.

Matthews, Silk, Jarman in that order.

 

[Slainte]

Was having this discussion with a mate - if you could pick a past hawk to come into our midfield now to complete it who would it be? It would be Crawf for mine. I reckon everything he had is what we need now in our mix.

Maybe Cyril - rotating with Wiz.

 

[MasterSamurai]

State of origin is a bit old wank fest. No one asked for it . Getting injured playing for the club that pays your wages up against getting injured in the wank fest are completely different things! And no, it's not a spectacle at all .

 

[danielG]

Just heard that Battle and Hardwick are going to be playing for Victoria in the State of Origin game, and Barrass is playing for WA.

Is anyone else concerned that we have 3 of our most important players being risked in this, especially as they are all defenders? Hopefully it's not a serious game and just a bit of a run around and kick, like the NBA all star games are.

I just don’t get the argument that players are risking themselves in a state of origin match.. Players risk injury at training, should we stop that too.. You can’t wrap athletes in cotton wool on the off chance they get injured, that’s their risk to take..If I was a player I’d love to play against the best of the best and something that happened in a state match nearly 40 years ago wouldn’t put me off in the slightest..

 

[MasterSamurai]

Prime Hodge!! Busting through congestion like they don't exist!! Not bad for a goal or two as a mid either.

 

[Steven Tyler]

State of Origin was awesome when a lot of the WA and SA players were running around in their respective leagues, not playing in the VFL, because you could actually watch these players you’d heard about, rather than just reading about them

The concept died when the league turned national

 

[I got the outside word]

I just don’t get the argument that players are risking themselves in a state of origin match.. Players risk injury at training, should we stop that too.. You can’t wrap athletes in cotton wool on the off chance they get injured, that’s their risk to take..If I was a player I’d love to play against the best of the best and something that happened in a state match nearly 40 years ago wouldn’t put me off in the slightest..

At training and in our practice matches they are risking themselves to learn our way with their own team mates that will help protect them more often. I know training and practice match mishaps happen but a game with a bunch of players that aren’t there to set a season up with you is much more of a risk in my opinion. Nothing game for a nothing reason, let league have it, I don’t think we need it.

 

[marklar]

Does anyone here actually want to see the state of origin?

In the AFL? No.

It works really well in the NRL as they use it to feed into the national team to go play against England et al.

AFL doesn't have that. Maybe it should be the AA squad(s) playing so they can't just select 14 midfielders and have a muppet as captain.

It's meaningless in AFL, always has been.

AFL would do better taking a different direction, how about unders vs overs? Pick an arbitrary age like 25 and select the best under 25 team to play against the best over 25s. Could even make it so the youngest and oldest have to be selected as captain respectively.

 

[MisterBean]

No love for Hodge?

We would all pick Hodgey, but no one knows where he is at.

 

[Ka Norkers]

Leigh Matthews








Next best Hawthorn mid-fielder (Mitchell IMO, but you could argue many others, including Platten, Hodge, Burgoyne, Crawford)
Matthews light-years ahead of any other. Also the best player I've ever seen, by a mile. In true tall-poppy Aussie tradition, pundits throw up Wayne Carey, but those same poppy haters throw up the idiotic idea that Kingston Heath is somehow better than Royal Melbourne. Carey not fit to shine Barney's boots.