2014....can we improve?

[Hawkflag]

Some will fade, some will go, but I reckon there's a huge amount of players that will improve next year and give us a good chance to have another crack.



Will Improve

- Hill - will just add so much to our squad next year. Could be a real real champ
- Schoenmakers - was looking good, will get better. Lake will help him. Another key defender to the mix
- Suckling - needs leg speed but will add greatly to our team as he did nothing this year *cough*
- Shiels - before he was a tagger he was an excellent user of the ball and very reliable. Taggers often graduate back to on-ballers and have learnt from the experience. High hopes for this one
- Rioli - needs to do more and not get injured too. Could be AA
- Anderson - gonna be great one day. I hope he plays 15-20 games next year and contributes
- Gunston - looks to be our main weapon next year
- Breust - can see him get more consistent and mature - gun
- Smith - found his role. Will improve greatly
- Savage - I hold out for this fella and reckon he will be good for us one day
- Stratton - has gotten his confidence back after his knee. Will be better next year especially with a full backline
- Cheney - I reckon he's alright. This one's more wishful thinking



Will be slightly better or slightly less effective

- Whitecross - let's not forget how good he was for us at times before his first knee went. Look out for 2015
- Hodge - will still be great, but will slow a bit
- Lewis - excellent player but can't see him get better or faster
- Gibson - can't see him getting better, but I can see him doing a more versatile role with Shoo back
- Roughnut - can't see him get any better. Another AA
- Burgoyne - getting older. Great player but won't improve. Probably will drop off a bit
- Birchall - might improve a bit and be All Australian again
- Mitchell - will be a champ but a slower and less productive one. But still a champ
- Puopolo - can't see him getting too much better, but could use his skills more and add creativity to our forward line
- Lake - if he can do what he did this year then we're all stoked
- Bailey - I can't see him get any better, BUT I hope he proves me wrong and becomes a gun. Needs to improve a lot



Will drop away or retire

- Hale - has gotten worse except in finals. 2014 will be his last year for the tall fella
- Simpkin - I just can't see it
- Guerra - champ may go
- Sewell - looking tired again
- Franklin - good times
- Ellis - gone

- Osborne - should have gone 2 years ago

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

It's very hard to back up.

Would rather us work to have another crack in 2 - 3 years time.

We'll still have: Rough, Birch, Lewis, Ando, Shiels, Smith, Savage, Duryea, Breust, Pops, Gunner, Hill, Stratts, Suckers, Schoey, Lewis, Simpkin...

 

[Baz_hawk]

Hard to say, but I'm expecting next year will be when we start to bring through a new crop of midfielders. Hallahan, Woodward, Langford all a big chance of playing 6-12 games for us next year if they can get a solid preseason under their belts and we can hold onto them.

We have Tatapu and Heatherly coming to the club which will be a boost to our KP stocks, O'brien and Brand can put on some bulk and improve greatly. Next year shouldn't be about backing up on this year, it should be the beginning of the transition in the middle while still having a high expectation. If we don't next year then we will drop of quite a bit when Mitchell/Sewell/Burgoyne call it a day. Need to go into this draft chasing a medium sized, big bodied midfielder for the future

 

[DrEvil]

Schoenmakers to forward... please... been dying for this since we drafted him.

 

[Hawkflag]

It's very hard to back up.

Would rather us work to have another crack in 2 - 3 years time.

We'll still have: Rough, Birch, Lewis, Ando, Shiels, Smith, Savage, Duryea, Breust, Pops, Gunner, Hill, Stratts, Suckers, Schoey, Lewis, Simpkin...

Without our genuine stars I can't see that list you provide can take on GWS and GCS in 3 years time.

I reckon we gotta get some serious roving talent for next year or bust. Drop Buddy and use the money to get two Burgoynes. Next year is our chance as I cannot see the Cats doing much and Sydney getting older....Richmond? Maybe. Freo? Probably.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Simpkin was awesome today. Has plenty

 

[Todman]

They say our midfield is slow, if Buddy goes then there is money for a gun midfielder.

 

[gianytee]

I wouldnt mind us looking to trade Sewell for a 2nd or 3rd round pick, i think he is more useful to a younger team as a leader as he is a model professional and can help young kids, but i think his time at Hawthorn is at an end. I just believe Lewis should get more time in the center square next year and if Shiels isnt used as a tagger he is very good in the clearances as is Hallahan. Shiels should get more time on ball and Hallahan is a younger version of Sewell making Sewell replacecable sadly. But will be remembered as an all time great for the Hawks

 

[macdaddio]

Look at the Box hill side that won the flag..
People saying we too old and won't be there next year, well from what I saw from our kids today and in Box hill we have many years left!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[Hawthorn23]

Will Langford, this kid has potential. Looks to be a tagger, but I loved his ball-winning ability in the VFL GF

 

[DrEvil]

Reckon this was our last chance with this group, happy with what we achieved, time to rebuild for another real crack in a few years.

 

[almuz]

Time to RELOAD

If Buddy does goes which looks likely we should be compensated with draft picks by the AFL (for the love all things holy, I hope we are compensated). I would love a young, quick potential gun midfielder in the same vein as say Danger or Cotchin.

Strictly looking at 2014, Schoey still has the talent to be in our best 22, already been suggested but I'd love to see presenting up forward. Keen to see him return because he was actually playing some good footy this year.

 

[walhawk]

Out - Frankin, Guerra, Sewell
In - Shoe/Spang, Suckling/Duryea, Hallahan/Anderson

We will be fine.
I hope we play the kids.

 

[SSSSSS]

Sobered up a bit now. I'd love to say that we can improve and we need to if we want to remain relevant in September. Footy is a tough game and if you don't go forwards you go backwards.

That being said winning a Premiership is bloody tough. The 2009-2012 period just emphasized that. Who knows if we can improve. It would be bloody brilliant but you gotta remember so much went right for us this year and we can't take that for granted. We had minimal injuries minus the Knees and we were virtually full strength come Grand final day. Who knows if we will have the same sort of fortune.

2014 will hopefully be another year on the top but I won't count on it. Need a lot more than improvement to win a Premiership. Need a bit of luck too. History suggests that luck doesn't continue two years in a row. We have to make our own luck though.

If our old veterans can maintain their form and our young kids improve than we are very much a shot. It's a big if though. We are probably going to lose a whole lot of experience as well. Ah well enjoy the ride as we can. Lets celebrate a bit before we worry too much about 2014.

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

One positive looking toward 2014 is that we got through the finals campaign with little serious injury aside from Whitey. Hopefully there aren't many surgeries necessary in the off season.

There are heaps of players pushing for selection, but I'm really excited about seeing the NZ lads too. great things to look forward to aside from another premiership push.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Faraway Hawk]

Gee whiz, how tough are we at Big Footy? The beer has hardly dried up and we are already planning for 2014?Lets just enjoy this for at least couple of days before dissecting this squad and rebuilding/topping up for 2014.

Go the Mighty Hawks! Premiers 2013!

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

Geelong have shown everyone that you can continue to regenerate whilst still being a shot at the flag. This year we have seen a replacement for Guerra (Dureya), Hale (Grimley), and in the midfield (Anderson/Simpkin). We have replacements for Sewell (Hallihan) in the twos, whilst having some good key position stocks at Box Hill.

We have also basically planned for the loss of Buddy by giving him a much different role this year further up the ground, and having Roughie and Gunners playing deeper forward.

We get Schoey back next year (can play forward or back), Suckling back as well (elite kicking).

Not saying we are favorites for the flag, but sheesh, we have a list that, for mine, can continue to challenge whilst moving into the next generation

 

[Hawk Dork]

B2B

 

[hawker92]

Schoey has to come back into the team.
Duryea is ready to take Goo's spot if he retires.
Suckling is no walk up start
Jed, Langers, Hallahan and Woodward to hopefully get more games in 2014
We had a dream run with injuries but managed our list beautifully. This group knows how to win the big ones now. If we can stay healthy, we should go very close again in 2014

 

[Roddy]

Agree with TBoyle, I believe we can do a Geelong and do a 'mini-rebuild' whilst still remaining extremely competitive. We can 'rebuild' and go back to back at the same time!

 

[rjslcM]

Mitch Hallahan thread

 

[burner1]

The goal has to be back to back. To try a rebuild is futile as in 3 years gcs and gws will be very very hard to beat - and we'll have lost Mitch, hodge, lake, Burgoyne, gibbo etc. we've got to try to get another from this group before the retirements. I reckon buddy is gone and we'll go hard at the free agency and trade periods.
Shoey is a pretty handy replacement at chf for buddy. There's talk baileys knees we stuffed so I reckon well look at a ruck (longer) and 1-2 mids.

The improvement internally will probably come from hill, gunston, shiels, maybe breust and smith. The rest if our side is pretty established. Of those outside the 22 I expect to see Anderson, duryea, savage, Langford, litherland, maybe lowden hallahan, and obrien to get a fair bit of game time next year - hopefully a few establish themselves in 22 as it'll mean we're a better side + well probably need to manage a few of our senior players throughout the year.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The simple answer is yes.

We will look to players like Duryea, Anderson, Langford, Hallahan, Suckling, Schoenmakers to challenge for spots in our 22.

Then there is the very real chance that Longer and another mid may be added to the list.

 

[Buddyball]

If Buddy goes, we have enough money to poach 2 quality midfielders, so who should they be?

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

If Buddy goes, we have enough money to poach 2 quality midfielders, so who should they be?

we have money, but we don't have picks. We need picks.