Preview 2017: how do we bounce back?

[daniel23]

Massive off season for the club and they would of been planning it a long time ago. We have been so good at keeping our core group together but if we continue with that trend we won't be beating these up and coming teams in the future.

Hard calls need to be made and after last night I have no issue in trading birchall, hartung and one of bruest or Sicily. If that means we end up with o'meara , Mitchell and a key position without trading all our decent picks also .

Look what one star player did for bulldogs last night in bontempelli he got them back in that and dragged everyone along with him. we don't have anyone like that anymore hopefully o'meara can be because that improves the team by a fair margin already.

the old boys can't be played every game next year and I would be calling time on one of the probably Hodge. With Lewis next in line

2017 team

Gibson frawley Stratton
Howe (new kpp or brand) Burgoyne/whitey

Smith Mitchell O'Rourke
Mcevoy Mitchell o'meara

Burton shoey gunston
Rioli (new kpp or big dopey fitzy ) puopolo


Bench Sicily , doc, shiels , Lovell , (langford I believe needs to become a permanent run with and has the ability to be one of the best in the game ), heatherly , Lewis .

Good team on paper but depth after that isn't great I'm looking forward to what this great club plans to do

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Worth repeating from the other 'let's put the slippers into our premiership players' thread - Gibbo had 184 one percenters this year. Not too shabby for a player who is apparently rapidly declining.

 

[H2F]

This is the worst thread I've ever read ...

We should have had a weeks rest and be in a prelim if not for absolute cheating umpires.

Gibbo, Stratton, Birchall, Frawley and Doc were ruined by not playing Brand or actually retiring Lake to keep Spangher who get this (they didn't play)...

Our mids were ruined by not playing Langford, Lovell and at least one other over the journey instead of competing against 7 or 8 rotations all year.

The only player I'm worried about is Breust. If they trade him for Mitchell I'll vomit.

 

[Cynic]

I will be terrified if we get all of Mitchell, O'Meara & Vickery.

Even with them I can't see us having the commitment to winning in 2017.

2017 needs to be a hand over year with the older blokes mentoring and focusing on 2018.

 

[MistyAvalon]

Believe. Desire.... trust. and never f ear we'll be back stronger t han ever.

 

[dermott]

I suggest you all read Number 24's post on page 264 of the Draft and Trading thread. It is the best summation of where we have been this season and what we are likely to do in the trade period.

 

[Hawk1978]

I think we all need to chill, we have been a bit off the pace all year but still made top four.
If things go to plan and we get some talented players in during the trade period I think we can be right back in it again.
I think our veterans can go on at this point.
Time will tell, I trust the club to know what to do.
As for players like Sicily and Hartung, I think they are decent players and reckon sicily will likely become quite a good player, but we may need to trade him and hartung to secure players like O'Meara.
Once again lets back the club and not make knee jerk calls for axing and retirements.
Clarko is at the helm, I still think next year will be a good one.

 

[H2F]

I suggest you all read Number 24's post on page 264 of the Draft and Trading thread. It is the best summation of where we have been this season and what we are likely to do in the trade period.

Link?

 

[William Wonka]

One player will make all the difference to our team.
A true quality inside/outside mid.
See Geelong with Danger.
We get O'Meara whatever it costs and we are golden.
Burton will have a massive, massive impact next season.
Our real youth Lovell, Stewart etc. (not Sicily, Hartung, TOB, O'Rourke) will start to play a part as well.
Jarman possibly coming to us is a huge win, limitless potential.
Oh, btw anyone heard of a bloke called Roughy?

 

[Hawk1978]

I thought this was an interesting read, might help cheer a few of us up.
I think we are being overly harsh on some of the players.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-17/player-ratings-every-hawks-player-rated-from-the-semifinal

 

[Hollow Sorrow]

My god the baby and bath water has been thrown out in this thread.

 

[H2F]

I thought this was an interesting read, might help cheer a few of us up.
I think we are being overly harsh on some of the players.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-17/player-ratings-every-hawks-player-rated-from-the-semifinal

White X a 5 - turn it up !!!

Thanks for the link but the normal drivel as usual from the media.

 

[H2F]

Whitey was awesome and one of our shining lights ...

 

[Dragz]

Good to see Clarko commentating about illegal disposal and how we need to change. 100+ tackles for 3 free kicks is ridiculous.
So, next year, you'll see us throwing the ball, dropping the ball to advantage.
Vickery (if he comes) will get the #1 defender, making life that bit better for Gunston and the other forwards.
O'Meara (if we get him) will provide midfield grunt and pace inside and out.

Those two will make us a 2 goal better team. I'd be expecting Hodge/Lewis/Burgoyne/Gibson/Mitchell to be rotated thru matches. Have to be getting games and continuity into Howe/Burton/Lovell/Stewart/Woodward/Brand/Heatherley.

Get our injuries right, and some trades, we'll be ok.

Wouldn't be surprised if Poppy, Birchall, Gibson, Lewis have all been injured for a bit, so the extra time will go a long way to getting them right.

 

[Hawk1978]

Unfortunately I don't think we will get Jarman, from what I read he is a massive crows fan and goes to a lot of their home games

 

[macdaddio]

This is the worst thread I've ever read ...

We should have had a weeks rest and be in a prelim if not for absolute cheating umpires.

Gibbo, Stratton, Birchall, Frawley and Doc were ruined by not playing Brand or actually retiring Lake to keep Spangher who get this (they didn't play)...

Our mids were ruined by not playing Langford, Lovell and at least one other over the journey instead of competing against 7 or 8 rotations all year.

The only player I'm worried about is Breust. If they trade him for Mitchell I'll vomit.

We've had a good run all year with umps..
#freekickhawthorn

But seriously though we better not trade Breust...

 

[jr4jane2004]

rebuild begins with omeara...who the clubs think will be our next marque player...supporting acts in mitchell..vickery...once most of the old guard..boyd from doggies is on 1m a year...so they will have salary cap issues...bont will be on close to 1m soon based on hos performance...can we pry out a macrae or a stringer the follpwing year....surely theyll come cheaper than fype...if not gws...carlton has been steadily acquiring top talent...can we get a shiels or a patton...we maybe a few years a way until.we can challenge ..clarko and wrighty have to reset..so we can build another dynasty..

 

[Thaihawk]

What kind of thread is this?
The most positive post to date is from a Geelong supporter, that's right a cat!
I think a priority is a good tap ruck who can take grabs around the field. WE missed Cegs so much. Maybe big Pitt will fill that void next year.
With Burton, O'Meara, Howe, Tom Mitchell, Lovell, Brand (if he signs on) and a few others we have plenty of quality putting pressure on our ageing stars, who will have to fight to keep the youngsters out. I believe we should manage older players next year, but also think we will make the finals in the 5-8 range.
If the rumour about Breust (his contract is up next year) is true, I would be OK using him in the O'Meara deal.

Have a feeling our 2017 list will have a very different look to the current one.

 

[Davo-27]

the positives for 2017

* Roughead will be back
* some of our veterans are still performing to a good AFL standard week-in week-out (Lewis, Mitchell, Burgoyne, Frawley, Rioli, McEvoy, Stratton, Puopolo and Smith)
* Sicily - 30 goals in his 1st season as a medium forw, also kicked a few clutch goals
* Brand - played a dozen games in the backline and all but his first he looked good in
* Burton - played a few games and looked a real talent in them, excited to see him put on muscle and play forw
* Pittonet - didnt set the world on fire, but is a competant ruck option
* Lovell - wasnt great, but showed some promise
* Howe - a little disappointed by his performances, but i think he might be groomed to take Birchalls spot in the near future
* Stewart(rookie) - nipped in and did his bit, looked ok for a rookie, might get upgraded???
* O'Meara wants to come to our club + possibly T.Mitchell

who i think might go?:

B. Hill (freo), Spangher (ret), Litherland (trade or delisted), Willsmore (delisted), Webster (delisted) maybe ???O'Rourke???

 

[Cdreamer]

I believe we definitely need to fix renovate our midfield and fix up our contested possessions, we don't need to be the best but our last two finals we lost contested possession by 52 and 50 that's significant. It was our foot skills and efficiency that kept us in these matches. Other teams know what we do now its no secret we've been doing it for years and we can't be losing such an important category by such a large number. Also listening to Clarko's presser we laid 105 tackles with only 3 free kicks, if this is the way that games are to be officiated then Hawthorn will have to look at how they play and become better at that contested footy.

 

[Gralin]

Link?

This one I expect
2016 Trade, Draft and free agency news (Any JK3 talk = instant thread ban & no hypothetical trades)

 

[macdaddio]

Apparently Breust was told during week he may be traded to get O'Meara..
Anyone else heard this ?

 

[Smithdogmaddog]

Apparently Breust was told during week he may be traded to get O'Meara..
Anyone else heard this ?

Wayne Carey was strong on this on MMM but apparently Breust manager got in contact and denied it but Carey said he had another two people confirm it.

 

[seysearles]

This is the worst thread I've ever read ...

We should have had a weeks rest and be in a prelim if not for absolute cheating umpires.

You should really try to check yourself before posting stuff like this. You sound like the FreeKickHawthorn tin hat crew. No umpires cheated. I don't even think that we were hard done by. It actually feels pretty good to show a bit of humility in defeat. You should try i out.

 

[LuckyHawk]

Wayne Carey was strong on this on MMM but apparently Breust manager got in contact and denied it but Carey said he had another two people confirm it.

Carey and Barrett are pushing this for a story. Barrett contacted Breust's management and received a face full for his trouble.
At this stage its pure rumour mongering and nothing more.