Preview 2018 Hawthorn war-chest of awesomeness and envy!

[HODGEYROAD]

Agree when we are at full strength and streets ahead of the competition but we arent at the moment and really neither is anyone else.
Easy draws give you a few easy wins
So every easy win gives you a chance to make finals and gives you a chance to win a lucky one, make supporters and sponsors happy and attract and keep talent.

Tiges had a soft draw last year and the Dogs the year before that.

100%, the tough FIXture preparing you for finals has been proven a myth the last 2 seasons, seems easy wins early in the season to build confidence is more important in a relatively even competition.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Our biggest challenge list wise over the next couple of years is keeping Burton. As much as ADL have suffered with players "going home", the boot's on the other foot with this one. They'll throw $1.2-$1.7 a year at him for 5-6 years, which we will be reluctant to match. Sloane and Tex will be nearing the end, so believe me, they'll be targeting him now.

And us? The AFL will "compensate" us with picks 89 and 90 in the 2034 rookie draft.

No chance. One reason Adelaide keep losing players is because they are tighter than Hawthorn in terms of paying players. They use a pay scale which they refuse to go over no matter how big the player. They’d have to do a massive u-turn on that if they were going to offer burton that sort of money.

 

[shoddy]

No chance. One reason Adelaide keep losing players is because they are tighter than Hawthorn in terms of paying players. They use a pay scale which they refuse to go over no matter how big the player. They’d have to do a massive u-turn on that if they were going to offer burton that sort of money.

Learnt their lesson with Tippet

 

[kirbatron]

Looks like the pony is coming home.. stkilda?

Cant see him coming to us for some reason.

 

[Furn2]

Is Sloane unrestricted ?

 

[MrPremiership]

Is Sloane unrestricted ?

restricted apparently

 

[wahawk]

Is Sloane unrestricted ?

According to most news outlets, yes
but the way I read it, he is a restricted free agent

 

[Coathanger]

According to most news outlets, yes
but the way I read it, he is a restricted free agent

No he's unrestricted,been there 10 years next year.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

I get the feeling that Sloane may well be heading back to Victoria.

 

[MrPremiership]

My understanding is that

Restricted: 8 years AND in top 25% paid
Unrestricted: 8 years AND NOT in top 25% paid, or 9+ years

 

[dcutter]

Gaff suddenly looks very gettable.

If WC begin their inevitable slide , Gaff may not want to hang around for what looks to be a very lengthy rebuild from what is a very shallow, ageing list.

He's the sort of player Clarkson craves. Quick, elite disposal, very much a game breaker. Absolutely the kind of player we need.

We will have been in his ear for a considerable amount of time, Hartung's seemingly abrupt departure might have more logic to it than we know as it currently stands.

 

[Dank You Steven]

No chance. One reason Adelaide keep losing players is because they are tighter than Hawthorn in terms of paying players. They use a pay scale which they refuse to go over no matter how big the player. They’d have to do a massive u-turn on that if they were going to offer burton that sort of money.

I hope you're right.

 

[kirbatron]

Burto is very happy in melbourne.

 

[wahawk]

Gaff suddenly looks very gettable.

If WC begin their inevitable slide , Gaff may not want to hang around for what looks to be a very lengthy rebuild from what is a very shallow, ageing list.

He's the sort of player Clarkson craves. Quick, elite disposal, very much a game breaker. Absolutely the kind of player we need.

We will have been in his ear for a considerable amount of time, Hartung's seemingly abrupt departure might have more logic to it than we know as it currently stands.

WCE made a massive mistake in taking Mitch & Petrie when they already had an ageing list. It’s put them so far behind that it’s laughable.
Problem is Simpson will get the sack before Vozzo does.
If Gaff wants team success, he won’t stay at Eagles

 

[HODGEYROAD]

WCE made a massive mistake in taking Mitch & Petrie when they already had an ageing list. It’s put them so far behind that it’s laughable.
Problem is Simpson will get the sack before Vozzo does.
If Gaff wants team success, he won’t stay at Eagles

Yeah I think the Eagles will drop out of the 8 this year and may be spectators in September for some period of time.

 

[Great 2008]

Eagles have history of peaking then bottoming out quickly. Look for a bottom 4 finish in 2018 and a load up of local talent and high draft picks including the Gaff compo pick in a strong draft. It is a method that has worked ok for them.

 

[cryptor]

WCE made a massive mistake in taking Mitch & Petrie when they already had an ageing list. It’s put them so far behind that it’s laughable.
Problem is Simpson will get the sack before Vozzo does.
If Gaff wants team success, he won’t stay at Eagles

The same could have been said about us if we’d failed to win the flag after picking up Lake. As soon as after losing 2012 people were saying our older players were cooked and we’d need to start rebuilding. West Coast weren’t wrong to try and have a crack after having made the GF in 2015. Mitchell played well this year and they got him for effectively nothing. Petrie is a spud but he was sort of necessary with Natanui out for the year.

 

[wahawk]

The same could have been said about us if we’d failed to win the flag after picking up Lake. As soon as after losing 2012 people were saying our older players were cooked and we’d need to start rebuilding. West Coast weren’t wrong to try and have a crack after having made the GF in 2015. Mitchell played well this year and they got him for effectively nothing. Petrie is a spud but he was sort of necessary with Natanui out for the year.

The same can’t be said as we won 3 flags after picking up Lake.

WCE finished 6th in 2016 & were eliminated in the 1st final. They already had a slow & ageing midfield, then they add Mitchell & Petrie.

Mitchell might not have cost them at the trade table but it cost them in the development of a young up & coming midfielder. They were never going to be contenders this last season

Vozzo should have been known as Crazy Vozzo from that trade week on.

He now has them with a massive hole in the midfield with Petrie, Mitchell, Priddis, Wellingham & Hill all gone in 1 off season.
I’m not saying they all showed a lot last season but to lose those 5 as well as Butler & a couple of others is a huge loss.

They’ll struggle for a few years now

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The same could have been said about us if we’d failed to win the flag after picking up Lake. As soon as after losing 2012 people were saying our older players were cooked and we’d need to start rebuilding. West Coast weren’t wrong to try and have a crack after having made the GF in 2015. Mitchell played well this year and they got him for effectively nothing. Petrie is a spud but he was sort of necessary with Natanui out for the year.

Really? You can probably find links from 2012 threads to make me look a fool here (and happy to say I am a fool if you do) - but I don't recall much chatter about this at the time. The biggest chatter after 2012 was about our lack of a gorilla defender (ROUGHY TO CHB???). Being that Mitchell would have been our oldest player on grand final day in 2012 and he was 29 (about to turn 30) on the day - I don't think an ageing list was being talked about much. Most players were in the 21-26 bracket - which is about where you want your list to be. Not a single player over 30 on the day, an average player age of 25.2 (the $wans was 26.5) - not sure there was much wrong with that age profile.

 

[wahawk]

Really? You can probably find links from 2012 threads to make me look a fool here (and happy to say I am a fool if you do) - but I don't recall much chatter about this at the time. The biggest chatter after 2012 was about our lack of a gorilla defender (ROUGHY TO CHB???). Being that Mitchell would have been our oldest player on grand final day in 2012 and he was 29 (about to turn 30) on the day - I don't think an ageing list was being talked about much. Most players were in the 21-26 bracket - which is about where you want your list to be. Not a single player over 30 on the day, an average player age of 25.2 (the $wans was 26.5) - not sure there was much wrong with that age profile.

I don’t recall the chatter either.
It was more likely said after 2014/15 & then mostly said by those hoping we were too old & cooked.

I’ll admit my comments about the eagles are said ‘in hope’ but I also think I’ve made a fair assessment of their list.

 

[threesixpio]

Burto is very happy in melbourne.

The go home factor doesn’t work too well when they’ve come from Adelaide

If ET came from an Adelaide planet he probably wouldn’t even phone home

 

[threesixpio]

I disagree. Adelaide had not one but TWO chances to draft burton but they instead went with Milera at 11 and dodee at around 15. They obviously had no confidence in his knee but we other hand took him with our first pick. Trust me players don't forget these sort of things. Plus very good he is a very good chance to be a future captain, good luck trying to get him back to SA

I’d officially cry if Ryan left

 

[cryptor]

The same can’t be said as we won 3 flags after picking up Lake.

WCE finished 6th in 2016 & were eliminated in the 1st final. They already had a slow & ageing midfield, then they add Mitchell & Petrie.

Mitchell might not have cost them at the trade table but it cost them in the development of a young up & coming midfielder. They were never going to be contenders this last season

Vozzo should have been known as Crazy Vozzo from that trade week on.

He now has them with a massive hole in the midfield with Petrie, Mitchell, Priddis, Wellingham & Hill all gone in 1 off season.
I’m not saying they all showed a lot last season but to lose those 5 as well as Butler & a couple of others is a huge loss.

They’ll struggle for a few years now

That's why I said IF we didn't

We won our prelims by less than a goal in '13 and '14 and had to play the extra final after losing our QF in '15. Our GF day performances were very dominant but we were still relatively close to not taking the flags in each of those years. We made the moves necessary with our list to seize the opportunities in those years and it worked out well for us. It could have gone the other way each year and we could be lamenting not just committing to a rebuild after '12 which would have us challenging again around now.

Now West Coast weren't in as good a position with the quality of list as we had in those years. But with the weak comp and who the last two premiers have been you can't blame them for having a crack. I reckon they had enough quality on their list that adding Mitchell to their midfield for pick 88 was an opportunity they couldn't pass up given the circumstances. Particularly with a player like JKK at full forward who won't be part of their next flag tilt if they commit to a rebuild.

And for them to fall hard now isn't the worst thing. If it's bad as expected they'll have a top 4 pick for each of the next 3 years while GWS are at the height of their powers. They could be back up again as GWS start to decline in 5-6 years.

 

[cryptor]

Really? You can probably find links from 2012 threads to make me look a fool here (and happy to say I am a fool if you do) - but I don't recall much chatter about this at the time. The biggest chatter after 2012 was about our lack of a gorilla defender (ROUGHY TO CHB???). Being that Mitchell would have been our oldest player on grand final day in 2012 and he was 29 (about to turn 30) on the day - I don't think an ageing list was being talked about much. Most players were in the 21-26 bracket - which is about where you want your list to be. Not a single player over 30 on the day, an average player age of 25.2 (the $wans was 26.5) - not sure there was much wrong with that age profile.

There was definitely chatter on here and from the rest of BigFooty about how we just blew our best chance, and that we'd be on the decline now. It was still considered the rule rather than the exception that players drop off by the time they hit 30. Many thought Hodge was completely cooked after his performance in the GF (we now know he had the knee issue and had dropped about 5kg due to illness the week prior). We picked up Lake which at the time was very divisive given his body and form were average at best. The talk about Buddy leaving was heating up and things went crazy when we lost to the Cats in round 1. Many agreed with Kennett that Clarko was done and there were quite a few claiming that we should have traded Buddy over the offseason for a bunch of 1st rounders and committed to a rebuild.

History shows those people were dead wrong. But had we committed to a rebuild after 2012 then we might have been going into the 2018 season ready to peak and excited for the chance at a flag. Thinking the right decision had been made. We wouldn't even know that we passed up the threepeat. So I can't blame West Coast having a crack given the circumstances.

 

[wahawk]

I think I’ll just agree to disagree with you cryptor.
Having many mates who support eagles, they were of the same opinion as me when they picked up Mitch & Petrie.

Most were shaking their heads as they knew they weren’t going to be winning a flag in 2017.
While I stood there smiling like Brad Johnson as I knew they wouldn’t be winning a flag either

I now love to rub it in that, IMO, the Mighty Hawks will be up there contending well before WCE.





& I hope I’m right as there’s too many of these eagle fcukers over here