Anyone want to finish second?

[Thaihawk]

Don't care where we finish, or who we play, as lomg as we win our LAST game, I'll be very happy!!

 

[clarkoscluster]

Given it now looks likely that Sydney will get the home game against the Saints, I think we should be pushing hard next week to get second and secure the services of the MCG throughout the finals.

The AFL has to play one game at Etihad in round 1 and with Collingwood (rightly) guaranteed one of the MCG games it is left to Geelong V Hawks or Carlton v Essendon. Given neither Carlton or Geelong are MCG tenants, you would think the Carlton v Essendon game would get the nod - that would all change if we get second!

There is absolutely no way that a Hawks v Cats final would be played at Etihad, irrespective of ladder positions. The match always draws above 60k in the regular season alone, and the AFL does NOT have to play a final at Etihad (none were played last season). The only way there will be an Etihad final is if St Kilda play the Swans in Melb meaning 4 Victorian week 1 finals. There is also 0% chance that Carlton v Essendon will be at Etihad - the 2 sides have never even met there in the regular season let alone in finals.

 

[vaughnie]

Whilst I still believe our game will be at the MCG, I think what will change is we may get a 7 or 8 day break, rather than a 6

That's a very interesting point. It's about the only time of the year that the AFL is bothered about fairness. If we were to finish 2nd then the AFL couldn't really fixture the game on Friday as it would be an advantage to Geelong who would have finished below us. That would most likely mean a Saturday arvo game at the G in order to give us a full 7 day break.

Even though the weather for Gold Coast at this early stage is not forecast to be hot, I would still prefer a 7 day break given the travel factor. So, yes, I want to finish 2nd.

 

[Linda Crescent]

Friday, send the Box Hill Hawks up to sunny Queensland, give them a full day of leisure, passes for Movieworld, Sea-world and every other world up there too, a night out at Jupiters Casino - why not?

Saturday, make sure they turn up promptly, (with 'clash strip' and sunscreen) ready to win by 60+ points.

Sunday, home-coming brunch for the lot of them at my place in Melbourne.

 

[RogerC]

OMG guys! What if Geelong tanked against Sydney knowing that it would give us a sniff. Thus dangling the carrot that is second place in front of us, enticing us to go out next week trying to get an unnecessary 100+ win against the Suns in hot conditions so that we'll be just as tired for the first week of finals as they will be after their game with the Pies!!

Sneaky Catters, verrrrry sneaky!

Nah. For a couple of reasons. First one being there's nothing to gain from finishing second and we know that. Second one being we'll know exactly what we have to do to make second because Geelong will have played Collingwood the night before. If it requires a crazy margin, we won't go after it.

**

On topic:

Let's say Geelong lose to Collingwood by the smallest margin possible in a reasonably low-scoring match. 60-59, for example. That'll drop Geelong's percentage to 151.1 That would require us to win by 100 points. But if it's in a high-scoring match, say 100-99, it drops to 149.9 Then we'd need to win by 80 points. I doubt we'd chase either of those. And besides, why would Geelong manufacture a 1 point loss?

More likely is a Geelong loss by about 25 points in a reasonably low-scoring game. I think that's the best they can do if they're thinking about preserving bodies for the finals. As a hypothetical, let's call it 90-65 Collingwood's way. That gives Geelong a percentage of 148.8 That would require us to win by about 11 goals. Gold Coast lost at home by about that margin recently against Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood and Sydney. We wouldn't have to work too hard to achieve it.

Re finals: there will be three at the MCG, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The St Kilda-Sydney game will either be up in Sydney or at Docklands, depending on how St Kilda go against Carlton. It'll be on the Saturday.

I don't think the AFL will concern themselves much with who gets what break. Because no finallist has a Sunday game scheduled this week they'll feel they've done their bit; the finals will be fixtured to maximise revenue, not spread out the gaps between games.

I would have thought the two matches involving interstate clubs would be night games, because they serve viewers in two cities - lots of advertising $$ in that. If that happened, we'd be playing on the Saturday afternoon. But more likely is us on the Friday, Syd-St K on Saturday afternoon, Collingwood-West Coast Saturday night, and Essendon-Carlton on Sunday.

 

[Cyrilyouchampion]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but am I correct in saying that presuming we win against Gold Coast, it will be the first time in history that a team has won 18 games in the H and A season and ended up 3rd on the ladder?

 

[SkylerZX]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but am I correct in saying that presuming we win against Gold Coast, it will be the first time in history that a team has won 18 games in the H and A season and ended up 3rd on the ladder?

I can't confirm, but I'd say you'd be about right. Crazy really.

Back on topic though, I think we probably do deserve top spot. As someone has said, The Cats have fallen off against opponents they were expected to floor twice in the second half of the season and we, since round one, have only lost to Collingwood and Geelong despite being the equal most injury hit club in the comp for a fair period of time.

In the end, I don't think it really matters, but I'm sure would like to see us finish in second.

As for the argument of whether a Cats win vs a loss benefits us more, I don't subscribe to the theory of Geelong being mentally weak. Love them or hate them, the Cats have pulled off some remarkable comebacks in the last few years, several of which have been against us. You don't turn deficits into wins unless a mentally strong team.

Friday night is set to be a dead rubber, regardless of what either coach says. I don't think a loss to the Cats will change their mindset leading up to the first final, they're going to be as determined to beat us as ever. The only result I could see making a difference would be a very undermanned Cats side flogging a near full strength Collingwood side or visa versa, both of which are very unlikely.

I think this is our best shot to beat the Cats since we won the 08 flag. Our confidence is sky high, the future looks very bright for the club with youngsters rising to the task and Clarko committing for another three years. Even if we were to lose to in the first week, it'd most likely be due to a lack of finals experience and big games for our youngsters, not that we don't have the quality in our side to do it.

Regardless of how far we go this year, the future is looking very bright at Hawthorn and its such an exciting time to be a supporter.

 

[singlo]

Given that most of the talk this year has been about Collingwood and Geelong, I dont give 2 rats if it stays that way until GF day when the Hawks swoop to spoil their partys........we knock of Geelong in the first week of the finals, and the AFL world will definitely sit up and take notice.

On a more practical note, will it have any bearing on where we play our first final if we finish 2nd or 3rd. Geelong tend to play their Melbourne games at Ethiad, and have no guaranteed right to an MCG home final. If we finish 2nd, do we lock in the right to an MCG final, along with Collingwood (as minor premiers). I dont trust the AFL, and I wouldnt put it past them to play Carltank v Essenscum at the G - 2 big powerful clubs that are bitter rivals that will also fill the G.

Collingwood should have first rights to the MCG as minor premiers, but Hawks v Geelong, and Carlton v Essendon will both be crackers, deserving to be played at the G. If Sydney finish 6th and get a home final, then I am sure the AFL will want at least one game at Ethiad, which should ordinarily be Carlton and Essendon given they finish in the bottom half of the 8, and it is Carltons home ground.........but money talks and bullshit walks........we just cant take that chance.

I guess it will all depend on the result on Friday night......then we will know what we have to do.

Both the bloops and the bummers are clients of Etihad so that's where their game will be.

 

[ACTion Hawks]

On topic, I don't think we deserve to be 2nd above Geelong.

Although we have been better in the last month or two, over the course of the whole season the Cats have a fair claim. They will have played the Pies and us twice (compared to us playing them twice and the Pies only once), the Weagles in Perth (we played them in Launie) and they have won two out of three against the other top four (compared to our one out of four). They have also beaten us both times.

This doesn't change the fact that I have confidence that we can and will beat them in the first week of the finals, regardless of their mental state. We have the skills, the application and the structures to beat them with our best 22 now available. We have shown that our gameplan/s can work and the past will mean nothing (either us beating them in the GF or them beating us since) to the result in this game. We will just beat them fair and square!