Individual Expectations?

[Roughie]

What are your individual player expectations of the boys in 07?

 

[Philhawk]

Mark Williams - I'd like to see some improvement from him in the form of running into the midfield on the occasional bursts and using his speed for more than just marks.

Buddy Franklin - Love to see him average at least 1 more contested mark per game. Based on the training reports i've been reading, it looks like he could get a chance to play in the midfield this year which could also prove to be interesting.

Luke Hodge - Love his all-round game but would love to see more goals kicked from both him and Sammy M.

Grant Birchall - If he continues to make improvements on last year then i'll be happy - particularly if he's given more opportunities to play on the ball.

Not sure if this is what you meant though by the thread, Roughie.

 

[Heropsychodreamer]

What are your individual player expectations of the boys in 07?

Dowler to stand up and play a couple of top quality games... enough to give us a taste.

My man 'ROUGHEAD' playing FWD with confidence and kicking multiples each game.

Birchall not having second year blues

Dawson making strong improvements

AC (i know, not a player)... receiving recognision for his coaching, and not just his recruitment! Cos i reckon the guy can coach

 

[Ina Borson]

Max Bailey - I would love to see him become more fitter so he has the ability to run around the ground for like "Spider" did.

Tim Boyle - Has to work on his physical presence around the ground, has to take alot more contested marks and practice on his kicking for goal abit more.

Stephen Gilham - Really impressed me when he played in the later stage of the year, would love to see him bulk up abit more so he can take on players like the Halls, Roccas and Lloyds, but other than that has a real football brain when he plays.

 

[amos]

Buddy - To dazzle us all

Roughy - To have the biggest year out've all the kids

My Man - To do a Luke Hodge 2005 and break the shackles.

 

[Number 24]

My man to hit targets from his position at CHB and take some contested grabs O/H

Boyler to be fit and strong and realise his potental

Brown to play real tough but not get reported

Roughie to dominate

Buddy to...........well just slay 'em

Dowler to play FF and kick 40 for the year

Thorpedo to play 10 quality games

And last but not least, that skinny man to play FB and prove us all wrong

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

[youtube]8qZ3BnQZZpc[/youtube]
This kid(Brett Collins) to show why we plucked him from obscurity and put him on our Rookie list.

Thurgood to put on some kilos and have a year without injury.

B1 and B2 to show glimpses and make all see why they were rated so highly pre draft.

Roughead to get a decent shot at providing a marking target in our forward 50.

More improvement in consistency from Buddy.

Ellis to have a solid debut season and provide some added run.

Crawford, Croad, Hodge, Mitchell, Williams and Jacobs all to have injury free seasons and to lead from the front.

 

[Coathanger]

Crawf - To put in another solid year.
Jacobs - To remain injury free and provide the experience down back.
Tuck,Little,Muston,Ellis,Bailey- To get a few games.
Campbell - Continue to improve like last year.
One of the new boys to show something special, Kennedy,Thorp,Morton.
Young & Murphy - To go up another cog and play 10 - 12 games.
Vanders - Hit some targets.
Roughie - To kick 50 plus goals from FF.
Hodge - To win the Brownlow.

Most important is that senior core, Smith,Croad,Dixon,Brown,Bateman,Guerra etc all stay reasonably healthy if we are to hope for a top 8 finish.

 

[MinerBoy]

Hi all,

Long time reader, first time poster and passionate Hawk member.

My expectations personally revolve around the team and our style of football. If the coaching staff can maintain our aggressive, hard running, quick ball movement game plan (Essendon 1st half), then we look certain to continue to improve with the natural progression that comes from the players gaining more experience.

If we revert to dishing up the style of play we displayed against the Saints earlier in the season, then I would be extremely disappointed. We have the cattle on the park now to be a competitive side, week in - week out, without adopting overly negative tactics. This doesn't mean we necessarily make finals, but we should certainly be knocking on the door.

In regards to individual players:-

Roughy (Leongatha boy - where I work) - Love to see him impose himself on a few games this season. Is big enough, with great skills, but perhaps hasn't reached required body fitness/hardness yet.

Buddy - Already stamped himself. Don't get carried away, play within team rules and results should follow.

Hodgey (Boy do I love this guy) - We Hawk supporters already appreciate the man's worth. However, I would love to see him become more of a dominant forward of centre mid-fielder, kicking 25-30 goals. About time every other side's supporters realise this boy is AFL top ten.

Jordon Lewis - harden his body and become midfield leader.

I suppose that's enough for my maiden post. Look forward to contributing to the season ahead.

GS EDIT: Welcome to the Hawks Forum, Minerboy. Keep up the quality posts.

 

[Philhawk]

Terrific first post, MinerBoy.

 

[Binxy]

Great post MB and welcome.

Couldn't agree more about the team style of play - I want us to be hard and aggressive for all four quarters. If we can do that, the wins will come and then the confidence will follow.

After that comes the belief that you can win any game - Dermie talks about the late 80's sides having that belief. That's what wins flags.

 

[Binxy]

[youtube]8qZ3BnQZZpc[/youtube]
This kid(Brett Collins) to show why we plucked him from obscurity and put him on our Rookie list.

Nice grab - hates a goal.

 

[ralphwiggum]

*wet dream mode on*

First of all, no injuries

Bailey - maturing into a solid ruck option, freeing Bob to play KPP at times and become an elite ruck of the competion

Willo - another 60 goal return despite Buddy and Roughhead doing a lot more scoring

My man Birchall - not only no second year blues as mentioned above, but also becoming a consistent 90m player wreaking havoc down the wing

Muston - establish himself as the biggest draft bargain since Hird

Crawf - 30-40 goal return on a HFF picnh hitting through the middle

Mitchell to punch some balls of his own and get away with it

Hodge to tie for Brownlow with mitchell, narrowly tipping out Buddy and Sewell

Croad and roughy doing a solid job down both ends as our CHB and CHF all year

Dawson and Gilham holding down FB with authority, not only because we have no options

*wet dream mode off*

*tissue box deployed*

 

[Satchmo]

Big wants from me
That the backline in general learn to PUnCH the ball when it comes in at great speed. I hate goals that are given away when the ball hits the turf.

Willo= Come up the ground more , tackle more and keep the ball in the 50.
and maybe on one or two occassions kick a bag of goals.(nO Shotgun).

Roughie to go the next level and kick an avg of 3-4 ea week.
(i love the way he kicks with the arm thrown behind he's head action and tongue out)

Ben...Ben..Ben.. one of the best kicks at goal, Present more ,like to see tackle more.

Clarkson, Hardwick, Viney, Smith keep to an attacking style game plan
when we are 5-6 goals down (or up) No chipping around ,
We poor sods in the grandstand become a little restless .

 

[Roughie]

Roughie-I think everyone wants Roughie to be a more consistant forward and to kick hopefully 50 goals, and I agree. Out of the three bigger bodied forwards we have in Thorpe, Roughie and Dowler, Roughie is at an older age and needs to start taking his oppurtunities. He seems a bit hot cold and if he doesnt get a couple touches he will dissappear but when his hot ala adelaide in the NAB where he kicked 3 in a row, he can just keep firing.

Willow-I want Wilow to kick half of his goals off the crumb. He has great pace he needs to get infront of the big bodies after his initial lead his ignored.

Lewis-I want Lewis to find a 2nd position. His a good young player and doesnt need to stay on the pine even though he is behind 2 classy midfielders I would love to see him play a good role on a flank.

Hodge, Birchall and Young- I want these three guys to use their booming kicks and back them selves to have more shots from 50m.

Frangas-More one grab contested marks and even less free kicks against.

DJ-To return to his great self and continue to drop back in packs and save the young fellas arses.

Dawson-Just keep timing his defense so he comes in on the last second for the spoil so big forwards dont have the oppurtunity to push him away.

Gilham-To seriously contend Dawson for the FB position.

Murphy-To become more of a defender whilst still being calm in rebounding.

Crawf-Kick some goals and continue to lead the team in the way he does!

 

[KingRich]

My highest expectations are for 2 players that I was a little disappointed with in 06.

Luke Hodge - Felt after a fantastic 05 that 06 was very disappointing. Started well then dropped in form and got injured etc. Expect him to really break out this year.

Shane Crawford - Has had a couple of ordinary years of late but showed glimpses of his talent last year. I feel that the lure of finals football will drive him on to great things this year and he will tear it up. As many posters have said I would like to see him play closer to goal for longer periods as I feel he would be very effective.