Review R21: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly vs. Hawthorn

[Southerntakeover]

Picking your 'best team' every week without an eye to potential costs clubs premierships, it doesn't help them win one.

Imagine having Dan Curtin in your team in his current form, and not being able to imagine how premiership chances are enhanced by investing in elite talents even while contending. Drop him earlier in the year to play the 'best team' and we're significantly worse.

 

[Jarman3]

I'm not normally a betting guy but at the start of the year I bet $100 to make the 8 (won), $100 for top 4 (won) and $100 to make the GF (unlikely). Thanks Crows.

What is that lot paying you?

I hope you're going to remember your friends fellow Crows board posters.

 

[steve9798]

What is that lot paying you?

I hope you're going to remember your friends fellow Crows board posters.

Top 8 - $2.20
Top 4 - $7.00
Make the GF - $13.00

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Smith as the sub through finals is perfect to me

Jones better option imo as offers more flexibility & more likely to run out a game if an early injury.

 

[Bay62]

He looks so comfortable at the top level. Very unlucky not to have played more games.

His situation is a bit like Berry - get the chance, take it and more chances open up. Then you see real development

 

[ams4crows]

Doing the predictor. There's a good chance that Geelong get 2nd from us on % if we lose to Collingwood.

We play the bottom two sides in the next three though.... We could easily beat both by 80 plus

 

[Greenfinger]

Dawson leadership qualities are head and shoulders above Sicily . He’s a giant baby

 

[Bay62]

Jones better option imo as offers more flexibility & more likely to run out a game if an early injury.

It’s a tough one. Jones has been decent as the sub these past few weeks. What Smith brings is vast experience, which can be really valuable in finals - the downside is he can be exposed for lack of pace

 

[Bay62]

Top 8 - $2.20
Top 4 - $7.00
Make the GF - $13.00

Nice

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I know it’s random but couldn’t Smith play Taylor’s role? Smarts and then when he gets it can have pings from anywhere inside 55?
We have plenty of half backers to cover.

That would be a big backward step to play Smith out of position who is no longer part of our best side ahead of a young talent who is more suited to the position.

 

[Bay62]

Dawson leadership qualities are head and shoulders above Sicily . He’s a giant baby

Agreed, when we’re down Dawson goes to work, Sicily sooks. One more reason they’re called the Hollywood Hawks - look good but sometimes that’s all there is

 

[ams4crows]

Dawson leadership qualities are head and shoulders above Sicily . He’s a giant baby

That vision of them coming together after the goal made me realise that Dawson is an Alpha, he got right up in Sicily's face, didn't back down. I loved it.

 

[Bay62]

That would be a big backward step to play Smith out of position who is no longer part of our best side ahead of a young talent who is more suited to the position.

The thought of Smithers kicking goals from long range is attractive but he doesn’t have the speed to do small forward pressure or run up and back quickly. If he stays in hopefully he gets chances to launch a few anyway

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I think the first quarter was more of a structural issue.

Mitchell was smart and set up two free guys across the centreline to cut off our preferred lanes. Nick Watson was key here.


The first quarter reset, Nicks calmly changed things up.

Game changed from then.

The 1st quarter our midfield were terrible & we got smashed for contested possession. Our 4 midfielder had 8 disposals between them which is why the ball lived in the Hawks forward line.

Fortunately we turned it around after quarter time.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We're not a developing team. We're a team looking to win now, and that should be our only priority.

Nearly every club is selecting those players who most deserve it now.

Like Murphy...

 

[WetCrow1991]

Playing Smith is like playing Otten in the 2017 Grand Final.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Watching the replay, jesus how good was Rankine's last quarter. Its play like that that is what can break grand finals open. His value for touches was off the charts...just wow

Whilst he rarely plays 4 quarter games, he has helped turn games in 10 minutes. Was involved in nearly all our scoring.

 

[Jarman3]

That would be a big backward step to play Smith out of position who is no longer part of our best side ahead of a young talent who is more suited to the position.

Yeah, agree. I don't think Smith has ever played forward in his career? While he's looking better this year than last year, his form isn't so awe inspiring that I'd be willing to upset our structure or balance by throwing him into a position he's unsuited to in a final just to keep him in the side.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

In my ladder predictor I have this game costing Hawthorn finals

It's just too close to call.

 

[Jarman3]

Whilst he rarely plays 4 quarter games, he has helped turn games in 10 minutes. Was involved in nearly all our scoring.

I see Rankine as being to our current team what Darren Jarman was to the 97-98 team. Quiet spells followed by explosions of absolute freakishness.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Agreed. Unfortunately for Cook, finals are an arm wrestle. He won't get time and space in Sept.

Cook was disappointing, but still inexperienced.

Worse thing would be to drop him next week & play him against weaker Eagles to get some confidence.

 

[mcleod at 50 lines it up]

I remember when we played them earlier in the year they showed Mitchell in the box a few times near the end of the 2nd quarter and he wasn't even watching the play and was with David Mackay going over footage. Looks like he's a very proactive and perceptive coach who spots stuff he doesn't like and immediately works on correcting it.

I remember when he knifed clarkson thinking this will end in tears. But last night felt like they had lesser talent than us but were expertly coached.

 

[CrowBloke]

Best thing about last night was seeing the most unlikeable team sooking . I can’t remember a more unlikeable team. Hawks players all seem like a pack of a@@seholes

Unlikable Pack of Arseholes Teams who sook after losing:

--- Port ferals (who also sook before playing)

<<daylight>>

--- Hawthorn
--- (equal third) GCS and their unlikable arseh*le Coach Hardwick (#1 grub Coach in the League) and GWS
--- (equal fifth) Melbourne/ Essendon/ Richmond

 

[1990crow]

I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to finally win a flag. We’ve been through a lot.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Watching the replay and we were 8 points down at 3QT…. And the move is to put Dan in the centre.. and he get the first possession for us.

Great coaching (admittedly a few of us in the GD thread were calling for it) but also Christ… he led the game with 6 contested possessions and 3 clearances in the last… we have someone very very special.

Also allowed Dawson to go forward to keep Sicily quieter.