Preview Round 1: Essendon vs Hawthorne, MCG, Saturday 16/03/24 @ 1:45 PM

[Ati Tude]

Hawks by 21 for mine

Points?

 

[eddie_punchclock]

As usual half the thread is a whinge about team selection. I'm pumped to see the club back in action this weekend. Looking forward to this season and all it brings. Good luck to the boys on Saturday

 

[ant555]

Neither’s Kelly though. As with last year, playing his favourites which leads to 11th placed finishes

You went to all the training this week or is it just more of your fake news ?

 

[ghostdog]

You went to all the training this week or is it just more of your fake news ?

Not concerned about Kelly. His role is clear and he has shown he knows how to play it. I think he's even kicked a couple of goals in sim.
It's Heppell that concerns me. Hopefully Hind is on the bench.

 

[BomberManU]

Massive game this. We have a tough fixture, I reckon we'll be 2 - 10 by the halfway point, but obviously that's based on how we rolled last year. A good win here would give some confidence and belief going into the harder games to come.

 

[Snake Charmer]

What are the planned match ups down back - its abit of a head scratcher
Watson - Mcgrath
Moore - Redman
Bruest - Kelly
Ginnivan - Hep

 

[joey_jo_jo]

What are the planned match ups down back - its abit of a head scratcher
Watson - Mcgrath
Moore - Redman
Bruest - Kelly
Ginnivan - Hep

Isnt moore out with glandular fever?

 

[JayJ20]

Okay, I know it isn't a great team but let's look at the opposition.

Their defence has one key defender, who wouldn't get a game in ours. He's that bad. Sicily will have to take Langford which leaves bloody Scrimshaw on Jones or Stringer. And not to mention Frost on Wright.

Their forward line has two guns in Lewis and Moore. Lewis has historically struggled against physical defenders like McKay. Pidge vs Moore will be a good battle. After that they have the softest player on an AFL list in Chol, Watson, who looks very good in fairness but his first game, one trick pony Ginnivan and Hardwick.

Their midfield head to head shades ours. Newcombe I'd a gun, Ward looks good and Nash is big and strong. We'll need to support Merrett as Maginness will.almosy certainly go to him.

We still should win. If we don't it'll be very concerning.

The midfield is where my concern is. We'll have Durham, Caldwell, Tsatas and Perkins, all relatively inexperienced going up against their big and strong mids. Setterfield will have to shoulder a lot of the load and like you said Merrett will likely be tagged.

I was hoping Hobbs would come in to replace Parish but unfortunately he wasn't ready. The named midfield pretty much concedes contested ball and clearances to Hawthorn, but we can still win if we pressure through the midfield and allow Martin and Redman to clean up at HB and Reid + McKay to intercept. If the midfield puts zero pressure then Hawthorn win.

I have no doubt that our forward line will destroy their backline, but will it get there enough? We also need to limit their transition from defence to forwardline as they have good smalls that can capitalise on it.

Not confident.

 

[Squeaky]

Isnt moore out with glandular fever?

He was, but has recovered apparently. He didn't want to miss playing Essendon...

 

[Snake Charmer]

Isnt moore out with glandular fever?

He is. I thought he was named for some reason

 

[Petrify]

What are the planned match ups down back - its abit of a head scratcher
Watson - Mcgrath
Moore - Redman
Bruest - Kelly
Ginnivan - Hep

You'd think Redman will be on Ginnivan like usual

 

[owen87]

You'd think Redman will be on Ginnivan like usual

View attachment 1928268

No free kick Ginnivan vs free kick Hawthorn will be interesting.

Do they pay them because Hawthorn, or not pay them because Ginnivan?

 

[andleanback]

Neither’s Kelly though. As with last year, playing his favourites which leads to 11th placed finishes

Hobbs obviously wasn’t even up for selection though, not even named an emergency

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Massive game this. We have a tough fixture, I reckon we'll be 2 - 10 by the halfway point, but obviously that's based on how we rolled last year. A good win here would give some confidence and belief going into the harder games to come.

fixture is irrelevant for us.

we were sitting 5th last year at round 17 with an easier than most fixture for the remainder of 2023 and we absolutely cooked it.

 

[Happyskeret]

I do think we will see Martin and Kelly swapping places through the match. I am genuinely interested to see how Caldwell will go. I believe we will win this one.

 

[Crookshoulder]

I'll add my two bobs worth, considering a whisper that passed through me a couple of days ago .

Draper will play with Goldy. Hobbs will play in lieu of Parish out. Perkins will play...VFL.

That's the whisper. Apparently Gresham is impressing that much in training and more importantly, match sim (footy smarts/finding space) that it's left no position for Perkins as one of the ruckman will push fwd, and with Wright, Langford, Jones- we'll try and take advntage of hawks undermanned defence.

Time will tell

P.S. I'm a huge fan of Perkins and I hope i'm wrong...

Don't back my bets

 

[P Money]

The midfield is where my concern is. We'll have Durham, Caldwell, Tsatas and Perkins, all relatively inexperienced going up against their big and strong mids. Setterfield will have to shoulder a lot of the load and like you said Merrett will likely be tagged.

I was hoping Hobbs would come in to replace Parish but unfortunately he wasn't ready. The named midfield pretty much concedes contested ball and clearances to Hawthorn, but we can still win if we pressure through the midfield and allow Martin and Redman to clean up at HB and Reid + McKay to intercept. If the midfield puts zero pressure then Hawthorn win.

I have no doubt that our forward line will destroy their backline, but will it get there enough? We also need to limit their transition from defence to forwardline as they have good smalls that can capitalise on it.

Not confident.

You haven't factored in that it will be Goldy vs Ned Reeves feeding the midfield. We've also looked decent in the clearances (centre and stoppage) in both our practice matches, granted Parish out doesn't help us. Reckon we'll break even in there.

 

[VelvetSledge]

CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:

HAWTHORN OUTS: Blanck, Bramble, Day, Greene, Jiath, Koschitzke, Meek, Wingard
HAWTHORN INS: Gunston, Lewis, Ginnivan, Chol, Watson, Weddle, D'Ambrosio, Scrimshaw

ESSENDON OUTS: Davey, Draper, Laverde, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Parish, Phillips, Ridley, Shiel, Weideman, Zerk-Thatcher
ESSENDON INS: McKay, Reid, Tsatas, Stringer, Wright, Gresham, Goldstein, Cox, Duursma, Guelfi

 

[eth-dog]

fixture is irrelevant for us.

we were sitting 5th last year at round 17 with an easier than most fixture for the remainder of 2023 and we absolutely cooked it.

We were one game inside the 8 and had 4 finals sides as well as a team we've beaten once in a decade at their home ground.

In what world is that a draw "easier than most"? Because we had the bottom 2?

 

[mcgrath_truther]

while i agree that pidge is a liability by foot, he's a fantastic shut down defender, we'd be stupid not to play him on ginnivin (who'll always play well against us).

overall i think this is a decent side, though there's a glaring lack of pace outside of the midfield. kelly is a great shut down player who'll try his guts out which is what we want to see as it stands. not keen on dyson being in the side but that's just how it goes.

it's a big day for the club. they all know that, so i'm hoping they all turn up keen to play

 

[eth-dog]

He is. I thought he was named for some reason

He has been. At CHF

 

[mcgrath_truther]

moore has absolutely been picked, unfortunately. i didn't realise that jones was picked but i suppose i'm fine with it

 

[bombreys]

You went to all the training this week or is it just more of your fake news ?

Did you? If so, can you explain how Kelly was able to turn things around so quickly and miraculously recover from that hammy - all without any game time? And why, after playing in the VFL, was Hobbs deemed not fit enough?

 

[Vindicater]

As usual half the thread is a whinge about team selection. I'm pumped to see the club back in action this weekend. Looking forward to this season and all it brings. Good luck to the boys on Saturday

You must be new here.

 

[Vindicater]

What are the planned match ups down back - its abit of a head scratcher
Watson - Mcgrath
Moore - Redman
Bruest - Kelly
Ginnivan - Hep

Cox - Ginnivan
Watson -McGrath
Moore - Redman
Bruest - Martin/Kelly/Heppell