Land of the Giants
Premiership Player
This week’s match against the Hawks at Spotless Stadium starts a run of games with the potential to define us for the next couple of seasons. Yes, it really is that significant.
Win at least four of the next seven games, and six of the next nine before the bye, and we’ll probably play our maiden finals campaign this season.
So the stakes are high, starting with the reigning premiers on Saturday.
Watching the Crows-Hawks game on Friday night, it’s clear that Hawthorn’s highly successful game plan is still intact. Precision by foot. Structural discipline. Relentlessness. They were even coming off a five-day break, and still had enough to overcome a determined and much improved Crows team.
They have an uncanny general awareness of where team-mates are. Even if disposals don’t stick, I was amazed at how many little taps ended up with another Hawk who then got them moving forward again. And this time, they’ll be coming off an eight-day break.
Having said that, there are faint signs of weakness.
While the game plan is still intact, it isn’t being executed with the same intensity as in previous seasons. They’re vulnerable to speed, something the Crows were able to exploit, which is why that game was so close. It was also why the Saints and Bulldogs ran them close in the previous fortnight.
So where does that leave us?
We have been competitive against Hawthorn in the past couple of seasons, just falling short in 2014 before achieving our maiden win last year. It’s no secret this coincided with the arrival of Leon Cameron, a former assistant coach. Inside knowledge is handy sometimes.
Looking at the stats, it’s hard to make a case for too many changes this week. The only players who had quiet games today were Kennedy, Whitfield, Lobb and Patton. Perhaps Palmer might come in for either Kennedy or more likely Whitfield. I can’t see any point in changing the forward line.
As for the backline, they’ve been exceptional in the past fortnight. Is there a place for Nick Haynes at the moment? Perhaps bring him in for Patfull?
In summary, we have the leg speed to trouble Hawthorn, and plenty of it. Our run-and-carry game is wonderful to watch and we have talent across the park. But to win on Saturday we’re really going to have to look out for each other, make sure there’s always someone around to help out when the pressure’s on, which it will be for four quarters.
We’re back in Sydney for the first time this year and I think there will be a big crowd. And I think we will win.
Giants by 16.
Win at least four of the next seven games, and six of the next nine before the bye, and we’ll probably play our maiden finals campaign this season.
So the stakes are high, starting with the reigning premiers on Saturday.
Watching the Crows-Hawks game on Friday night, it’s clear that Hawthorn’s highly successful game plan is still intact. Precision by foot. Structural discipline. Relentlessness. They were even coming off a five-day break, and still had enough to overcome a determined and much improved Crows team.
They have an uncanny general awareness of where team-mates are. Even if disposals don’t stick, I was amazed at how many little taps ended up with another Hawk who then got them moving forward again. And this time, they’ll be coming off an eight-day break.
Having said that, there are faint signs of weakness.
While the game plan is still intact, it isn’t being executed with the same intensity as in previous seasons. They’re vulnerable to speed, something the Crows were able to exploit, which is why that game was so close. It was also why the Saints and Bulldogs ran them close in the previous fortnight.
So where does that leave us?
We have been competitive against Hawthorn in the past couple of seasons, just falling short in 2014 before achieving our maiden win last year. It’s no secret this coincided with the arrival of Leon Cameron, a former assistant coach. Inside knowledge is handy sometimes.
Looking at the stats, it’s hard to make a case for too many changes this week. The only players who had quiet games today were Kennedy, Whitfield, Lobb and Patton. Perhaps Palmer might come in for either Kennedy or more likely Whitfield. I can’t see any point in changing the forward line.
As for the backline, they’ve been exceptional in the past fortnight. Is there a place for Nick Haynes at the moment? Perhaps bring him in for Patfull?
In summary, we have the leg speed to trouble Hawthorn, and plenty of it. Our run-and-carry game is wonderful to watch and we have talent across the park. But to win on Saturday we’re really going to have to look out for each other, make sure there’s always someone around to help out when the pressure’s on, which it will be for four quarters.
We’re back in Sydney for the first time this year and I think there will be a big crowd. And I think we will win.
Giants by 16.
