Preview The ultimate test: Round 5 Adelaide @ Hawthorn - MCG

[jenny61_99]

OK you and Vader win, Hawthorn premiership favourites every year because they have the best recent history. This years form, statistics and overall player quality matters not.

If they'd played a second game like they did against Geelong, you'd be right. But they haven't. Until there are new premiers on the block - Hawthorn ARE the benchmark. Same number of wins/losses as us. Going to be a cracker game (which I think we can win).

 

[Vader]

I don't rate footscray, st kilda or Geelong. West coast traditionally have shockers in Melbourne from time to time.

Conversely, we had a narrow loss away to the only unbeaten team.

On their 4 games and on our 4 games. We should feel confident.

Against any other team, other than Hawthorn, I would feel confident. Adelaide have improved massively since 2015, when we made the 2nd week of the finals. This is the first time in a long time that Hawthorn will have to get out of 2nd gear in order to beat us. But Hawthorn are still the measuring stick and I don't hold a lot of confidence in our ability to beat them. Maybe if the game were on a Saturday afternoon in Adelaide, out of the prime time spotlight and on our home deck.. but not on Friday night at the MCG.

I really do hope that my predictions are wrong. My father & brother are both Hawthorn supporters and I'd love to be able to give them some stick for a change. I just don't see it happening.

 

[Tex200]

OK you and Vader win, Hawthorn premiership favourites every year because they have the best recent history. This years form, statistics and overall player quality matters not.

But this years form does matter doesn't it? Isn't that what I posted about?

I assume you would agree we are in good form given we beat 1 top 4 aspirant?

Why would you think they are not in good form when they've beaten 2?

 

[VSTone]

Matty Crouch is our new unsociable lad. He needs to watch it though and not cross the line (seems to be easily lead down that path, and Hawks will do all they can to drag him there).

I love the way we haven't taken back steps this year... it's part of the plan I reckon...

 

[StonesThrow]

OK you and Vader win, Hawthorn premiership favourites every year because they have the best recent history. This years form, statistics and overall player quality matters not.

You are both making assumptions and guesses at the of the day, but Vader is making them using a bigger sample size. He can also draw from recent failed early predictions of the Hawks, Sydney and Geelong.

They are without a couple of premiership players yes, but remember they were dominant premiers.

As you said, let's wait and see until later in the season. IMO it's foolish to predict any sort of decline this early for the 3 time reigning premiers.

 

[VSTone]

Against any other team, other than Hawthorn, I would feel confident. Adelaide have improved massively since 2015, when we made the 2nd week of the finals. This is the first time in a long time that Hawthorn will have to get out of 2nd gear in order to beat us. But Hawthorn are still the measuring stick and I don't hold a lot of confidence in our ability to beat them. Maybe if the game were on a Saturday afternoon in Adelaide, out of the prime time spotlight and on our home deck.. but not on Friday night at the MCG.

I really do hope that my predictions are wrong. My father & brother are both Hawthorn supporters and I'd love to be able to give them some stick for a change. I just don't see it happening.

we have to beat them on the big stages to make it real...our young side needs to be exposed to the heat as much as possible.

 

[Swooping Crow]

Already given it. Hawthorn by 40.

That is nasty Vader.

 

[Iron]

Surely we can all agree that Hawthorn are a better side than us at the moment, but that we are also up to our necks in this given our form and theirs.

Yes they have wins on the board but only one was convincing. You can say the same for us.

Anyone saying either team has it in the bag has an agenda.

 

[Tex200]

Surely we can all agree that Hawthorn are a better side than us at the moment, but that we are also up to our necks in this given our form and theirs.

Yes they have wins on the board but only one was convincing. You can say the same for us.

Anyone saying either team has it in the bag has an agenda.

How is a win v WB at Ethiad unconvincing?

That's one tough assignment

 

[Iron]

How is a win v WB at Ethiad unconvincing?

That's one tough assignment

I don't think the bulldogs are a premiership contender.

 

[Swooping Crow]

That said, this is a big game - even for them. It's Friday night, against a team who are currently 1 position ahead of them on the ladder, and who are fast developing into a genuine finals contender. Hawthorn should be highly motivated for this game, and when that happens they're very, very dangerous.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you Vader. Anyone who thinks Hawthorn are going to fall this year is foolish. They are arguably the greatest football team of all time to achieve what they have in such a cut throat elite competition. They could win the premiership again this year.

This is a great test for us. There are no excuses. We need a full throttle four quarter ruthless performance.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Surely we can all agree that Hawthorn are a better side than us at the moment, but that we are also up to our necks in this given our form and theirs.

Yes they have wins on the board but only one was convincing. You can say the same for us.

Anyone saying either team has it in the bag has an agenda.

Form often matters not in these types of games, I agree with your assessment too. What I am saying is they were a better team than us, they aren't any more and that is backed up statistically in all categories. This is why we are in this game big time and Hawthorn should come to play.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Already given it. Hawthorn by 40.

Really? wow.....

Hawthorn are really going to turn the corner with us then huh. A team which has not yet kicked 100 points is not only going to achieve that mark but keep a side with arguably the best forward line in the business that averages 120 points a game to around 60 points or less. Thats a massive call.

 

[jackster83]

The big question is are we still intimidated by them?

Apart from Danger, a number of our senior players have dropped their bundle against the Hawks in recent times (Tex, Betts, Smith and Mackay in particular).

No Lake to pick on our smaller players is huge for us.

 

[Elite Crow]

VB seriously? Why does the club feel the need to not hurt his feelings?

He is no chance to replace Milera.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Seriously hope we don't have the plodder VB near the seniors.

 

[Vader]

Really? wow.....

Hawthorn are really going to turn the corner with us then huh. A team which has not yet kicked 100 points is not only going to achieve that mark but keep a side with arguably the best forward line in the business that averages 120 points a game to around 60 points or less. Thats a massive call.

Have a look at what they did to the Weagles. West Coast's scores this season:
R1 (vs Brisbane): 166
R2 (vs Hawthorn): 53
R3 (vs Fremantle): 92
R4 (vs Richmond): 125

Adelaide and West Coast have both played Richmond, kicking similar scores (Adelaide 128, West Coast 125). It's difficult to make valid comparisons, given that we haven't faced the same opponents, but it's not unreasonable to say that the Weagles have a forward line that's only marginally less potent than Adelaide's.

Hawthorn were able to throttle them severely, restricting them to just 53points. There's no reason to believe that they won't be able to do something similar to Adelaide's forward line.

Forwards can't kick goals if the ball doesn't get delivered to them. Hawthorn may have lost some key forwards and key defenders, but their midfield unit is the same players who won the flag for the last 3 years running.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Have a look at what they did to the Weagles. West Coast's scores this season:
R1 (vs Brisbane): 166
R2 (vs Hawthorn): 53
R3 (vs Fremantle): 92
R4 (vs Richmond): 125

Adelaide and West Coast have both played Richmond, kicking similar scores (Adelaide 128, West Coast 125). It's difficult to make valid comparisons, given that we haven't faced the same opponents, but it's not unreasonable to say that the Weagles have a forward line that's only marginally less potent than Adelaide's.

Hawthorn were able to throttle them severely, restricting them to just 53points. There's no reason to believe that they won't be able to do something similar to Adelaide's forward line.

Forwards can't kick goals if the ball doesn't get delivered to them. Hawthorn may have lost some key forwards and key defenders, but their midfield unit is the same players who won the flag for the last 3 years running.

Did you watch the west coast game? They were putrid more than hawthorn were dominant. All i hope for you is that you are surprised tomorrow.

 

[Vivcrows22]

Was just at the open training session, Van Berlo was still training with the SANFL boys.

Just quietly, gee Brodie Smith's a beauty of a kick. They were practising the switch and he threaded a pass to Sloaney, in between 3 other players, was just magical to watch.

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

 

[earlsta]

I think with Cameron coming in, we're going to be so damn quick everywhere. If we get the ball into our f50, Hawks will be under tremendous pressure to get the ball out, they'll need to nail 50m+ kicks to a contest or nail a target.
No Suckling this year..however Birchall will be there, tremendous kick on him. Need to enforce our pressure and force them to kick to a contest in our f50.

 

[Vader]

Did you watch the west coast game? They were putrid more than hawthorn were dominant. All i hope for you is that you are surprised tomorrow.

Bit of both really. Weagles players were only as good as Hawthorn allowed them to be.

Weagles may also have some mental scarring over the shellacking they copped in the GF. Whatever the case, they provide the nearest benchmark for predicting Adelaide's outcome against Hawthorn on Friday.

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Schoenmakers is an out

*hill and Gibson a chance to play.

 

[Hell Boy6669]

We need to bring heavy pressure to the Hawks, especially Birchall and Gibson, can't just let them have time and space to ping the ball where they want. If we can do this we can hurt them at the other end.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

How is a win v WB at Ethiad unconvincing?

That's one tough assignment

I'd say that and west coast in Perth is as tough as hawthorn at the G ( in minor round games)

 

[earlsta]

VB seriously? Why does the club feel the need to not hurt his feelings?

He is no chance to replace Milera.

The hawks would be praying for VB to be in, haha hilarious.