Tom Hawkins and marking

[meto]

What worries me with the exclusion of Hawkins and Mooney is our forward tall structure, its almost non-existent.
Geelongs shortcomings in tall forwards has been an on-going scenario.
We've got one tall forward Pods, because as they did to Hawkins they expect the CHF Vardy to also be a ruckman with Ottens.

Personally I'd prefer 1 full-time ruckman Ottens, and two tall CHF's that provide chopout for the lone ruckman, whether on the ground or on the bench.
That way their primary role isn't confused and if one goes down team structure isn't overly compromised.
Hope they don't bugger him up (Vardy), by stretching his duties to far
because of lack of a partner, and ample bench time when needed.

Pods is being swapped by defences when we go in to short up forward
last week with Mooney Hawkins and Vardy he could get off the chain and just worry about beating his direct opponent, which he did with 4 goals and could've been more.
We are at least one tall fwd short of required IMO, this week.

 

[AM]

GEELONG skipper Cameron Ling says an inability to get to enough contests was a factor in big forward Tom Hawkins' dumping this week.

Ling said Hawkins worked hard enough in the gym and at training, but said he needed to exert himself more on the field.

Bingo!

From Hun today

 

[couchy555]

Courageous decision, well done. But in reality if we're not getting enough marks or goals out of hawkins and mooney then there's nothing to loose.

Mooney i feel sorry for, clearly he's having issue's with his body but i still think he's a chance to factor in later for the season.

Id like to see Hawkins stay in the VFL until he gets his game right. Give him a list of things they EXPECT to see from him and tell him, achieve this criteria and your back.

This is a great decision, doing nothing was almost certainly going to achieve nothing, whilst doing something can have results, good or bad

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I agree with Ling, albeit that this is not his only issue he needs to work on.

Hopefully for a few weeks in the VFL he absolutely flogs himself to up his workrate and fitness and get to many many contests, and improve that marking, and generally just impose himself more, and I'm sure he will be back.

The reality is in all likelihood Mooney won't last the year so even with Vardy there's a spot there for Hawk if he can improve, but he needs to. I'm glad the coaching staff made the hard call and hopefully it will turn out well in the long run.

 

[Just do something]

He needs to work his but off and come back into the side with a renewed confidence. Hope he works in well with Mitch Brown we are all hoping they will both be our future.

 

[AM]

He needs to work his but off and come back into the side with a renewed confidence. Hope he works in well with Mitch Brown we are all hoping they will both be our future.

It's the inverse IMO. From what I've been told there's nothing wrong with his fitness and his skin folds have never been better.

It's principally a confidence. When you're low on confidence you become less assertive and less instinctive. So often his first thought is to look about to see where other players are rather than making his full focus the pill. It also shows up in his hesitancy when he has the pill.

I just hope that without having other names around him in the twos he'll become more assertive - selfish even - cos he has the ability to be our best key forward.

If only there was a means on transferring to him one tenth of Stevie Js self confidence.

 

[Cataholic]

I'm one who thinks Tommy's immediate and long-term future will be best served by a reasonable and consistent stint in the VFL starting tomorrow.

The one thing that worries me here though is how much of the ball Hawkins will be able to get.

I don't know if it's fair, but the quality of our delivery into the forward line seems to be a regular complaint in our VFL game threads, and if true, it could frustrate Tommy and his efforts to improve his game.

 

[The rabbi]

Simon Townley has similar thoughts on Hawkins to my own. I think that he has the ability. I also think that he should be playing at CHF and not in the ruck. But that's just my opinion.

Townley says:

I WANT to see Tom Hawkins get angry. I want to see him aggressive. I want to see him like Howard Beale of Network fame: "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more".
I want to see Hawkins deliver what his physique suggests he could. I want to see Hawkins deliver what his pedigree says he should.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/06/03/261641_opinion.html

 

[Cataholic]

Simon Townley has similar thoughts on Hawkins to my own. I think that he has the ability. I also think that he should be playing at CHF and not in the ruck. But that's just my opinion.

Townley says:



http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/06/03/261641_opinion.html

+ 1

I want to see him a) play as a forward only, and b) DARE people to stand in his way.