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- Jul 27, 2009
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Sam Mitchell killed us tonight. All credit to him, he played an amazing game. Absolutely stellar was his effort. He single-handedly won the game for Hawthorn by willing them back into the game. I don't know what his "Stats" were, I don't particularly care for them, I just base what I say from what I see. And from what I saw tonight, we were one lockdown player short of another GF berth (among many other things I know).
If Lingy was still playing, there's no way he would have let Sammy Mitchell tear us a new one like he did tonight. Hell, I would have even made a deal with the devil to get that flog Crowley in blue and white hoops for a night just to sit on top of Mitchell every time one of his muscle fibres twitched.
I don't want to sound melodramatic, but there's no doubt that as much as we've missed a big influential ruckman over the last couple of years since Ottens retired, we've almost missed that lockdown player who can quell not only the ability of the oppositions best midfielder to will himself to the contest, but to who can also quell subsequently their ability to lift their whole team.
If Freo make it through to the GF, watch Crowley all over Mitchell like a rash. As much as we hate the two purple flogs in Crowley and Ballantyne, there's little wonder why Freo supporters hold them in such high esteem. They play their roles perfectly, get under the skin of the oppositions best players which usually results in putting them off their game.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the way we play footy. We play them as it should be played, but that's not to say that we can't do that with as much grace and humility as humanly possible while also having an "unsocial" element to us when need be. Lingy did it perfectly, he got under the skin of the opposition (Nathan Buckley in particular) and generally has a say in putting the clamps quickly and effectively on the oppositions best players.
Ling was a star who's influence is still underrated on this board IMO. He's irreplaceable, but that doesn't mean that you don't at least try, Taylor Hunt is a good young prospect, but IMO a tagger he is not. I'd love to get a player like Scott Selwood to our club. He's a great tagger, brilliant tackler who reminds of Kelly in the way that he goes about it, and he can also hurt the opposition going the other way too if they're not careful.
Wishful thinking I know, but if we could secure a great lockdown player, get our No.1 rucks back up, get a fit and firing Hawk sans back issue whilst simultaneously getting more and more games into our young players legs over the course of next year, I'd be very bullish about our chances at the big dance next year. Footy is a funny game, but not too much had to change in our favour for us to be heading into another GF and perhaps 4 in 7. But onwards and upwards from here at the very least, and that's saying something considering we have had such a good year.
If Lingy was still playing, there's no way he would have let Sammy Mitchell tear us a new one like he did tonight. Hell, I would have even made a deal with the devil to get that flog Crowley in blue and white hoops for a night just to sit on top of Mitchell every time one of his muscle fibres twitched.
I don't want to sound melodramatic, but there's no doubt that as much as we've missed a big influential ruckman over the last couple of years since Ottens retired, we've almost missed that lockdown player who can quell not only the ability of the oppositions best midfielder to will himself to the contest, but to who can also quell subsequently their ability to lift their whole team.
If Freo make it through to the GF, watch Crowley all over Mitchell like a rash. As much as we hate the two purple flogs in Crowley and Ballantyne, there's little wonder why Freo supporters hold them in such high esteem. They play their roles perfectly, get under the skin of the oppositions best players which usually results in putting them off their game.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the way we play footy. We play them as it should be played, but that's not to say that we can't do that with as much grace and humility as humanly possible while also having an "unsocial" element to us when need be. Lingy did it perfectly, he got under the skin of the opposition (Nathan Buckley in particular) and generally has a say in putting the clamps quickly and effectively on the oppositions best players.
Ling was a star who's influence is still underrated on this board IMO. He's irreplaceable, but that doesn't mean that you don't at least try, Taylor Hunt is a good young prospect, but IMO a tagger he is not. I'd love to get a player like Scott Selwood to our club. He's a great tagger, brilliant tackler who reminds of Kelly in the way that he goes about it, and he can also hurt the opposition going the other way too if they're not careful.
Wishful thinking I know, but if we could secure a great lockdown player, get our No.1 rucks back up, get a fit and firing Hawk sans back issue whilst simultaneously getting more and more games into our young players legs over the course of next year, I'd be very bullish about our chances at the big dance next year. Footy is a funny game, but not too much had to change in our favour for us to be heading into another GF and perhaps 4 in 7. But onwards and upwards from here at the very least, and that's saying something considering we have had such a good year.
