Preview 2024 Second Elimination Final: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn, 6 September 2024, 7.40pm @ MCG

[Hawkers88]

Great analysis Hawkers88

For me the big match ups are Meek vs English and Worps vs Libba.

We get wins in those two matchups and we are well on the way towards winning.

Thank you!

 

[OnTheRocks]

The week off has come at a good time for the lads. The only reoccurring dred I have is that some of them mentally play the game before it begins.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Sam to meek “mate if you can just run through anyone at any contest, it’s meek Monday every Monday”

Meek will be our most important player for mine, will have a huge influence on the game if he is on. If his off it will cause havoc.

 

[Charchi]

Prelim Preview, here are my thoughts... Happy reading!

Back/fwd:
Duryea - Watson: Duryea will be solid 1-1, key is for Watson to keep active and trouble Duryea for speed by going up the ground and back to the F50.
Jones - Gunston: Important for Gunners to keep Jones occupied to limit the amount of intercept marks from Jones. Gunners has played this role to a tee during the season against the likes of Weitering and Taylor and has also managed to hit the scoreboard with multiple goals.
O'Donnell - Dear: I haven't seen much of O'Donnell but Dear's leap and ability in the air should see him with multiple shots of goal throughout the game. He will need to convert early to get the confidence up. Scoreboard impact will also help lift the team.

Great analysis H88, one change for me is Serong for Bruest, and I hate saying it but we need flexibility in finals and Bruest just doesn’t offer it as sub.

 

[SammyC]

My pick for BOG is the skipper - been nursing himself to this line and will let it all go. Blonde prince is made for september. He’ll set it all up and if we put pressure on will intercept all night.

they’ll struggle to cover our fwds - particularly chol and whoever is on bramble.

Needs to start with midfield grunt, led by Meek physically dominating a ‘meek’ english, then get it outside and run them ragged. can’t wait.

 

[badgrill]

My pick for BOG is the skipper - been nursing himself to this line and will let it all go. Blonde prince is made for september. He’ll set it all up and if we put pressure on will intercept all night.

they’ll struggle to cover our fwds - particularly chol and whoever is on bramble.

Needs to start with midfield grunt, led by Meek physically dominating a ‘meek’ english, then get it outside and run them ragged. can’t wait.

Can see them trying to rile him up, good luck with that. I reckon he's matured greatly into the latter part of the year.

Hope I'm not proven wrong, but I can't see him getting sucked in like he has done in the past.

 

[Hawkers88]

Great analysis H88, one change for me is Serong for Bruest, and I hate saying it but we need flexibility in finals and Bruest just doesn’t offer it as sub.

Would love Serong to be in but he hasn't had enough AFL experience this season for mine and it could leave him exposed in a hot elim final

 

[birch]

With rain scheduled, I wonder what the moved AFLW game might do to the ground. Would be a shame to have a GMHBA type surface for such a big game.
I get the logistical difficulties that would’ve been involved, but surely a deal could’ve been struck to use Punt Road?

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Cameron Mackenzie vs. Marcus Bontempelli

4

Marcus Bontempelli

Age

28

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

10.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.4

5star

D

18.4

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

8.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

1.8

4star

. Can't wait. If it is a rain-affected match, his attributes could come in very handy. And we'll need him at his best with no Day. But I can't lie, I fear Sam Darcy and Ugle-Hagan. They could rip us apart. However, if rain occurs and the ground is affected by the AFLW match prior, the agility and mobility of our key forwards compared to the Dogs and having Ginnivan and Watson crumbing or hovering up the ground makes our chances look a lot better.

What will be interesting is to see who is selected out of Ward and Maginness. Maginness would offer greater versatility and pressure if we needed it, but Ward's skills could be very important in the wet. I'm not expecting us to win, but we should be confident that we have every chance of doing so. GO HAWKS!

 

[TONYC3163]

With rain scheduled, I wonder what the moved AFLW game might do to the ground. Would be a shame to have a GMHBA type surface for such a big game.
I get the logistical difficulties that would’ve been involved, but surely a deal could’ve been struck to use Punt Road?

The MCG ground will cope just fine.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

With rain scheduled, I wonder what the moved AFLW game might do to the ground. Would be a shame to have a GMHBA type surface for such a big game.
I get the logistical difficulties that would’ve been involved, but surely a deal could’ve been struck to use Punt Road?

Surely the AFL is taking this piss moving this game before a massive final

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Surely the AFL is taking this piss moving this game before a massive final

When's the AFL not taking the piss these days?

 

[Mrzohs]

The Dogs are the number 1 inside 50 team and contested marking team in the comp. For this reason it would make sense to try and take that away.

As much as i back in our system and back 6 to stand up. The extra road block will be very tempting to apply.

The 3 leading possession getters for the dogs by some margin are Trealor,Bont, and Dale. Without affecting our midfield structure the Dale tag would make sense.

6mm rain shouldn't affect the surface to much. Go Hawks!!! Moore BOG.

 

[birch]

The MCG ground will cope just fine.

It drains extremely well but you can’t tell me a whole game on it directly beforehand won’t chop it up even a little bit.
It’s the biggest stage of the year so far, it’s crazy to move a game there with weather about

 

[Holy Rioli]

Actually even worse when you go to round 7, at 678 - 556.

When you consider that the Swans had only conceded 493 points at that stage, a turnaround of just under 200 points defensively over the rest of the season to finish ahead of the Swans in points against is pretty crazy.

Went from the worst offense and the 3rd worst defence to 6th in both metrics from Rd 8 - 24.

I believe rounds 8-24 we are first in both metrics and had a percentage of 163

 

[FB19]

When's the AFL not taking the piss these days?

Just more amateur hour. It’s frightening how much these people are getting paid to be this reactive and incompetent.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Footscray kicked 1.3 last weekend in the AFLW. Wonder if they’ll go goalless on the MCG.

 

[Luke_Hodgey_15]

Sorry to come back to this, but just thought it was worth a follow up.

I don't know anything of this posters history, but I thought the absurdity combined with the specific word imagery made it quite funny!

Definitely tip toed that line, but at the end of the day I took it as an appreciation of Nat's great work and her Hawthorn nuffie-ness via a risky but not overally salacious joke.

He made a similar coment a couple of days ago, and most let it go through to the keeper.
The second time he made the remark I thought it was pretty important to make it clear that it wasn't a comment that aligned with the values of our club, or the board.

This place is hardly highbrow. Hair sniffing doesn’t even approach the pale of behaviour here, much less go beyond it. Anyone got that South Park graphic of the guy at the computer handy?

I think sometimes people forget that we have female members on our forum, and every instance of subtle misogyny or sexism proves to them that this isn't a place where woman are seen to be equal. Nat is a great media operator, she's well informed, balanced without hiding her allegiance and enjoyable to listen too, and she should be able to exist in the media lanscape without being sexualised

 

[toomanysquibs]

I think, and it's just a guess, just chewing the wind, just ruminating on past events and comparing it to this one... But I reckon it comes down to whoever has the highest score when the final siren goes.

At first glance I read that as 'urinating on past event's'......

Seemed a really good omen too, since we'll be pissing all over history by winning the flag!

 

[Phil McCreviss]

Just finished watching Mitch on AFL360. I have zero doubt that we have the right man for sustained success over the next 5-10 years. His philosophies are well beyond his years of coaching experience.

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

I agree with you 100%
If one of Frost or Sicily or Scrimshaw go down with injury it’s basically season over.
We need more flexibility and Serong coming of such a fantastic year and with such good form at VFL level could be that player.

We could always put Gunston behind the ball if need be. Breust could also change a game more if we're behind. That said, Serong's form warrants being the substitute. And I don't think it'd be hard for him to come into a game and do his job. Alternatively, perhaps Mitchell picks him over Maginness or Ward for the final spot because he's worried about our ability to handle Ugle-Hagan, Darcy, and Naughton after what Hogan did to Weddle.

 

[Hawkboy62]

Doggies brought physical pressure to the Giants last week, even their lesser lights. Expect them to try the same this week, so I hope our boys are willing to settle into a dour contested struggle, after a few weeks of Hollywood football.

Just hoping their forwards have an ordinary night in front of goals, but the reverse for our boys. A lot resting on our blue collar mids against their AA stars. Is it too much to ask for "Free kick, Hawthorn" against a side that usually get the rub of the green?

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Doggies brought physical pressure to the Giants last week, even their lesser lights. Expect them to try the same this week, so I hope our boys are willing to settle into a dour contested struggle, after a few weeks of Hollywood football.

Just hoping their forwards have an ordinary night in front of goals, but the reverse for our boys. A lot resting on our blue collar mids against their AA stars. Is it too much to ask for "Free kick, Hawthorn" against a side that usually get the rub of the green?

Agreed. It was our lack of intent that killed us without Day there to start the season. And we looked so pressured in those games because of it. However, I feel this midfield group is a lot stronger than then, particularly since Mackenzie should be playing midfield or forward of centre in Day's absence on Friday compared to when he was still at halfback or on the wing when Day wasn't there to start the year.

Regarding pressure, we have to be the ones setting it, not the Dogs. It's what made Collingwood great last year (lack of it made their fall off worse this year), Richmond during 2017-2022 (not just their smalls), Geelong for so long, ourselves from 07'-16', etc. What makes me worried is that we didn't deal very well with Geelong's pressure or structure down at GMHBA or in that final quarter vs GWS. But we have set the pressure in most games we've played this season. We will need Nuke, Nash and Worps to shut Bontempelli, Treloar, Richards, and Liberatore down as quick as possible when they inevitably win clearances.

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

As much as I will always support Jeff Kennett, they better not show him on the TV too late in the game. Because when they do that, chances are we always end up losing, just like they did at the Box Hill game last Saturday. Also, I can't help but think this image of Duryea looking at Kennett coldly out of focus will somehow bite us in the back on Friday. Taylor Duryea

15

Taylor Duryea

Age

33

Ht

181cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

10.7

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.0

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.8

4star

is also now set to be the record holder for most games played without a Brownlow vote (if he doesn't poll one at the Brownlow this year).

 

[TeamPlayer23]

We could always put Gunston behind the ball if need be. Breust could also change a game more if we're behind. That said, Serong's form warrants being the substitute. And I don't think it'd be hard for him to come into a game and do his job. Alternatively, perhaps Mitchell picks him over Maginness or Ward for the final spot because he's worried about our ability to handle Ugle-Hagan, Darcy, and Naughton after what Hogan did to Weddle.

Just to clarify on what I fully agreed on with the poster above was on the flexibility side of things, and not on wanting Bruest to miss out as he will be too valuable dew to his finals experience in the team.

I've been consistent with my other posts on this thread that if there's a chance of a tall like Serong been selected, he comes in for flexibility and security just incase of injuries to one of our defenders, and he will have to come in out of one of Maginness Morrison or Ward.

As far as Gunston he would never play back, those days are gone, he's way to valuable structurally and experienced and the glue to our forwards to go play back, if the WB talls are starting to dominate our defenders.