Preview 2015 Grand Final: Hawthorn v West Coast Eagles - Gunston IN, Hartung OUT

[Brishawk]

Campbell Brown said that Poppy has been poor in grand finals...

I wouldn't say he's been stellar, but he's definitely been solid. Hmmm...

Good last year. Shit in 2012. Not a big factor in 2013. Still wouldn't drop him.

 

[cryptor]

Campbell Brown said that Poppy has been poor in grand finals...

I wouldn't say he's been stellar, but he's definitely been solid. Hmmm...

Puopolo in 2013 keeping the ball alive deep in the pocket against 3 opponents. So poor.

 

[mikeder]

Campbell Brown just attention seeking with a silly suggestion. The silence from Carey and Dixon said it all.

He only comes up with silly suggestions, and is only a West Aussie after all, so what do you expect!

 

[mikeder]

He can be a bit dumb mate but don't be too harsh on Campbell Brown.

Remember, the guy won a premiership and all-Australian selection with our club.

And Leigh Mathews won a lot more, but still seems to have it in for the Hawks!

 

[threesixpio]

Did I just read Poppy out, Gunston in??

Is pop injured??

Campbell Brown pretending we listen to him

 

[Great 2008]

Schoey over Gunston for me pls. Schoey harder at the contest than Gunston. Gunston has ankle and knee concerns do not play him.

 

[Gunstall555]

I just won a Hawks Sherrin signed by Schoey, he MUST play! please.

 

[Alex_au]

Dismantling the web :

 

[The Hitman]

At Me I Life Football we just published a player-by-player form guide for both teams, and analysed the selection options for both teams. Obviously Hawthorn's is more complex than the Weagles'.

I did Hawthorn's grand final preview, and on the whole Gunston/Schoenmakers/Hartung/Insert Player Here situation, I guess I kinda sorta made the case for Hartung to go if Gunston comes up.

There’s always one team with selection dilemmas and a race against the clock in grand final week, and this year that burden falls squarely on the Hawthorn camp.

After Jack Gunston went down with either a high ankle sprain or knee injury against West Coast in the qualifying final (reports have alluded to both – it’s still a bit of a mystery and he had ice on both leaving the field two and a half weeks ago), there has been a maelstrom of speculation on how the Hawks will approach the grand final, and who’ll miss out if Gunston is fit.

There’s no doubt Gunston will be named tonight; the question is whether he’ll play. While Hawthorn’s leading goalkicker for 2015 has made a few token appearances on the training track, he hasn’t yet been pushed to anywhere near the type of activity needed to play in a grand final – at least publicly.

Let’s lets look at two scenarios: if Gunston plays and if he doesn’t.

The second scenario is easy. If Gunston pulls up lame, the Hawks are more than likely going to go into the grand final unchanged. It gets seriously interesting if the former Crow does run out on Saturday afternoon, with some unlucky Hawk facing the heartbreak of being dropped for the most important game of their life.

The two most obvious candidates for the chop would be Ryan Schoenmakers or Billy Hartung – neither of whom have played in a premiership for Hawthorn (though Schoenmakers played in Hawthorn’s 2012 grand final loss).

There seems to be a public consensus that Schoenmakers would be the most likely to make way, with coach Alastair Clarkson electing to make a simple like-for-like swap. But that doesn’t really reflect how Hawthorn set up their forward line throughout 2015, and particularly in that golden patch of the season between rounds 14 and 19 where they lost one game and knocked off Fremantle, Sydney away and West Coast away in impressive fashion.

In each of those six games, Schoenmakers played alongside Gunston up forward, while Jarryd Roughead joined them for the last four. When West Coast lost to Hawthorn at home in round 19, all three were present, though Luke Breust was the hero with three goals.

It might be Hartung, the pacy wingman from Dandenong, who has the most to fear by Gunston’s possible return. He missed the qualifying final but took Will Langford’s spot for the semi final win against Adelaide, though only saw action near the end of what was, at that stage, a dead rubber. Rinse and repeat for the preliminary final.

Height versus run – it’s your classic selection dilemma, and there’s no easy answer. West Coast’s short defence must tempt Clarkson to load up on tall forward options, but Hartung’s run could be a spark if it’s close and bodies are exhausted in the final stanza.

However you slice it, there’s going to be one sullen figure sitting in the stands on Saturday afternoon, wondering what might have been.

If you want to know what the hell a Brad Sheppard is (I didn't know, to be truthful), you can check out the West Coast form guide too.

 

[mikeder]

Schoey over Gunston for me pls. Schoey harder at the contest than Gunston. Gunston has ankle and knee concerns do not play him.

Fantastic assumption, couldn't have put it better myself!!!!!!

 

[mikeder]

When Brisbane won their 3peat they won the third game via the long way round. On Saturday the Hawks will complete the same run.Go HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hawkerzz]

With the way West Coast ran over us a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't drop Hartung. If Gunston is 100% then it's bad luck for Shoey but I don't believe he would be even close to 100%. We played injured players in 2012 and paid the price, let's not make the same mistake.

 

[Samthegun]

Puopolo in 2013 keeping the ball alive deep in the pocket against 3 opponents. So poor.

Yeah, I know. Brown must have been watching a different match!

 

[Samthegun]

With the way West Coast ran over us a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't drop Hartung. If Gunston is 100% then it's bad luck for Shoey but I don't believe he would be even close to 100%. We played injured players in 2012 and paid the price, let's not make the same mistake.

Yeah...Clarko always says unfit players are never played...I think that's BS.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Nothing much can be gleaned from training. Extremely light session for the cameras and the fans. All the 22 from the preliminary final trained plus Gunston, Howe, Jed, Sicily, Ceglar, Litherland and maybe one or two others.

Gut feel is that Gunston will replace Schoenmakers.

 

[macdaddio]

With this huge article to come out about the Weagles party drugs taking in the 2006 Flag, it might give them some amunition to prove this is no fluke and no drugs.
Getting more and more nervous now.!!

 

[Gralin]

Nothing much can be gleaned from training. Extremely light session for the cameras and the fans. All the 22 from the preliminary final trained plus Gunston, Howe, Jed, Sicily, Ceglar, Litherland and maybe one or two others.

Gut feel is that Gunston will replace Schoenmakers.

I'm more nervous about what happens to Shoe at selection tonight than I am about the game at the moment. Obviously the team the panel thinks have the best chance of winning will get picked I just hope for Ryan's sake he is part of that team.
He's done everything asked of him and been a big part of making 3 of the last 4 grand finals would be a shame for him to miss out again

 

[Xtreme]

I wouldn't play Gunston, far too risky. He's either going to break down and we'll be a man down mid match OR he's not going to have the same impact on game day due to lack of match fitness and not being 100% (shades of Smith just weeks ago).

If he plays and he's the match winner kicking 3-5 goals I will eat my hat!

 

[macdaddio]

I'm more nervous about what happens to Shoe at selection tonight than I am about the game at the moment. Obviously the team the panel thinks have the best chance of winning will get picked I just hope for Ryan's sake he is part of that team.
He's done everything asked of him and been a big part of making 3 of the last 4 grand finals would be a shame for him to miss out again

If he plays you know he will have a point to prove and give 100%

 

[Flukey!]

Gunston has ankle and knee concerns do not play him.

Gunston trained great and will be selected. No doubt about that.

 

[SpiritofDerm]

Gunston trained great and will be selected. No doubt about that.

Agree - looked very strong, no obvious strapping, looked 100% fit as did Hodgey.

 

[Ranj Sri Lanka]

No, for melbournians 25 degrees is not hot and if you think it is you have been sadly misled.

Melbourne gets up into mid 40s making sri lanka's relatively mild 30 look like nothing. But melbourne is just coming out of a winter, and in that sense 28 degrees is relatively warm. This is afl not cricket, they don't just stand around waiting for the ball to arrive.

It is the most elite fitness ball-sport in the world. There is a reason why it's held in winter.

Granted Melbourne's heat is a dry heat, but claiming a place where 30 degrees is the norm is hotter than melbourne is simply misinformed.

Agree to most what you say mate. I lived in Melbourne for 4 years from Jan 90 to Dec 93 and the reason I discovered and fell in love with your sport is for the very reason you have mentioned and I have "bolded" above. I was amazed at the stamina carried by these guys even after 3 hours of running. Fortunately or not most of my Aussie mates were Hawk fans and they took me to Waverly most weekends and I begin to love Dunston, Breraton and the Rat. On the weather front yes Melb gets into 40 at sometimes but it is not uncomfortable compared to SL where even in 30+ is tiring due to high humidity. Hoping to come down again next year for a holiday- probably in Sept to see footy live again.

 

[Hawkk]

With this huge article to come out about the Weagles party drugs taking in the 2006 Flag, it might give them some amunition to prove this is no fluke and no drugs.
Getting more and more nervous now.!!

If that article is being used as motivation the flag is as good as won

Still a long way to go

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Puopolo in 2013 keeping the ball alive deep in the pocket against 3 opponents. So poor.

That was one of the match highlights for mine.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

You realise that game in Domain was the first game back after Walsh's death. It means nothing. Who knows how Adelaide players felt at the time.

That has no relevance to what I said, I was merely pointing out that West Coast aren't the same side away from home as they are at Domain when someone said are you worried about what happened 3 weeks ago.