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

[Clarkos_Soldier]

Perplexing? Gunston coming in changes everything considering a tall isn't sub, which is very likely.
We will have an extra tall in our starting 21 and 1 less small. Instead of Hartung being sub it'll be another small (Suckling, Duryea?).
So effectively, Gunston comes into our starting 21 and a small is out. How does that not make our team that little bit slower and taller?
Not understanding THAT is perplexing.

If agility is the issue then we are selling our so called 'tall' forward line short. I dare say Roughie is as agile as any West Coast backmen, Gunston not far behind and if people are questioning Shoe's agility please wind back to the 26 minute mark of the prelim and tell me what you see. Not only does he get his foot to the ball in congestion but gets ahead of the more 'agile' Fremantle backmen to reach his own kick first (pushing past three of them while he is sprinting) and then has the alertness to know that he has backup behind him so he doesn't try to pick the ball up, he simply stops it on it's tracks for his team mates to pick it up and kick a goal. One of the best individual efforts of the year.

I am sure people will point out that they are talking about run and not agility but Hawthorn's game is not to run the ball. It is to kick the ball and for those up the ground to be in constant movement and make position for the next kick. For that you need experience and ability to read the game not speed. Look at Hodge he has won two norm smiths for taking the game apart in Grand Finals and it's not his speed that did that. Last year Jetta and Rohan, likely the two fastest men on the ground, did nothing nor did their speed help them in any way. When you have no control of the game speed does not help you. And if you are in control, you look fast no matter who is at the end of it.

But if we are not kicking the ball well, it won't matter who we have in the team our system will suffer and we look mediocre and speed is not the answer.

If you want to see Shoe's effort go to the 26 minute mark:

 

[buck 05]

Follow the Cats, however as l hate WC, Go Hawks. Being a hot day and thinking about Hawthorn's performance over last 2 months if Brian Lake plays, you better as well have 3 guys on the bench. He has been good for you guys however he is cooked.
Late change: In Langford, .Out:Lake

 

[Bikefreak]

Perplexing? Gunston coming in changes everything considering a tall isn't sub, which is very likely.
We will have an extra tall in our starting 21 and 1 less small. Instead of Hartung being sub it'll be another small (Suckling, Duryea?).
So effectively, Gunston comes into our starting 21 and a small is out. How does that not make our team that little bit slower and taller?
Not understanding THAT is perplexing.

Would Suckling really be considered a small at 6' 1 & 1/2" ????

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Hot yes......humidity no.

Was greeted with two days of 47° on my first "relocation" to Perth in 97.
Wtf was I thinking.
Dont think it quite reaches those temps anymore but anything above 30 is too bloody hot to be chasing a footy around.

Agree. I honestly don't know how they do it. The colder the better if I have to be running around!

I remember we played very well in Perth a couple of years ago in very hot conditions (although Schoey did cramp badly in the last quarter )

 

[KO_KO]

Good luck tomorrow Hawks, hoping for an awesome game not influenced by umpires or injuries.

May the best team win and thanks for all the great posts on the WC board, your fans are all class from what I've seen

 

[mikeder]

It's a confusing feeling on Grand Final - eve. A mixture of excitement, breathlessness, anxiety, and hope. Weirdly, the closer it gets the calmer I feel. I think peak nervousness is between the PF and Tuesday when nobody outside the club has a clue who will be in or out. Now that the team has been selected there is some surety. So with an experienced, talented, and well-coached team about to hit the field I feel I can just let the motivation of our team carry the big day for us. We'll know in the first 5 minutes if the hawks have come to play. Early hand passes and kicks hitting their targets, tackles sticking, everyone sure-footed and lots of teammates getting to good positions. We have winners on every line, proven defenders, multiple forward targets, a proven game style and a home ground advantage. We truly are fortunate to have such a great club to support. Go Hawks.

Well put, and my sentiments exactly Glenhope!

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Follow the Cats, however as l hate WC, Go Hawks. Being a hot day and thinking about Hawthorn's performance over last 2 months if Brian Lake plays, you better as well have 3 guys on the bench. He has been good for you guys however he is cooked.
Late change: In Langford, .Out:Lake

Thanks for the kind words - but Lake is far from cooked. Did a big job last week and his intercept marking is a huge asset. Very important to our defensive structure.

 

[Hawkk]

Tomorrows forecast is now 30deg with increasing wind. I reckon this will be a real concern for us given we haven't had a weeks break. The heat will certainly suit Eagles better. It will take a monumental effort.

I guess we cant win the flag then, we are cooked

 

[mikeder]

They didn't seem to let us play our natural game or we didn't play it for some reason.
There just wasn't much fast movement by us that night.

We didn'y play it for some reason Flukey, and that reason is what I have outlined in a few posts.They certainly didn't stop us from playing our game, they are not good enough for that.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Thanks for the kind words - but Lake is far from cooked. Did a big job last week and his intercept marking is a huge asset. Very important to our defensive structure.

It's entirely possible that West Coast will refuse to send Sinclair forward when he's not rucking leaving Lake without a real match-up. Brian isn't agile enough to play as a spare, he needs the ball kicked to his opponent otherwise he won't get to nearly enough contests.
It will be really interesting to see how the Eagles structure up, Lake is unique in that even though he plays on the final line of defence he is a genuine match winner.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

"This great team, the best team of the modern era, the best club of the last 50 years has produced its masterpiece. Never have they been better than this..."

Bruce your quote will only be valid for 53 weeks. Better come up with something new.

Go you good things. F*** the weather, F*** team selection, F*** what ifs, we will get it done. That hurt of 2012 coupled with the greatness that awaits our boys will be primed.

OUR HOUSE, OUR RULES!!!!

 

[Xtreme]

Tomorrows forecast is now 30deg with increasing wind. I reckon this will be a real concern for us given we haven't had a weeks break. The heat will certainly suit Eagles better. It will take a monumental effort.

Ice vests
Ice van

use the shade areas during quarter time and 3 quarter time * Jsson Dunstall likes this idea

I know it's unlikely but it would be kind of funny if everyone is expecting Hawthorn players to break down in the heat (especially Hodge, Gunston, Lake, Hale etc) but the Eagles players cramp and break down instead despite the week off.

 

[mikeder]

Machines break...when they get hot and under a lot of pressure away from the workshop. The man who made that machine can fix it. But he won't.

Very well said "HH". The Hawks might just wipe that self-satisfied, supercillious look off Simpsons face as though he has Clarko all worked out and gone one further than what he learnt from him.

 

[BigLittleHawk]

Would Suckling really be considered a small at 6' 1 & 1/2" ????

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

I think it's quite obvious that by being a 'small', I meant anyone who isn't a tall - or plays tall......such as midfielders, flankers etc.
Gunston is/plays as a 3rd tall forward. Suckling doesn't.

 

[Pessimistic]

They didn't seem to let us play our natural game or we didn't play it for some reason.
There just wasn't much fast movement by us that night.

Their second and third quarters were siblime. On top inside and outside the contest.

The thought was our last quarter win was junktome but I think the older team ran out the game better. - but it was of course a cold night not a hot day

They might start better and we finish better, which is opposite to what people are saying

 

[Since 2001]

Follow the Cats, however as l hate WC, Go Hawks. Being a hot day and thinking about Hawthorn's performance over last 2 months if Brian Lake plays, you better as well have 3 guys on the bench. He has been good for you guys however he is cooked.
Late change: In Langford, .Out:Lake

Good one, geelong supporters don't even know who our emergencies are. Going off them it has to be hartung

 

[Hawk Hawkins]

Ice vests
Ice van

use the shade areas during quarter time and 3 quarter time * Jsson Dunstall likes this idea

I know it's unlikely but it would be kind of funny if everyone is expecting Hawthorn players to break down in the heat (especially Hodge, Gunston, Lake, Hale etc) but the Eagles players cramp and break down instead despite the week off.

I'm sure some of the old west coke boys will be on ice too.

 

[Hawkk]

Crownbet has posted 1.60 / 2.45 odds

West Coast are way unders or is that just me?

 

[Pessimistic]

Ice vests
Ice van

use the shade areas during quarter time and 3 quarter time * Jsson Dunstall likes this idea

I know it's unlikely but it would be kind of funny if everyone is expecting Hawthorn players to break down in the heat (especially Hodge, Gunston, Lake, Hale etc) but the Eagles players cramp and break down instead despite the week off.

The whole mcg is a shade area later in the game

 

[mikeder]

Still baffled by the Hartung omission given the conditions...

A good reason for Hartung's omission as mentioned in an earlier post "SAT".

 

[mikeder]

Good luck tomorrow. Looking forward to crowning a new GOAT team. Amazing since 2008.

Thanks mate!

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

It's entirely possible that West Coast will refuse to send Sinclair forward when he's not rucking leaving Lake without a real match-up. Brian isn't agile enough to play as a spare, he needs the ball kicked to his opponent otherwise he won't get to nearly enough contests.
It will be really interesting to see how the Eagles structure up, Lake is unique in that even though he plays on the final line of defence he is a genuine match winner.

Agreed.

It would not surprise me at times if they play both rucks in the midfielder at times together to stop our third man up and make match ups harder for us.

 

[mikeder]

I guess we cant win the flag then, we are cooked

Ye what a joke Hawkk!

 

[mikeder]

"This great team, the best team of the modern era, the best club of the last 50 years has produced its masterpiece. Never have they been better than this..."

Bruce your quote will only be valid for 53 weeks. Better come up with something new.

Go you good things. F*** the weather, F*** team selection, F*** what ifs, we will get it done. That hurt of 2012 coupled with the greatness that awaits our boys will be primed.

OUR HOUSE, OUR RULES!!!!

OooooooooooooooH YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeH !!!!!!!!!

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Crownbet has posted 1.60 / 2.45 odds

West Coast are way unders or is that just me?

I reckon it's fair. They're not without a chance. What would you frame them at?