Preview AFL Preliminary Final - Pies vs Hawks - Prematch Discussion

[Ed D]

Apart from Fraser, Mick kept trying get rucks on the cheap, discards/journeymen/spuds/bean poles, he had many chances to trade up but never did, the best ruckam we've had in the last decade was Pebbles IMO (Jolly aside), and he wasn't even a ruckman lol.

I don't know, we tried a lot of spuds but we used good picks on Guy Richards and trading for Wood, plus Fraser was the #1 draft pick the year before Malthouse arrived. I don't think we went all out for a ruckman but we certainly tried quite a bit.

 

[Kurtley Beale]

It was a little bit tongue in cheek but ones that come to mind:
The line in the sand game.
Bateman's clothesline on Lloyd.
Sam Mitchell in the 2008 GF.
Jordan Lewis etc...

Mitchell hit Ablett in the chest...
Anyone would have hit Lloyd after what he did
Lewis yeah he would

 

[rhys_22]

Examples please.

Watch the last time we played you if you can.I believe a hawks player went to hit a pie player in the head delibrately to hurt them but got his own player instead. hahahaha always good to see.

 

[larrikan]

Collingwood will deservedly be favourites, and it would be a huge upset if Hawks win.

Although, their recent form hasn't been as good as it was this time last year IMO. They were not as polished against the Eagles in the QF, and their last 2-3 h&a matches weren't very polished.

Hawks have a good winning ratio against Pies over the past 5 meetings.

And Round 15 this year, we were missing Sewell, Rioli, Lewis from the engine room, and Buddy was almost non-existent with just 1 goal and very limited opportunities.

I believe the midfield will hold the key in this match. If we can break even in the clearances, then it will be anyones game!

I agree, please put your bankroll on the Hawks so I can I can get better than $1.30 for my wasted money

 

[Kirby]

It's interesting reading the Hawks board as compared to ours. They have a lot of talk about selection, tactics and match ups but over here no-one is really talking about it. It is much calmer here for some reason.

Is this because we are so settled in our structures that there is really not that much to discuss? Or are we just extremely confident and not stressing about it?

 

[mattys123]

It's interesting reading the Hawks board as compared to ours. They have a lot of talk about selection, tactics and match ups but over here no-one is really talking about it. It is much calmer here for some reason.

Is this because we are so settled in our structures that there is really not that much to discuss? Or are we just extremely confident and not stressing about it?

I think we just know what to expect from our boys.

The changes are predictable (Goldsack and Fasolo out for Reid and Thomas) and we know most of the match ups, and also have the utmost of confidence in those match ups.

On the other hand, the Hawks are the team that are scrambling, they need to figure out how to score against us with one key forward, they need to figure out how to stop Dawes and Cloke, they need to figure out.... Well, you get the picture.

Our team, and our supporters are settled, and quite confident because we know if we perform at the level we can, we win.

 

[TradeDraft]

I think we just know what to expect from our boys.

The changes are predictable (Goldsack and Fasolo out for Reid and Thomas) and we know most of the match ups, and also have the utmost of confidence in those match ups.

On the other hand, the Hawks are the team that are scrambling, they need to figure out how to score against us with one key forward, they need to figure out how to stop Dawes and Cloke, they need to figure out.... Well, you get the picture.

Our team, and our supporters are settled, and quite confident because we know if we perform at the level we can, we win.

Goldsack is 1 out the Other would not Defiantly be Fasolo

 

[rdangelo]

I think we just know what to expect from our boys.

The changes are predictable (Goldsack and Fasolo out for Reid and Thomas) and we know most of the match ups, and also have the utmost of confidence in those match ups.

I recon Blair will get the chop instead of Fasolo.

Out: Goldsack & Blair
In: Reid & Thomas

 

[Kurtley Beale]

Watch the last time we played you if you can.I believe a hawks player went to hit a pie player in the head delibrately to hurt them but got his own player instead. hahahaha always good to see.

He was trying to spoil the ball

 

[Quicky]

I recon Blair will get the chop instead of Fasolo.

Out: Goldsack & Blair
In: Reid & Thomas

Blair is the one forward this season that can hold his head high in regards to his tackling pressure. He is critical to our forward structure and is in no danger of being dropped.

 

[captain peanut]

It's interesting reading the Hawks board as compared to ours. They have a lot of talk about selection, tactics and match ups but over here no-one is really talking about it. It is much calmer here for some reason.

Is this because we are so settled in our structures that there is really not that much to discuss? Or are we just extremely confident and not stressing about it?

it's because we are as good as in the GF. i don't care if people label this as arrogant, it's the simple fact. collingwood are on a different level to hawthorn and all being even will simply demolish them next fri night. haw are the ones that need to find something different to upset our apple cart. coll's forward line is better (even tho the hawks have the most brilliant individual in franklin), our defence is in a different stratosphere and our midfield is more talented, runs deeper and importantly has some genuine leg speed that the hawks can't match. and bailey tries hard but jolly will own him in the ruck

and to top it off, we're as fresh as a daisy (pun intended) while the hawks had to pull out all stops in the last quarter on fri night

i could not be any more relaxed ahead of a cut throat game. start planning your grand final days boys

 

[mattys123]

Goldsack is 1 out the Other would not Defiantly be Fasolo

Fasolo is almost certain to be the second out, there is no one else.

He is 19 years old, and yet to be tested under the extreme pressure of a finals game, it's too big of a risk to take him into a game of this importance, the Hawks will feed off any weakness we have, and Alex's physicality against bigger bodies is definitely a weakness (Geelong out marked him 5-6 times in one on one contests in round 24).

The kid will be a star in a few years time, but he is not in the best 22 that we can select for this week.

Those with concerns over Blair or Sidebottom really don't understand their role, they are just about our chiefs when it comes to the forward press, and we need them badly.

Anyway, it's absolutely insane to even mention Sidebottoms' name, he was in our best 6-7 players in the first final, and has never played a bad finals game.

Blair will play, Sidebottom will play, Fasolo will not, it's a sign of how strong we are.

Blair may be the sub, but I wouldn't even want him to be that, we win this game largely due to our forward press, and he is so important to that.

 

[rhys_22]

He was trying to spoil the ball

Sure he was

 

[Greening Magic]

Blair is the one forward this season that can hold his head high in regards to his tackling pressure. He is critical to our forward structure and is in no danger of being dropped.

Spot on. Blair is also very good at getting front and square. Must play.

 

[Wooljay]

Blair is the one forward this season that can hold his head high in regards to his tackling pressure. He is critical to our forward structure and is in no danger of being dropped.

Good to see the voice of reason. For supporters of a team who won a premiership off the back of intense forward pressure, most of them write Jarryd 'The Press' Blair off pretty quick.

 

[Ed D]

I also think Blair will stay in the side, but it's not like it matters what any of us think anyway.

As for match ups etc, there's really not much to talk about from our perspective. They're fairly obvious and it's much more about our stucture than one on one battles. We also have more than one option in nearly every scenario that it's almost pointless to talk about it.

 

[davywap]

Krakouer has also contributed to a lot of forward pressure through tackling and chasing this year, but it tends to go unnoticed due to his flashy goals and marking. He's basically taken over from where Davis left off but added the flashiness which Davis wasn't providing much last season.

 

[upnsmoke]

Blair is the one forward this season that can hold his head high in regards to his tackling pressure. He is critical to our forward structure and is in no danger of being dropped.

Yup.

Blair is a keeper, as he is epitome example of the system.
Hard nose, hard tackler, busts his butt out chasing and applying pressure to nearby opponents.... he can also bursts out from behind the pack to sneak 1-2 goals every now and then... can even kick a bag if the the match up fails to give him attention.

 

[Jammer]

Interesting odds the bookies have put up for this game...Pies around $1.30..... ie ( they win this game 7 out of 10 times )

You have close to your best side in... a weeks break....and are a superior team to the Hawks.

The unknown for me and possibly an unbiased Pies follower who knows the team better than me could give there thoughts is this....

I believe Bookies are giving Hawks some small chance is more to do with Pies form than Hawthorns.
3 of your last 4 games you have looked noticably below your best..... Despite your outs, many Pies followers and outsiders expected you to destroy the Eagles.... you were in a position where you could lose with 5 mins to go.

If you come out in pre round 18 form this is over before halftime..... If you play as you did v West Coast.....not that it was that bad.... this will be a grind of a match where i believe the game will be very much alive in the last qrt.

 

[upnsmoke]

Interesting odds the bookies have put up for this game...Pies around $1.30..... ie ( they win this game 7 out of 10 times )

You have close to your best side in... a weeks break....and are a superior team to the Hawks.

The unknown for me and possibly an unbiased Pies follower who knows the team better than me could give there thoughts is this....

I believe Bookies are giving Hawks some small chance is more to do with Pies form than Hawthorns.
3 of your last 4 games you have looked noticably below your best..... Despite your outs, many Pies followers and outsiders expected you to destroy the Eagles.... you were in a position where you could lose with 5 mins to go.

If you come out in pre round 18 form this is over before halftime..... If you play as you did v West Coast.....not that it was that bad.... this will be a grind of a match where i believe the game will be very much alive in the last qrt.

Well I cant say I disagree.

The one thing I noticed against the Eagles were, the Pies intensity died down in the third, then picked it up in the 4th when the Eagles got within 7 points.

The midfield need to ALWAYS be putting pressure to the other team's midfield, because as you can see, Pies weakness is corridor kicks into the opposition's forward 50 in 1-2 kicks..... because the Press, even at high levels cannot make up for 40-50 meter quick kicks.

 

[MinerBoy]

Re: Prelim vs Hawks

They don't stand a chance. Sydney in the first half looked like a bottom 8 team and Hawthorn wasn't able to capitalise. I can't even begin to imagine how badly we'll maul them when they don't have a steady stream of turnovers to rely on.

Looked a bottom eight team because we completely outplayed them. 40 point half time lead suggests we either (1) did out play them, or (2) did capitalise on their crapness.

Ignoring all that, we still obviously have a massive hurdle to climb and no one in Hawkland is kidding themselves how tough it will be. I still think you blokes have been the best side in it and find myself being hopeful, rather can confident. Hope like hell we catch you off your game a bit, although it probably isn't likely.

 

[MinerBoy]

Re: Prelim vs Hawks

Hawks have had 2 poor finals games, they don't look the level to even trouble us, I doubt they'll get to 10 goals. Think we'll comfortably get that 10 goal lead by early 3rd quarter and cruise out the match.

Keep reading this. Not sure why.

We didn't play particularly well against the Cats yet for all that we were 2 points down with 5 minutes left in the 3rd. Even off our game we were in it up to our ears.

As for Sydney - we smashed them. 40 up at the half. They had a good period and then we torched them again. Swans have been in good nick and are a tough opponent and yet when the get thoroughly outclassed all we hear is that they were poor and it was a poor final. It was a poor spectacle because we owned the game so early.

Now, you guys should still win and all that...........but this is finals football. They are all hard (except against Essendon) and a comfortable win over the Swans should garner a little more credit than it has.

 

[MinerBoy]

Hawthorn were fairly avg. last nite. Sydney are a bottom 4 side on the MCG & they didn't come to play in the 1st half. Their midfield was absolutely smashed in the 3rd quarter & they lost/broke even with inside 50 count for the entire night.

WC on the G' are a bigger threat than Hawthorn.

Strange not to come to play in a final. I doubt that's the case at all. Outplayed perhaps - as they were for the entire night bar their 15 minutes of fame in the 3rd which everyone seems to think was the norm for the night, rather than the exception.

 

[Zahki]

Re: Prelim vs Hawks

From a neutral perspective I didn't see anything that indicated that Sydney was playing sloppily because of anything Hawthorn was doing. In fact Hawthorn was just as sloppy, but managed to do more damage when they got a turnover. It was a fairly low quality games with both sides showing some pretty terrible skill errors, when Sydney actually tightened up and stopped kicking the ball to Hawthorn players they closed the gap, then fell away in the last.

In any case I don't see how Hawthorn would take any confidence away from that game. Any of the top 4 would've punished them heavily for how fumbly they were and they would've lost, they'll need to go up several steps in both intensity and skill exectuion to stand a chance this friday. Another game like that and we'll have the game sealed up by quarter time.

Not to mention that the Hawks gameplan was already shown up in the H&A game we had this year. Doesn't matter what players they missed when their style of play was absolutely picked apart. If clarkson doesn't have something amazing up his sleeve, and we havn't seen any sign of that, then I can't see the result changing.

 

[Terex8]

Re: Prelim vs Hawks

Looked a bottom eight team because we completely outplayed them.

That is incorrect. The Swans themselves were poor.

A good example of that was when a Swans player kicked to Nick Smith. There was no pressure on the Swans player who kicked the ball & Smith had space galore. The Swans player couldn't hit the target & Smith seemed to run in slow motion before coughing the ball over.

Sydney haven't won a game at the MCG since 2007 & the last time they turned out on the ground, Richmond thrashed them. It was such a low intensity & quality match & Hawthorn supporters are kidding themselves if they think they played well. Most neutrals have commentated at how poor the intensity of the game was, it was the worst final I've seen since Brisbane/WB in 2009.