AFL Round 15 - Geelong v Hawthorn, MCG, Saturday 10 July 2:10PM

[Squall]

Geelong had better hold on (for my tipping sake).

Would be cool to see Hawthorn their current streak though

A team win over a tip any day

 

[Jimpson]

Epic

 

[Lionel Lyon]

Great match. Congrats to both teams.

 

[Xtreme]

A team win over a tip any day

Not where my tipping is concerned - high stakes and all.

 

[AG]

Great game.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Geez that was tense at the end. Another fantastic game. Great to see Geelong come out with the win though, really important for us.

 

[caitsith01]

I love how the commentators STILL don't realise that Harry Taylor is one of the best defenders in the league. Another huge, game-saving contested mark.

Good game, glad the off the ball stuff wasn't as evident as it has been in some other Hawthorn games.

Great to see Ottens back.

 

[seysearles]

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Taylor was probably your best player today.

Ottens and Blake both exposed our lack of decent rucks.

Chapman was immense in the last (even if a little lucky with that free kick at the end).

For the Hawks, we were a little mis-matched in defence with 5 marking defenders v the Cats small lineup. Franklin was one-grabbing for the first time in months - no coincidence after the umpire paid the first couple of arm-chop free kicks. Badly missed Mitchell, with both rucks well beaten his ability to shark would have been very helpful.

One of those games where pretty much every player contributed.

 

[Jimpson]

I didnt think Taylor had his best game today, not just because Buddy kicked 4 on him. Dropped a couple of marks and missed a couple of punches. Not up to his usual high standards but was servicable.

Probably give our best to Ablett, or maybe Stokes for winning the match up forward.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Stokes got 3 of his 4 goals from cheating the contest. Wouldn't have him near your votes.

Ablett had 20-odd useless possessions in the first half, before contributing late. Was well beaten by Rioli first up, then kept quiet by Murphy (perennial hawk whipping boy), before first Guerra and then Bateman were both damaging running off him in the third. As champions do, he made up for it in the last.

 

[Rhombus]

20 Useless possessions? So were they all turnovers?

 

[AG]

I thought Varcoe was very good.

 

[seysearles]

Everyone is patting Hawthorn on the back for putting up a good fight.

It jut feels to me that Geelong has a self-belief that we can't match. But what scares me is that this is becoming ingrained in the players psyches because since the 08 GF we've had 4 games which have followed almost the exact same script with Hawthorn starting all guns blazing; Geelong absorbing the pressure and slowly wearing the Hawks down.

I guess its a little payback for us snaffling the big one in 08 but it scares me cos despite consistently getting close I really don't see us beating them

 

[Blues_Man]

I love how the commentators STILL don't realise that Harry Taylor is one of the best defenders in the league. Another huge, game-saving contested mark.

.

Because they are too busy jizzing themselves whenever Rioli gets a touch...and proceeds to duck his head while getting caught with the ball .

Congrats to both teams for putting on a great spectacle..both teams had their chances of winning, but the Cats just had the poise and quality of players in the end ...Hawks missed Mitchell, and the Cats weren't right on their game for most of the day with lots of uncharacteristic fumbling and turnovers.

 

[Blues_Man]

I thought Varcoe was very good.

Yup ..he and Wojinski were vital in running the lines and setting up goals early in the match .

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

2 kicks (one clanger, one goal assist), 19 handballs (12 in 1-2's, 6 to a ballup or turnover). I understand it's his role, and is used to get an overlap man through, but people tend to judge the game on stats. His 35 (?), were certainly less valuable than for example Rioli's 20-odd.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Watching Varcoe run down Franklin was pretty delicious.

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

Great game Hawkers - always is!

I don't know how we have won the last couple TBH.

Gotta love Stokes, just made dropping him (if it came to it) a little harder.

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

2 kicks (one clanger, one goal assist), 19 handballs (12 in 1-2's, 6 to a ballup or turnover). I understand it's his role, and is used to get an overlap man through, but people tend to judge the game on stats. His 35 (?), were certainly less valuable than for example Rioli's 20-odd.

I thought Ablett was one of the BOG... stats are just stats your right, but he was still pretty influential IMO.

 

[ajdude]

Bit of deja vu with that Taylor mark?

 

[DangerHere]

Bad luck today Hawkers, could have taken it in the end.

Hopefully we meet again in the finals.

Good luck Hawthorn !

 

[Jimpson]

Bit of deja vu with that Taylor mark?

Also had the "Varcoe handball to Chappy who kicks a snap goal" from last years grand final and the "Ottens tap down to ablett who snaps a goal over his shoulder from 45 out" from 2007 prelim v collingwood.

 

[Skerret]

Cats decided to do a Greatest Hits compilation and fortunately remembered to pull out a win.

 

[mark73]

Taylor was probably your best player today.

Ottens and Blake both exposed our lack of decent rucks.

Chapman was immense in the last (even if a little lucky with that free kick at the end).

For the Hawks, we were a little mis-matched in defence with 5 marking defenders v the Cats small lineup. Franklin was one-grabbing for the first time in months - no coincidence after the umpire paid the first couple of arm-chop free kicks. Badly missed Mitchell, with both rucks well beaten his ability to shark would have been very helpful.

One of those games where pretty much every player contributed.

Hawthorn did reasonably well for a team that has an average defence. Some of the things Luke Hodge did was amazing and I also have some new respect for Clinton Young. Unfortunately, as we found out last week, they're just that good. They won't always be, so it's not the end of the world.