Am I alone in thinking we weren't that bad against the Hawks?

[Angelus512]

I agree I felt same as OP. But having said that its all about expectations pre-game. I expected us to lose but I felt that it could have been won up until about 2-4 mins into the 4th quarter.

So all up it was a decent game to watch but quite depressing. Sad to see the effort and just knowing you're not going to do it. Especially for Taz. Really wish he wasn't retiring. One more year.

 

[pies_1981]

I also feel like we weren't that bad last night. Feel like we threw everything at them but the Hawks were just too good. As much as it sucks, we're not the best team anymore so can't expect to win every game.

Daisy & Fas had stinkers; they'll be better next time we meet so there is a little upside but in reality not that much.

 

[vjknight]

the need to chip short - to the ankles - has been costing us all year and continued last night. we got away with in in 2010 around the boundary, but you cant thru the rest of the field against a damaging side like hawks.

i too was impressed with our intensity, but bad mistakes cost us dearly. the defence does need revamping. some retirements plus some fresh blood or redefining roles might provide that.

geelong are clearly the key to our chances in 2012. but they just might be gone tonight.

 

[Jie_Hodge]

I think we would of had a handy break heading into the last against any other team last night with the way we played for the first three quarters i think we could a cracked them under our pressure. Its been the way all year that playing 4 quarters of good consistent football is a hard thing for us to do. Swans is the only one I can remember.

Like one of the other posters mentioned we just seem 5% off everything from the previous two years and other teams have improved in this time. We can get away with it against lesser sides but its a real arm wrestle against the top teams.

One thing that does need to change though is kick-ins when was the last time we found a easy target from kick in besides the short one on the boundary and how many times does the kick in player kick it to himself and run to the side where we are out numbered. Is this because we are rotating mids when we have kick outs meaning less numbers? I dunno but it needs to be fixed.

I am actually confident against the Eagles next week after last night.

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Sorry for intruding but you were bent over by the umpires at crucial times last night... They were gifted at least 3 goals... If it was a 12 point difference in the last quarter as it should of been, I think the pressure might of just got to the squibs of Hawthorn...

 

[Captivating]

Sorry for intruding but you were bent over by the umpires at crucial times last night... They were gifted at least 3 goals... If it was a 12 point difference in the last quarter as it should of been, I think the pressure might of just got to the squibs of Hawthorn...

And it all happened "right in front of me"

 

[No SPIN]

It's just not quite happening for us this year. It looks like we're just that 5% off in all our efforts. Not quite getting first hands to the ball. Not running back hard enough to help the defence. Not quite running forward hard enough to provide an option. Not quite tackling hard enough to lock the ball in (this was especially frustrating tonight - they kicked a lot of goals from jarring the ball free after they had been tackled. This simply didn't happen in 2010).

We're about 5% off in our intensity across the board. It's turned us from a hungry, fierce premiership team to a relatively content top four side.

agree 100% - fumbling, missed tackles, miskicks are all very frustrating, BUT the intensity is back.
If we can stop Mitchell next time we win, because JOLLY dominates the Hawk rucks, and when we got first use we scored - but last night Hawks sharking Jolly's taps was frustrating, if we can change this we are far more competitive and can bridge the gap considerably.

 

[Gambit78]

Hawks kick straight and we lose by 60-70 points. We were lucky to be as close as what we were.

Don't get sucked into this. Often repeat inside 50's generate a lot of behinds simply because shots on goals are pressured, from stoppages or tight on the boundary. If the Hawks kicked a goal, the ball goes back to the middle and then it's all about the clearances. It is just as likely that if the Hawks kicked straighter, they would have had much less scoring opportunities.

 

[Snoop Dog]

I dont think we were that bad.

I watched them vs the Eagles last week and we pushed them a lot harder than they did. Eagles were playing for a double shot as well. I am confident enough of next week and I if we get thru that not scared about being in Adelaide or Sydney for the Prelim either.

 

[BEEG]

Proud of our boys was a huge effort they were 1.33 favs it's not like it was a 50/50 game

No one expected us to win so let the main board talk there crap we were just not good enough

Next year we go in the hunters with a new game plan and hopefully a fit list and a couple of new recruits

 

[fooj]

Pretty upbeat despite the loss. Our best effort in quite a while. Still a strong chance to make the GF. Nobody likes losing them, but you've gotta be in it to win it.

 

[PieNSauce]

Last night we were better than we've been in a while. If we're honest with ourselves I think it's fair to say that the chances of returning to our best this season given all of the obstacles were always going to be fairly slim. You've not only got to get all your best players on the park but give everyone a chance to regain their fitness, form and most importantly confidence before the skills will return. If that happens before next year I'll be pleasantly surprised but I really can't see it. To have come as far as we have is a credit to the coaches and players. I would love to say we're in with a chance this year but reality says it's unlikely.

 

[Frankie23]

First 3 quarters we were right in it, even though they had a 2-3 goal buffer the whole time, speaking to many supporters from both sides, the game was there to be won, even at 3 quarter time.

However that initial 4th quarter onslaught just deflated us and it was game over from there. The fact we hadn't won a quarter and hadn't been in front for a while probably cost us mentally, after they kicked two goals its hard to mount a case for a comeback..

All is not lost though, if we play like that next week we will smash WC/North who will have a 6 day break after playing in 30 degree heat and hopefully a few injuries as well. Then it's onto a prelim in Ade/Syd, which we won't fear. From there anything can happen, obviously we need other teams to do us a few favours (someone beat Hawthorn) but all is not lost, and there is still a lot of improvement on the cards.

 

[joefootylover]

I thought we played a great game personally. Cloke played the best game of his career IMHO, Krakouer was awesome, Jolly was solid in the stoppages, Dawes got his hands on the ball, Reid was great and genuinely outpointed Roughy on more than one occasion, Taz did as well as anyone can expect on Buddy.

We went in hard and they would be feeling it, they have more fluid and aggressive ball movement, both from centre bounce and from defence, but I think we can certainly improve on that.

assuming no suspensions/injuries, and assuming we make the grand final, I would absolutely think about bringing Seedsman in for Brown. Goldsack would help forward of the ball too with tackling pressure... not sure who would come out for him though, Johnson didn't have a great game...

 

[SuperSub17]

Hawks kick straight and we lose by 60-70 points. We were lucky to be as close as what we were.

Nope, when they got on a roll in the second half everything they threw on the boot went through. They kicked 11.5.

I just thought we played so much better than what we did in round 17. When they got on a roll in the third quarter that time we were powerless to stop it. When they threatened to break away in the second half, each time we pulled it back to 3-4 goals the difference.

Btw people were tipping Hawthorn to absolutely bury Geelong in round 19 and Geelong blitzed them in the first half.

 

[Trav68]

Agree with the OP. We had fantastic effort and intensity last night. I walked home from the game satisfied that we had a real crack at it.

We let ourselves down with some poor disposal. I was thinking that if you're going to stuff up a dinky 15m pass, why not kick the cover of it and have the stuff up be 45m further down the field. We need better structure between the 50s. I thought Krak really stood out as a target between centre and F50 a few times, something we've really needed this year. We need to work on that, as a lot of our forward thrusts seem to go from wing to 50, then 60 to a packed goal square. Krak provided that 70m out to 40m out option that we need. Trav was awesome, Dawesy was good and our mids broke even. Everyone in the side made a contribution.

Where we lost it was in structure, again. Hawthorn just set up better and had more space to use their foot skills. Some of it just looked like a training drill. Man on man is the only way to combat this I reckon, because even with so many around the ball, we're not going to win every stoppage. I'd rather see less players around the stoppage and less options for the opposition if and when they do get.

We were beaten by a very good side, this year's best side. But they're not unbeatable and our best is good enough. Go Pies.

 

[joefootylover]

another left feild idea might be to send Mawell to tag Mitchell, I reckon he was the difference in the end.

 

[10571z]

I agree. I really think we could beat them in a GF. I reckon cats will smash them in a preliminary any way.

 

[PieNSauce]

another left feild idea might be to send Mawell to tag Mitchell, I reckon he was the difference in the end.

Not sure who this Mawell is. Maybe it's our captain but without the X factor. Unfortunately he may have played his last game for the season according to some reports.

 

[joefootylover]

Not sure who this Mawell is. Maybe it's our captain but without the X factor. Unfortunately he may have played his last game for the season according to some reports.

they will just suspend the "x" for a couple of weeks and the rest of him can play

 

[davywap]

I can't believe how negative you pies fans are.

You were competitive for most of the game... forget the last 20 minutes you had your eye on next week.

With a two day advantage over eagles/north you should be into a prelim Swans/Crows against a team you've beaten interstate already

Obviously winning the game is preferable to losing, but there's 3 weeks to go

There are many negative fans of our club unfortunately, and you'll find many of them on these boards. You think it's bad now you should've been here after round 3.

 

[davywap]

You blokes needed and should have been in front at half time instead of going in 3 goals down I think it was,your mid fielders had plenty of the ball and played o/k but didn't contribute on the score board.

Cloke and Krakour were good but you just never got enough scoreboard pressure on the Hawks which is the key to beating them.
Best of luck for the rest of the year.

I like constructive non-Pies supporters, kudos to you friend.

 

[SuperSub17]

There are many negative fans of our club unfortunately, and you'll find many of them on these boards. You think it's bad now you should've been here after round 3.

That's funny, I didn't hear a whimper out of them from rounds 4-14...

 

[davywap]

Don't worry.... Maclure just jumps on any team that loses and sinks the boots in. He is a reverse bandwagoner. (if there is such a thing). He was doing the same to us earlier in the year.

That's exactly what I was thinking of when he was ranting on like a bitter old campaigner.

 

[Kibe]

I thought there were a lot of positives. While the week off would have been great, it's not a bad thing to keep playing, and improving every week. The effort last night was a step up from most games this year, and if we can keep improving we are a chance.