Curtains for Hawthorn?

[forwardflanker]

Sad to say it because I tipped you guys to make 4th or 5th this year, but you'll be lucky to make the 8.

- no depth
- matured midfield lacking in pace or class (other than hodge)
- no ruckman
- poor young players (other than cyril of course)
- probably ties with Carlton as the most inept defence in the AFL.

If your any chance you need Franklin and Roughie playing well but at the moment they are both way to inconsistent and Roughhead has to ruck which is ridiculous imo. They also need some capable crumbiing forwards and the only one you guys have is Cyril and he is forced to play in the midfield. And in before someone says Osborne is a capable small forward LOL

discuss

 

[Madtiger2006]

They're out of form and missing Franklin, Taylor and Sewell. They usually smash Collingtop4butwillneverwinpremiershipwood

 

[NOCHANCE]

Didnt take long for the Pies to sink the boots in to a depleted Hawthorn. Buddy averages 6 goals a game against Collingwood and was sorely missed last night. All the Pies down hill skiers were in full view last night twirling there fingers above there heads like theyed kicked the winning goal of the 2010 flag. Sure the Hawkes struggled but any team missing 4 of there best ten is going to struggle.

 

[TheWiseOne]

Sure the Hawkes struggled but any team missing 4 of there best ten is going to struggle.

Heard this excuse so many times, Skills last night and the structure around the ground was just shocking.

Collingwoods defensive pressure was just too much and we turned the ball over at will

 

[AG]

They've had a tough draw to start the year. Renouf has been fine so far, so I don't think rucks are as big a problem as they could have been. They need to throw some hack in as back up because using Schoey and Roughead in the ruck is rubbish.

All they need is the 07/08 Franklin to return this season and they will lift. Sewell is fairly important for their midfield to function. Gibson might not be rated but he was missed last night, because he had started the season well. Osborne is a capable small forward as he showed in the premiership year.

Still haven't replaced Croad. Mentality is still questionable but Collingwood came to play last night.

 

[morgoth]

Collingwood had one of those games last night where there pressure was over-whelming. Last time they put that sort of effort on was a few years ago when they destroyed the Cats under lights.

The problem for the Pies is that they have not been able to close the gap between their best and worst footy. We come out in round 1 and beat the Dogs who have made us their bitches and then next week are lucky to put Melbourne away. There is a lack of consistency and until we improve in this area we will be thereabouts but drop games we really should not.

Life as a Pies supporter is never dull. On the Hawks, they looked flat and lacking in structure, Buddy being out was part of that but down back they are a mess and could not move the ball out of their defensive half with any flow.

 

[gaelictiogar]

Didnt take long for the Pies to sink the boots in to a depleted Hawthorn. Buddy averages 6 goals a game against Collingwood and was sorely missed last night. All the Pies down hill skiers were in full view last night twirling there fingers above there heads like theyed kicked the winning goal of the 2010 flag. Sure the Hawkes struggled but any team missing 4 of there best ten is going to struggle.

I think the awks will reach the top 8. They are still a shout for top 4 as well though it is becoming clear that the 2008 flag was "one against the head2 to use rugby union speak.They re not as good as many though they were but equally are not as bad as they looked V the Pies.

 

[clarky449]

Didnt take long for the Pies to sink the boots in to a depleted Hawthorn. Buddy averages 6 goals a game against Collingwood and was sorely missed last night. All the Pies down hill skiers were in full view last night twirling there fingers above there heads like theyed kicked the winning goal of the 2010 flag. Sure the Hawkes struggled but any team missing 4 of there best ten is going to struggle.

We seemed to go fine when we had our 7 players out of our 22

 

[Xtreme]

The only teams we'll beat are Melbourne and Richmond, the rest i've just about penciled in as losses .

Will be reverting to my 2008 strategy (99% of the time, i tipped against the Hawks) - maybe we'll come up trumps again

 

[mollyfud]

Sad to say it because I tipped you guys to make 4th or 5th this year, but you'll be lucky to make the 8.

- no depth
- matured midfield lacking in pace or class (other than hodge)
- no ruckman
- poor young players (other than cyril of course)
- probably ties with Carlton as the most inept defence in the AFL.

If your any chance you need Franklin and Roughie playing well but at the moment they are both way to inconsistent and Roughhead has to ruck which is ridiculous imo. They also need some capable crumbiing forwards and the only one you guys have is Cyril and he is forced to play in the midfield. And in before someone says Osborne is a capable small forward LOL

discuss

I think you have called it 100% right. I am actually going to write to Jeff tomorrow and suggest we move back to the VFL straight away!

On the Hawks, they looked flat and lacking in structure, Buddy being out was part of that but down back they are a mess and could not move the ball out of their defensive half with any flow.

This is 100% right and it surprised me as I thought our we would move it well out of the backline. I think one postitive thing was their use of the bomb down the middle to break the zone. That is definitely something that I would work on as we got the ball into the forward line pretty well using that.

Back to serious, I might be bias, but from my seat (behind the goals so its hard see the city end of the ground) Renouf seemed to hold his own in the ruck and won an ton of taps and started to hit it to the right areas.

But lets face it, the Pies were just way way too good and are a good side.

 

[Pessimistic]

Not an excuse but our midfield really misses Sewell. Im sure M Lloyd would agree with that.

Depth needs development.

3x 6 day breaks against (perhaps) top 4 clubs who had an extra day break also takes a toll. Maxwell commented on that.

"Easier" games to come but we really need to pick up our game - even adelaide played better than us - or there will be more losses then wins.


When leon looked absolutely dejected at missing a goal celebration opportuniity I couldnt help shout out "Cheer up Leon - you are winning you know"

 

[mollyfud]

We seemed to go fine when we had our 7 players out of our 22

Yes, but the Hawks had 10 out!

 

[Cuzz09]

Beat Melbourne.

Lost to Geelong by under 2 goals.
Lost to Dogs by not much.
Beaten by pies.

The last 3 games they have played 3 pretty goood teams who people tip to be top 4 teams.

They have had a bunch of injuries and suspensions.

I think if they can get their full strength team together over the next 4-5 weeks they can get a good run happening as they start to play the "lower" ranked teams.

Fighting for that 6,7,8 spot id say.

 

[HSSB]

Agree with the post, we have very little depth. Hodge and Mitchell are our only classy midfielders in our team at the moment, and it looks like Mitchell will miss a few weeks anyway, but when Burgoyne and Sewell are back in our midfield will be alot better, and we need a ruckman.

I would be really suprised if we actually made the top 8 at all. But we have had a really tough draw, Geelong, the Bulldogs and Collingwood are 3 of the best teams in the comp, but saying that you need to beat those teams if you want to win the Premiership. The next 4 games we should win though.

 

[Pessimistic]

We seemed to go fine when we had our 7 players out of our 22

Even though they missed the opportunity to experience some wet weather footy ?

Howd the granny go again ? Perhaps the flag was lost in launceston

 

[mollyfud]

Agree with the post, we have very little depth. Hodge and Mitchell are our only classy midfielders in our team at the moment, and it looks like Mitchell will miss a few weeks anyway, but when Burgoyne and Sewell are back in our midfield will be alot better, and we need a ruckman.

I would be really suprised if we actually made the top 8 at all. But we have had a really tough draw, Geelong, the Bulldogs and Collingwood are 3 of the best teams in the comp, but saying that you need to beat those teams if you want to win the Premiership. The next 4 games we should win though.

Its not a done deal that we will make the 8 but I would be surprised if we didn't make the 8. I would be surprised if we won it all I really see this as a rebuilding year. Have a few areas we need to get games into players in (namely down back and hopefully in the second half of the year with Bailey in the Ruck).

I think we showed against the Cats and Dogs that we can play near the top teams but our depth is inexperienced and that will hurt us. Playing kids this year with the injuries will help us in future.

But please, in all the bagging of the Hawks (which is fair enough), don't take it away from the Pies as they were very good last night!

 

[Ricmel]

Hawks defence is a shambles. Top 10 players are pretty good, bottom 6-8 are not the standard required.

Will beat up on a few bottom level teams but not in the class of Cats, Saints, Dogs and Lions.

 

[macdaddio]

2 areas that we lack in are in the ruck and down back so we go out and get Gibson 189cm to go down back and burger round same size to run through the midfield.
Clarko needs to wake up and face reality in 2008 we had 3 big ruckman and 1 big fullback.
hawks recruiting has bemused me lately!

 

[Brad Roo]

The flag is beyond them but they are still a very dangerous footy team.

I see them as the side that will shape the eight.

 

[captain amazo]

Hawthorn will win at least 6 of their next 8 you have my word. Nobody will remember they played a bad game in round 4.

 

[Dawson]

I think you have called it 100% right. I am actually going to write to Jeff tomorrow and suggest we move back to the VFL straight away!

But lets face it, the Pies were just way way too good and are a good side.

Not all Pies supporters are as unthinking as the OP.

To suggest Hawthorn are gone after 4 rounds is ... well ... its just plain dumb.

With a full list Hawthorn are a very potent team

 

[macdaddio]

Hawthorn will win at least 6 of their next 8 you have my word. Nobody will remember they played a bad game in round 4.

Same was said last season after 4 rounds, what is the diference this year after 4 rounds and what makes you so positive we can win 6 of the next 8?

 

[pacman]

Hawthorn will win at least 6 of their next 8 you have my word. Nobody will remember they played a bad game in round 4.

On the first 3 weeks form yes but on last nights form NO.
Even Typhoon Tracy had a shocker yesterday.

 

[Lazyboy]

hawk will be alright

 

[macdaddio]

hawk will be alright

Doubt it! 2008 is starting to feel like light years away and line a fluke