Good bye top four goodbye season...

[MattRat]

So much passion here. Happily it still exists with many hard-nosed supporters and gives me hope. Sadly my own passion is starting to wane and if I continue to see too many more capitulations like today it will inevitably dry up to the point where I will not be able justify a membership renewal. My philosophy is simple, invest in things that will get you a return (and I'm not talking about wins, I'm talking about fair, honest efforts. ATM there seem to be a lot of dishonest players taking the field) Oh well, that's it. Not ranting, just sayin'.

I'm sure my wife will be happy to get me back for future winters.

 

[treefingers]

I appreciate the positivity here mate but I am sick of hearing "we could be 2-0", "we could have been 4-0". Could have, should have, would have!

We are not good enough, sick of excuses. It needs to change and change FAST!!

Fair point. But things can change, I still think we'll be there deep in September - obviously not with efforts like today, but I don't think there's any reason to panic just yet.

If we lose to the saints next week then we'll know we're in trouble.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Top four is definitely out of the question. We can only afford to lose maybe one or two more games and we play the three teams we've lost to again. So that's definitely out the window.

But we should make the finals. Looking at our list and our fixture, we should fight back to win more than we lose. The question is, is a first/second round finals exit good enough?

 

[Worm4]

Hawthorn will be there deep into September. I have no doubt that you guys are still the team to beat when all guns are firing. Roughhead a big positive today.
Still scratch my head how you let McGlynn go - he's a little gem. Chin up people - premierships aren't won in April. Everything will click and it will full steam ahead.
Today just a hiccup.

 

[MinerBoy]

Thank you afl for bending us over with the draw and giving us such a tough start to the season. We simply couldn't afford to loose this game but we did. Umpiring was terrible but no excuses for not kicking a goal in the third quarter. Again too many passengers breust tried hard but went missing dropped a sitter in front if goal. Osbourne - did you even play? Hale can't play four quarters, along with several others. The way we gave up in the last quarter was very very disturbing. We cannot win the flag this year on todays performance.

No point blaming the AFL fixturing. We could have and should have been 5-0. The reason we are not lays solely in our own hands.

I was delighted we had a chance to stamp ourselves on the competition early. We have failed a very passable test.

 

[Mercy Seat]

No point blaming the AFL fixturing. We could have and should have been 5-0. The reason we are not lays solely in our own hands.

I was delighted we had a chance to stamp ourselves on the competition early. We have failed a very passable test.

Exactly. Everyone at the club would have been licking their lips with the early draw. Chance to show everyone how far they thought we'd come in front of big crowds and finals like atmosphere.

Sadly, we've failed the test miserably.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

No point blaming the AFL fixturing. We could have and should have been 5-0. The reason we are not lays solely in our own hands.

I was delighted we had a chance to stamp ourselves on the competition early. We have failed a very passable test.

Yep. Time to accept the fact that either we aren't good enough or what we are dishing up is unacceptable. I'm tired of the "we'll be right" crap, we've been underachieving, and I have no idea why some people are comfortable with that.

 

[RIOLINWITPUNCHS]

Fair point. But things can change, I still think we'll be there deep in September - obviously not with efforts like today, but I don't think there's any reason to panic just yet.

If we lose to the saints next week then we'll know we're in trouble.

OK well if nothing else you have calmed me down ( well until 10:30 p.m. next saturday anyway) lol!

I think we all know me MUST finish top 4 to have any chance, especially now considering how well west coast and sydney have started!!

Good it's going to be tough from here. Next week is a MASSIVE game ( note the bold letters in the word massive).

 

[macdaddio]

Yep. Time to accept the fact that either we aren't good enough or what we are dishing up is unacceptable. I'm tired of the "we'll be right" crap, we've been underachieving, and I have no idea why some people are comfortable with that.

The players and the coach was comfortable with the 5 point loss last week to the Weagles, so i think most just think it will all just turn around and we will finish top 4.

The reality of it is and i have been saying this for few years now is that we are a mentaly fragile team and forget all about 08 that is history now and what we have achneived since then is nothing but heart ache...

Extremely disapointed with this loss especialy it being on our so called fortress...

 

[PottSie2]

I don't believe the season is over. I remember saying the same thing last year after Roughead and Stratton went down, but we came through last year.

We have those guys back now, theoretically a stronger list this year, so top 4 is still a realistic chance.

 

[macdaddio]

I don't believe the season is over. I remember saying the same thing last year after Roughead and Stratton went down, but we came through last year.

We have those guys back now, theoretically a stronger list this year, so top 4 is still a realistic chance.

Thats why most of us are so devisated...

 

[lethalselbow]

What a sook arse thread. Yeah it's all the AFL's fault.

Waahh...

 

[SM]

Sorry for intruding. Can I just say that Hawks were my post-season tip last year to win the 2012 flag, I really rate you guys as being up there - I also really thought Pies would sharply drop off.

We were playing on an emotional high today, and our midfield is just starting to gel incredibly. But don't let that skew your perception of your team, Hawks are a very, very solid unit, and are still every chance to make Top 4.

See you guys on that last Saturday.

 

[Maybloomer]

I'm worried that making the top four might not be in our hands. Last time I looked, only four teams can finish in the top four so we need to look at who they could be.

If anyone can look at the draw and find four teams that'll win more games than us ( Sydney and WC have got a 3 game head start, that probably leaves only 2 spots ) then we're in trouble.

I really hope Dwayne Russell doesn't commentate any Hawthorn games, he'll be spitting out his favourite "season on the line" garbage for every goal kicked against us.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Not done yet, but on thin ice

Players 1-10 need to pull thier heads out

Shoey is playing well, as is roughy

 

[BlueDW]

Damn, talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater!!! Hawks will be there with the whips are cracking...bookmark it!

 

[Big Red is back]

Thank you afl for bending us over with the draw and giving us such a tough start to the season. We simply couldn't afford to loose this game but we did. Umpiring was terrible but no excuses for not kicking a goal in the third quarter. Again too many passengers breust tried hard but went missing dropped a sitter in front if goal. Osbourne - did you even play? Hale can't play four quarters, along with several others. The way we gave up in the last quarter was very very disturbing. We cannot win the flag this year on todays performance.

You thrashed Collingwood and just lost to cats and eagles so don't overreact.

Having said that your one paced midfield and lack of rucks were exposed today.

 

[Hauker]

We are only one win behind Coll & Geel, two other top 4 aspirants! So the season is very much alive and well. The start hasn't been ideal & we need knuckle down now and show some Hawthorn toughness and spirit. Lets get a run on like Black Caviar.... 20 straight wins to the flag!!!!

 

[Mighty P]

A bit early to say goodbye to the season though it will be hard to get into the top 4 by the looks of it.

Very noticeable today was our lack of speed, not just in the midfield but all around the ground. We really need to get some speed into the side, and I know it will be hard with this group (midfield) to improve speed but our lack of it really showed today.

Huge game against the Saints now, that could be the one that makes or breaks us as our draw after that doesn't look too bad with most if not all our travelling to Tassie.

And lets not forget before last year Sydney was one of our bogey teams.

 

[MistyAvalon]

Oh boy, wouldn't I love to see platten kicking on to dunstall's chest again.what a great sight that used to be..Sigh..

oh stop it. I remember those days with great affection! and how they must be hanging their heads in shame at todays performance...........

 

[jive]

Gee, there is so much overeacting in this thread, which is understandable due to the way in which we lost today as it was surley the worst performance by the current side since 2010. We allowed ourselves to be sucked into the scrappy, contensted game that Sydney thrives under.

That said, look at the other sides who have played crap and unexpectedly dropped games already:

Collingwood
Carlton
Geelong

It is a much closer season so far than last, but I believe the better sides will prevail come seasons end, and I am most certainly not writing us off just yet.

After today's game there is a few things that I think need a change:

-We need to stop trying to be so flexible. Why the hell is Buddy in so many centre bounces? He's 6'6" which not only makes the loose ball further to the ground for him to pick up, he is quite an easy tackle in contested situations. Our players need distinct roles and when they don't show up they need to be made accountable.

-We need to stop booting it long out of our 50 to a contest, as we don't have a good tap ruckman to make that advantageous when it turns to a stoppage.

-We need to run the ball more, it creates so much more space and opportunities.

-Our midfield is too one dimensional and I feel as though Sewell needs to be replaced with a faster player that can cause damage more than just outside a contested situation.

 

[big footy cyril]

If you think our players are soft you should look at some of your own posts, stop throwing the toys out of the pram.

Poor form Jables, I love Jack Black and Kyle Gass as much as the next bloke (without any money), however we deserve all the flack that we catch after today's effort.
Love the triannual tassie trip, however today was painful.

 

[blackhead&boil]

Our gameplan isn't to kick to our forwardw on the lead, it's to deliberately kick it to the pockets. Just ask Henry Jr why this is such a great idea....

now there's someone who is conspicuous in his absence. perhaps he will come online tomorrow and enlighten us all as to how well the game plan actually worked despite what us commoners think. the trouble is, we're only looking at things like "are we getting reward for effort?" or even "are we getting actual goals?", when what we should really be asking ourselves is "are we giving away goals to rebounds from the forward 50?" or "are we getting multiple goal scoring options, including throw in's!?"

I'd love to ask the question "how are we supposed to score a goal with no players in our attacking third of the ground?"


I am very curious to hear his take on this one...

 

[blackhead&boil]

Oh boy, wouldn't I love to see platten kicking on to dunstall's chest again.what a great sight that used to be..Sigh..2 very close games now,could go either way,surely tigers can't win this, can they? Holy smoke, who knows

HAHA! under clarko you would see dunstall kicking to platten!!

 

[Glenferrie Oval]

We still have St Kilda, Fremantle, North, Calton, Colingwood, Essendon, Geelong, West Coast and Sydney to play this season

ATM i cant see us winning any of these games. Either we change NOW or 2013 here we come

What a idiot.
If we play like that yesterday then yes. If we play like we did in the first four rounds then we will win against all the usual suspects and then go close or win (if any team has had the prior 4 weeks that we have just had we will beat them).
I'm not saying there arn't problems but you people are overreacting. Take the whole year in context not just one half of footy.