Preview Grand Final Mighty Hawks vs Fremantle - 28 September 2013

[Walk the Hawk]

I'm yet to see one media scumbag genuinely pick us without fence sitting. It's all, freo this and freo that...then at the end they say oh hawks should win but it will be close. Could go any way.

stfu and gtfo

Yeah, pretty piss-weak really.

I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Media experts are a lot like mosquitoes: annoying as f**k, but incredibly satisfying to slap.

 

[Hawker55]

When was the last time we lost to a Ross Lyon team? Would I be correct in thinking it was 2009?

 

[moginie]

I remember this from the post-2008 glow & what an apt article it was. Returning to re-read it during Grand Final week has got me fired up again.
ACTion Hawks - where did you find this post?

I was reading through the comments to Mike Sheahan's article where he says that Ablett deserved the Norm Smith and read this from Snowman from Funkytown. It is able to say so much I would like to say about Hodge, the Hawks and being back on top... Thanks Snowman!!

Ain't it great to be hated!!!

PS Sorry if this has been posted before.

Hodge was far more influential on the outcome of the game than Ablett, not only was he brilliant but he made all those around him better. For those that have opened their eyes, Hodge has been as good as any player going around for some time.
Not everyone needs umpires votes, media hype and shiny medals to understand the truth.
So much of Hodge’s power and presence is unseen by those that haven’t experienced the battle, but I assure you, when you play with a man like that you walk taller. It was not only his contested marking and possessions that stood above all, his fierce tackling, bumps and brilliant spoils, It’s the position he won them, the critical moments he won them in and often the disadvantaged position he won them from, knowing full well that if a risk he took failed, the team would pay a hefty price.
Hodge was the best and most influential player on the ground during the day, simple as that. The fact he played in the manner he did, despite the injury he was carrying only enhances how superb a warrior he is. Time will tell the true story of the man Mike, no matter how much people like yourself try to suppress it, perhaps to enhance the reputations of personal darlings such as Judd and Ablett.
In the end greatness isn’t decided by the observer, it’s earned during the battle.
Hodge is not afforded the latitude of Ablett, he doesn’t run through the midfield with a license to do as he pleases even though he is the best midfielder in the team. Why? because he has more strings to his bow, is prepared to sacrifice his game for the team and if the ball hadn’t gotten down their allowing him only five touches for the game he would have been incredibly happy his team had done its job, not upset he didn’t get best on ground. In a grand final one big Hodge spoil is worth five cheap Ablett touches. Their forward line was getting smashed, why was Ablett never tried forward?
I question the motivation behind Ablett’s 34 possessions. He was clearly stung by his loss in the Brownlow medal, and also by not winning the Norm Smith, and no matter what media friendly response he continues to channel, his honest immediate reaction to both tell the tale of his own quest for personal glory.
The subsequent suggestions that Ablett’s performance was more deserving than Adam Cooney’s outstanding season and Luke Hodge’s incredible game are disrespectful to the champions that received the awards and a blight on the names of those that made the calls.
Of course Ablett played well throughout the season and was of great service to his club during the grand final, often wining his own ball and kicking a couple of goals, but the quality of his game isn’t comparable to Hodge’s. For mine I was more worried about Selwood’s drive through the middle than Corey, Ablett and Bartell around the packs. I agree with Leigh Matthews norm smith voting that Selwood was better than Ablett but wouldn’t have given him the two votes. Both played well, but both were behind many Hawks who did their duty for the team.
Where are the stats that show every time a hawthorn player ran their heart out to pressure a Geelong kick, lunge at a loose ball or spoil a marking opportunity and then repeat and repeat and repeat the effort time and time again, two men down until the final siren? Perhaps Geelong didn’t have the off day everyone keeps talking about. Perhaps there are reasons for their mistakes. Perhaps their misses even out with the poor umpiring decisions that plagued much of the game.
Fremantle pressured Geelong and they were sloppy, Collingwood gave them no room and Geelong was sloppy, Hawthorn attacked them at every opportunity and Geelong got sloppy, the bulldogs hassled relentlessly and Geelong became sloppy and then finally the hawks lifted, tested how far they had come and guess what… Geelong was sloppy.
Why in hell are people so surprised? There are several precedents that show what was about to happen. Hawthorn played much better during the finals series. Against the saints they had once again dispelled the ridiculous media fuelled myth “no Buddy no Hawthorn”.
Geelong’s forward line is barely serviceable, only good enough when the crispest of disposal is offered or an unrelenting supply is thrown at them from the midfield. Hawthorns playing list screams finals hardness.
The supposedly weak back half contains three all Australians in Croad, Brown and Hodge and it won’t be long before Birchall and Ellis join them. Guerra, Gillham and Murphy do their job every week, and Dew and Young add enormous drive when they play off a flank or wing. Bateman, Lewis and Sewell thrive on the contest whilst Mitchell and Crawford are proven stars in the middle. The forward line speaks for itself. Then add the talent at box hill that can’t get a game and imagine what is possible.
The result of almost every game in the finals series was predictable in the first few minutes. From the opening bounce the Hawks wanted the ball more. No matter how many dubious free kicks were payed against them (many resulting in goals) they stuck to their task. Geelong signalled they were trying to protect their flag half way through the week with the omission of Wojak.
Not playing anyone that explosive even if there is a small risk involved spells out your intention, he never would have missed last year, and although his inclusion wouldn’t have influenced the result, the mindset of the omission may have.
Bomber needs a better poker face, he knew the games result wasn’t up to them and the Geelong players did to. Hawthorn were set to control the nature of the contest as long as they believed in their blossoming talent and were prepared to maintain their intensity for four unrelenting quarters.
The game was between a great team at their best versus a young team in better form, with no foreseeable boundaries as to how good they could be. The result was always going to be a mystery, so there should be no real surprise as to who came out on top.
The indications were that Hawthorn had improved significantly since their last encounter, and would improve again from their previous match against the saints in which they took the pedal off at half time, Geelong were let off the hook by the bulldogs mistakes and umpiring inaccuracies but if Geelong turned around their form and played their best footy their record suggested they were in with a good chance.
During the long season the hawks built themselves a solid reputation, initially as a much improved team and finally into the outfit most likely to become the challenger in a one sided grand final.
Over the duration of the finals series they became the best performing team in the competition. If one could remove the blue and white blinkers from their eyes the end result reeked of destiny.
As a Hawk supporter I am enjoying this victory as precious under the pretence of a deserved club breaking a long draught with an incredibly dangerous, exciting, young team. A proud club that went in as the underdog and conquered a mighty foe, because from now on everything changes.
The players go from underrated to underperformed, inspired to greedy, tough to dirty and the mighty hawks become the hunted, hated and undeserving…
I can’t wait for it all to begin again

 

[badgrill]

Oh I want him in there, I just don't want him caught retaliating to niggle from them (like he was in the first qtr friday night)

Not saying it definitely did, but perhaps it in some way contributed to the Cats' not handling the pressure as well as they normally do?

 

[Steven Tyler]

So far so good if you ask me
All the talk about how Freo choke and smother teams and if we can handle it
Most people picking Freo
Not much chat about us
Perfect, keep it coming
The less about us the better

 

[Flamin Joe]

It's hard to read your post while my eyes on on your avatar...

I agree, incredibly hard......the game that is....yeah..um....we'll do it...win that is...urgh....what was I saying? um..GO HAWKS!

 

[JustKickIt]

So far so good if you ask me
All the talk about how Freo choke and smother teams and if we can handle it
Most people picking Freo
Not much chat about us
Perfect, keep it coming
The less about us the better

Exactly.... keep building Freo up until they 'know' its a foregone conclusion.

 

[Hawks1994]

Doers anybody know which end the Cheersquad is sitting at? Or has this yet to be decided...

 

[Freshmeat]

Umpires announced.

Patrick Keane ‏@AFL_PKeane

1m​

2013 GF umps: Field: M Nicholls, S Meredith, B Rosebury. Boundary: N Doig, R Haala, M Marantelli, M Saunders. Goal: L Walker, A Wojcik.

Can't stand that prick rosebury, it's very clear to me that he hates the hawks with a passion, especially buddy!

 

[Freshmeat]

Y

Wasn't Rosebury the one that called "advantage" for the Rioli mark?

yes he was....more evidence of how much he hates the hawks

 

[Off The Couch]

Y
yes he was....more evidence of how much he hates the hawks

I would have a rosebury over any mac any day of the week

 

[Big A]

McPharlin and Johnson, and Mayne, didn't train
Anything in this?

 

[heh]

McPharlin and Johnson, and Mayne, didn't train
Anything in this?

Lyon playing silly boogers?
Like we did with Cyril for weeks, lol

 

[Leather Poisoning]

McPharlin and Johnson, and Mayne, didn't train
Anything in this?

It's fear.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Lewie is quality in pressers. Has a real dip when our ability is being questioned.

It tells you the players will be ready for this.
Once more they will show why they are clearly the best side this year.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

We've got a lot of guys who can kick a goal from outside 50. A few can even do it off one step with relative ease. A lot of other teams don't share this luxury.

Fremantle do. that's the important bit.

 

[Rioli magic]

Fremantle do. that's the important bit.

Yep, probably even a slight edge.

 

[cryptor]

Fremantle do. that's the important bit.

How's that the important bit? Hawthorn aren't Fremantle. We don't flood our opposition's forward 50 making a shot at goal from outside 50 an easy solution.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

They will play, I have no doubt. Who would come in for them???

They may be a bit underdone though which Buddy, Rough etc etc will hope to exploit

 

[Fred Ziffel]

How's that the important bit? Hawthorn aren't Fremantle. We don't flood our opposition's forward 50 making a shot at goal from outside 50 an easy solution.

It was a response to a carte blanche statement. The important bit is Fremantle is your opponent in this grand final and they have at least 7 players who can kick goals from 50 mtrs plus off a step or two. You don't have an advantage on that alone.

This is going to be a better game than you think.

 

[JustKickIt]

This is going to be a better game than you think.

Who said it wasn't going to be a good game? I love how these statements just come out of nowhere..... telling people that THEY think. Its almost like you have an inferiority complex.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

heck you freo fans are more precious than Sydney fans. A few of you come into a Hawks board and expect us to be fapping over you guys like the media are. I have said it before (in this thread no less), if I was so conscious about what other thought of the Hawks, I would steer clear of opposition boards. I however, am not precious. I am heading Freo way now to say hi.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Who said it wasn't going to be a good game? I love how these statements just come out of nowhere..... telling people that THEY think.

Of course you're right; I started to get the impression that you Hawks guys were thinking this was going to be an easy win for you, thus not a good game.
It was presumptuous and I apologise.

 

[ACTion Hawks]

I remember this from the post-2008 glow & what an apt article it was. Returning to re-read it during Grand Final week has got me fired up again.
ACTion Hawks - where did you find this post?

I am not 100% sure, but I think it was a comment under the article by Mike Sheahan that glorified Gablett on the Herald Sun website itself. Great work Snowman.

Thanks for bumping it!!!!

 

[glenferry23]

Forecast sounds pretty ordinary, constant showers and 16 degrees.

However, trying to predict Melbourne weather 4 days out means there's every chance it will be sunny and 23 degrees.