Grand Final Rematch: Hawthorn vs Fremantle - Who will win?

[MinerBoy]

If McPharlin plays on Gunston he will barely touch the ball.

It's amazing to me how Gunston was the best player from any team in the entire finals series and now is this easily picked off target by any half decent backman.

 

[MinerBoy]

Not really. Quite true actually.
McPharlin generally pants' the opposition best forward. Regularly!

Like Taylor?

 

[MinerBoy]

So we have hodge suggesting that we get Stratton, Sewell, Mitchell and possibly himself all lining up,

While Ross is playing it way down suggesting most of the side is too sore to turn up.

It's a game until the team sheets are out on Thursday night.

What's today's date?

 

[Tazmania]

That you, Ross?

Gotta love the way Freo have been talking themselves down and talking the Hawks up.
The Dockers are clearly the team to beat in 2014.

Hawthorn will have their work cut out kicking 10 or 11 goals this Friday. We kicked just 11 in perfect conditions on Grand Final day last September and in that game, we had close to a full strength side.

I'm not too worried about the result this Friday. Really, it's just another chance to grab 4 premiership points. Nothing more. Nothing less. The result will have no other bearing on our meeting(s) further down the track. That said, I expect Freo to give us a whipping. We haven't been overly impressive in the past 2 weeks with our unsettled lineup.

I'm hoping we scan make a good game of it, but it won't surprise me if they restrict us to 8 goals and kick 13 or 14 themselves. It could even get uglier if we drop our heads in the last quarter and they get their tails up.

perfect conditions?

So you didn't attend then.





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[The Speaker]

ITT fans from both sides constantly talk up the opposition.

Psychologists' field day.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

It's amazing to me how Gunston was the best player from any team in the entire finals series and now is this easily picked off target by any half decent backman.

Travis cloke is an AA CHF and he barely touched it - Mcpharlin is better than half decent !

 

[wild side]

Travis cloke is an AA CHF and he barely touched it - Mcpharlin is better than half decent !

McPharlap is a star! Hawthorn didn't want him to go for a reason. Harry is good, but I rate McPharlap better.
Lake is not bad also! Good for Pav he's not playing.

 

[Modified Dog]

for team touted as 2nd favorites for the premiership, that must be a very worrying sign if they do not have the depth to cover 2 or 3 of their best players?
Every team currently has injuries to key personnel but are finding a way to win their games.

But it's not just 2 or 3 of our best players.

It's the net effect of losing Franklin, Guerra and Bailey from our premiership team…
Plus the injuries to Hodge, Mitchell, Sewell and Whitecross, which is a fair chunk of our midfield
Plus the absence of Lake, Stratton and Schoenmakers from our backline.

It's not just the absence of these guys which I'm referring to either, but the unsettled lineup we have with so many of the players lacking chemistry and cohesiveness. We have Matt Suckling back from a knee reconstruction. McEvoy is a new face. Plus the fringe players such as Simpkin (mainly a sub in 2013), Cheney, Duryea, Langford, O'Brien, Litherland and Wanganeen.

These guys haven't played a lot of footy with our 2013 premiership stars. It's been a lot of chopping and changing since last September. Nearly half the side. It's basically a new team we've been fielding thus far in 2014.

It made me laugh to hear the commentators talking about the "experienced Hawthorn team" prevailing over the inexperienced Bombers last Friday night. If you lined both teams up side by side on paper, we were nearly identical in age profile and games played.

And FYI, the Hawks have been "finding a way to win their games"

 

[wild side]

Fair call Dog. Fair call.

 

[MinerBoy]

Travis cloke is an AA CHF and he barely touched it - Mcpharlin is better than half decent !

1. How good Cloke is and how he played isn't relevant. Every game and every opponent is different. Richmond smash us, Carlton beat Richmond (generally), we pulverise Carlton etc etc
2. Yes McPharlin is a gun. I didn't mean he was half decent. I meant every single thread seems to reference Gunston now will struggle with XYZ...

 

[MinerBoy]

But it's not just 2 or 3 of our best players.

I read that as him talking to the Freo poster lamenting the absence of Fyfe, Barlow etc.

 

[Modified Dog]

perfect conditions?

So you didn't attend then.

I was there. What was wrong with the conditions? Refresh my memory.

The storm never eventuated. Not during the game anyway. There was no greasiness, or night time dew. It was overcast and cool. No sun in the eyes. No players overheating. Perfect. There was a swirly breeze, but nothing too difficult for the Hawks. It wasn't a strong wind which affected the field kicking. The wind was far more gusty during the 2012 Grand Final.

Sounds to me like you may have over-analysed the conditions when making your excuses for missing goals.

 

[Modified Dog]

that's nice but my post was in reference to Freo' outs, not Hawthorn's

Ah… My bad

I should've known they'd be making excuses already...

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Gotta love the way Freo have been talking themselves down and talking the Hawks up.
The Dockers are clearly the team to beat in 2014.

No offence to Fremantle who I rate as Hawthorn's biggest threat this year but how exactly are they the team to beat?

Last I checked Hawthorn won the GF in a game where Fremantle never held the lead.

Without a hint of arrogance, I am happy to say that Hawthorn is the team to beat this year. No question whatsoever.

 

[wild side]

Ah… My bad

I should've known they'd be making excuses already...

Bob is a Geelong supporter!

 

[wild side]

No offence to Fremantle who I rate as Hawthorn's biggest threat this year but how exactly are they the team to beat?

Last I checked Hawthorn won the GF in a game where Fremantle never held the lead.

Without a hint of arrogance, I am happy to say that Hawthorn is the team to beat this year. No question whatsoever.

No doubt.

 

[Modified Dog]

ITT fans from both sides constantly talk up the opposition.

Psychologists' field day.

Fremantle crushed Collingwood and the Gold Coast Suns, the teams who beat Sydney and Richmond. That's excellent form. Hawthorn were pushed for three quarters by the Lions in Tassie and they were lucky to beat Essendon last Friday. Not such great form.

My prediction has nothing to do with reverse psychology. Just a simple observation about each teams' form and my respect for Fremantle's depth of talent.

 

[Modified Dog]

Bob is a Geelong supporter!

Hmmm. Time for another drink.

 

[wild side]

Hmmm. Time for another drink.

Indeed. Its making your analysis exemplary!

 

[cryptor]

I was there. What was wrong with the conditions? Refresh my memory.

The storm never eventuated. Not during the game anyway. There was no greasiness, or night time dew. It was overcast and cool. No sun in the eyes. No players overheating. Perfect. There was a swirly breeze, but nothing too difficult for the Hawks. It wasn't a strong wind which affected the field kicking. The wind was far more gusty during the 2012 Grand Final.

Sounds to me like you may have over-analysed the conditions when making your excuses for missing goals.

I was there and he's right. The conditions were very far from "perfect". The wind was considerably more than a "swirly breeze" and from memory there was a light drizzle before the game and close to half time.

Both teams played in the same conditions however so not sure how it's relevant anyway.

 

[Modified Dog]

No offence to Fremantle who I rate as Hawthorn's biggest threat this year but how exactly are they the team to beat?

Last I checked Hawthorn won the GF in a game where Fremantle never held the lead.

Without a hint of arrogance, I am happy to say that Hawthorn is the team to beat this year. No question whatsoever.

We've been up for a few years now and it's always a massive task for any premier to go back-to-back. History has shown us that.

I don't think there was a hell of a lot between our sides in 2013. Fremantle may not have grabbed the lead at any stage of the Grand Final, but they made me shit my pants during the 3rd quarter and again midway through the last quarter.

It's now or never for Fremantle in 2014. Ross Lyon has been very close to winning with the Saints and Dockers, but this year has to be his best chance.

 

[blue harvest]

What are the conditions going to be like on friday night? It's forecast as a shower or two in local terms is that lots of rain/drizzle or isolated showers (once a day like Perth)?

The long range forecasts are crap, most of the time 'a shower or two' or 'a few showers' means beautiful dry weather.

 

[Xanman]

The long range forecasts are crap, most of the time 'a shower or two' or 'a few showers' means beautiful dry weather.

Cool, hope it holds off this Friday/weekend I'm heading over

 

[parsons nose]

Weather rarely suits one team over another and plays little part in the result of most games. I deeply lament the fact that neither team will be fielding close to full strength teams, not in least because it will dismiss the quality of footy exhibited- both teams will showcase all the great attributes of the game that keeps us enthralled. But because of the predictable and tiresomely relentless debating following the outcome, over which team had the most significant outs. And why they did not win due to those players being out.

 

[jive]

Weather rarely suits one team over another and plays little part in the result of most games. I deeply lament the fact that neither team will be fielding close to full strength teams, not in least because it will dismiss the quality of footy exhibited- both teams will showcase all the great attributes of the game that keeps us enthralled. But because of the predictable and tiresomely relentless debating following the outcome, over which team had the most significant outs. And why they did not win due to those players being out.

True, but it's still a great test of both team's depth and respective game plans. The outs are both quite significant. Both have good depth. Should be interesting.