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

[Rioli magic]

Yeah you can't criticise Ross Lyon.

 

[estibador]

brown shorts do clash with purple shorts. from far away when things are moving quickly there is barely any distinction in colours, the eyes only really see light and dark. every week home team should wear their home strip and the away team should wear a 90% white strip so the contrast is clear. nothing worse than watching Richmond vs westcoast both wearing home jerseys.

In principle I agree with you (even if your own club doesn't seem to).

Which is why I don't see why Freo should be criticised for wearing our white strip. People can't argue that purple shorts clash with brown shorts, but then bag us for not wearing a purple jumper against a brown jumper. Either the colours clash or they don't.

Personally I was happy to wear our white strip as long as the AFL are consistent that the highest ranked team gets first choice (which was the rationale they gave us).

The problem is we all know that if a non-Vic club finishes first and a club like Ess or Car qualify 2nd they will suddenly change the rules back to a 'coin toss' which the non-Vic club will conveniently lose every time.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

In principle I agree with you (even if your own club doesn't seem to).

the big Victorian clubs have the most pathetic excuses for clash strips. I will not argue that for a second.

 

[tige19]

I can't see us winning this week, Lake and Hodge are our 2 most important players at this stage, they are the glue that holds the defense together. I'm not as concerned about kicking goals, I believe we have the ability to put scores on anyone and we will still kick 14-16 goals against the Dockers but defensively we aren't anywhere near where we should be.

104-98 win to Freo

Different version of Hawthorn in 6 weeks.

 

[estibador]

the big Victorian clubs have the most pathetic excuses for clash strips. I will not argue that for a second.

I actually think Carlton and Collingwood have very effective clash strips, it's just that they never seem to wear them when they should. Especially Carlton... and especially against other Vic clubs.

 

[The King!]

i think a movie or a good book may win if its as boring as last years grand final.

 

[JeddaB]

Freo in a canter.

We've got too many out and looking too unconvincing to beat real quality team currently.

 

[apiro]

On exposed form you'd have to pick Freo........but footy's a funny game.

 

[theGav56]

Tough one to call. Freo coming off a 6 day break, and travelling, and played a tough game in the wet; hawks missing hodge and mitchell(?), but freo still missing z Clarke and ibbotson - not as important outs but def best 18 when fit. Oh and it's at the G which is also in hawks favour. I'm obviously hoping freo but will probably tip hawks.

We also brought in Gumbleton and Sylvia to address weaknesses and neither of them have been available. Morabitto still trying to come back, making us at least 5 players down from our best 22. Griffin and Bradley also not available, but they are perhaps more depth options than best 22. Sure Hawks are missing a couple, but realistically neither team has any excuses at all. Good game coming up.

 

[Bender571]

As much a people say injuries aren't an excuse, they are, especially your top 10 players. You can't expected a depth player to recreate what someone like Mitchell can. You ask the team to step up in his absence, but the more injuries you have the more everyone needs to step up until too much is being asked.

If the Hawks important injured players don't get up I wouldn't be surprise to see Clarkson sacrifice the game as a learning experience. Give a few young players more responsibility, try a few different things to test weaknesses, all whilst showing the opposition as little as possible. I have a feeling Lyon did something similar against Geelong last year. So best to wait until the teams are announced.

 

[HBF]

I actually think Carlton and Collingwood have very effective clash strips, it's just that they never seem to wear them when they should. Especially Carlton... and especially against other Vic clubs.

We wear our clash strip a fair bit actually.
Away games against Freo, Crows, Port, St.Kilda, Melbourne, Bulldogs and I think Brisbane.

 

[HBF]

Freo in a canter.

We've got too many out and looking too unconvincing to beat real quality team currently.

Early in the week how likely are Hodge & Mitchell to play?

 

[Jaeger]

Heart says Hawthorn, head says Fremantle.

we're undermanned in the midfield and defence, and I think Fremantle would've had their eyes on this since the fixture was released. It's not often that the runner up doesn't win the rematch.

Fremantle will come out breathing fire.

 

[JeddaB]

Early in the week how likely are Hodge & Mitchell to play?

Hodge, I doubt it.
Mitch, very unsure.

I'd be happy to drop this one if it meant getting some genuine tough game experience into some of our younger generation in prep for later on in the year.

 

[estibador]

We wear our clash strip a fair bit actually.
Away games against Freo, Crows, Port, St.Kilda, Melbourne, Bulldogs and I think Brisbane.

But not against Richmond or Essendon who both wear black strips?

Seems there's a policy that 'traditional big 4 rivalries' shouldn't have to wear clash strips, even though they're some of the worst clashes.

I can't see any logical argument that says you clash with the Dogs but not with the Tigers or Bombers.

 

[Jaeger]

Early in the week how likely are Hodge & Mitchell to play?

Hodge won't play. Mitchell 50-50.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Freo will destroy them

Still crying over Friday night?

I expect Freo to win given Hawthorn's outs. It would be a toss of a coin with two fully fit sides so this is no denigration to Fremantle.

But they won't "destroy" Hawthorn.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

We are so off-balance with our injuries and suspensions.

Lake being out means Hodge has to play back.
Now that Hodge is out we may need Burgoyne to stay back and manage the area
Without Mitchell in the middle we needed Burgoyne in there. What now?
Without Sewell in the middle Lewis had to tag, when he's normally icing on the cake and a great deliverer inside 50.
Without Stratton in the backline Birchall had to play defensively and we lost all his run
With Gibson the only recognized defender we're going to have Cheney on Pavlich or Mayne. Who on the resting ruck? Litherland in his second game probably. Concerning.

There is no better time to play against Hawthorn. Every club has injuries, not saying ours are better or worse (god I hate playing the injury competition game) but we just can't cover that many important players right now.

Now we're up against our number one challenger for this year's flag and they've hit the start of the season in good form.

Very proud of our win on Friday night, but not expecting to win this time.

 

[estibador]

There is no better time to play against Hawthorn.

Oh hell no, we ain't falling for that shit. That's what we told Collingwood before round 1...

 

[beta_condition]

Playing Fremantle with so many of our backs out really has me worried, going to be a low scoring game and even leaking 1-2 goals is really going to hurt us alot more than conceding goals in the last two weeks. Fremantle's mids are going to have a field day, probably no Hodge Mitchell Sewell and Sandilands tapping the ball to their advantage all day, will be asking a hell of alot from our younger players to step up and curve their dominance.

 

[pazza]

Has to be Freo's best ever chance of beating the Hawks in Melbourne. Will back them in.

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

Reckon it should be a good game. Whilst we'll be without a few players, we showed on Friday night that when the chips are down we can find ways to win games. Be a great chance for guys like Langford, Dureya, Litherland if he stays in, etc to see what real competitive footy is like. Reckon on form Freo is just ahead of us, an have largely their best side out there, barring probably Clarke (not counting Sylvia as he's not played there yet)m whilst we'll be missing a few.

Like to see Spangher come in for O'Brien just to give us little bit more competitiveness down forward and option to move him to defence in need.

Either way, reckon it will be a very good game.

 

[Holy Rioli]

Tough one to call. Freo coming off a 6 day break, and travelling, and played a tough game in the wet; hawks missing hodge and mitchell(?), but freo still missing z Clarke and ibbotson - not as important outs but def best 18 when fit. Oh and it's at the G which is also in hawks favour. I'm obviously hoping freo but will probably tip hawks.

Mate good post. Plenty of Essendon supporters were quick to pull the Dempsey and Winderlich were injured that's why we lost card without considering the outs that Hawthorn had which I think many neutrals would agree were more significant than the Essendon outs.
Should be a cracker. Can only see 1 of 2 outcomes - we win by whisker or lose by 6-8 goals.

 

[Holy Rioli]

Freo will smash you. Hawks have slipped and Freo have gotten better.

If only we were in Bay 13 right now.

 

[theGav56]

Reckon it should be a good game. Whilst we'll be without a few players, we showed on Friday night that when the chips are down we can find ways to win games. Be a great chance for guys like Langford, Dureya, Litherland if he stays in, etc to see what real competitive footy is like. Reckon on form Freo is just ahead of us, an have largely their best side out there, barring probably Clarke (not counting Sylvia as he's not played there yet)m whilst we'll be missing a few.

Like to see Spangher come in for O'Brien just to give us little bit more competitiveness down forward and option to move him to defence in need.

Either way, reckon it will be a very good game.

Do you count Big Boy given he has only played 2 games for you? If Sylvia comes in do you still not count him and we get 1 extra? Just trying to figure out how this works. Do Ibbotson, Griffin or Gumbleton count? Morabitto?