Autopsy Hawks vs Port featuring the Great Escape

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Let me be really clear: i do not want, nor do my fellow Hawthorn posters want, this thread/board turned into a place where opposition posters slap each other.
 
F**k, got nothing to add apart from the fact that I am mightily relieved, I sent a txt out when we were 5 ahead claiming victory (I have never been one that gets ahead of myself) as soon as I had done so, it all happened, I honestly thought we were gone, we had some big players stand up for us late because they were like a fkng freight train, overall we were poor but still felt we had their measure, with the exception of their missed shots early in the game, Port are a quality side that are well coached, they will be there abouts next year no doubt about it, this could be a good kick up the arse tonight that can be taken into next week, that was genuine finals footy, bring on the COLA boys on Sat, gee I cant wait, another Hawks GF, GO HAWKS
 
Still coming down from the game.

Somehow we snatched victory from a game that could easily have been lost for a number of reasons.

In hindsight, our selection decisions were wrong. Suckling had one great passage of play but otherwise was fairly anonymous for most of the game. Thanks to the efforts of Langford in particular, Hawthorn didn't miss Sewell too much in the clinches, but Suckling did little to justify his selection (save for his goal, of course).

Clarkson tried to quell Westhoff with Spangher in the first half and when Spangher showed that he wasn't up to the job, sent Spangher forward. All it illustrated was that Spangher, as a forward, is a great defender. Why Mitchell decided to kick long to Spangher when he was closely minded by Carlile is an interesting decision (especially as Mitchell had Hodge free 15 metres away on his own).

Ceglar dominated Port's second ruckman but otherwise chose a brilliant day to have his worst game around the ground this season. At the end of the game, Hawthorn was crying out for Ceglar to take a contested ruck mark out across the half-forward flank and time and again, he would get his hands to the ball and spill the mark. His tap-work was very good most of the time, but he almost undid all his work with some poor efforts around the ground. If McEvoy plays a good game for Box Hill tomorrow, he would have to come under serious consideration.

Stratton did well to quell the dangerous Wingard, but apart from Stratton and Birchall from time to time, our back six collectively had a shocker. Hinkley is a smart coach and he made sure that Schulz didn't try to engage Lake in a wrestling duel which Lake would generally win. Rather, Schulz was instructed to get on his bike and lead at every opportunity. It also meant that Lake's great strength of reading the play was nullified. Schulz definitely took the chocolates tonight. Fortunately for Lake, his next probable match-up of Tippett doesn't have the capacity to make leads and play up the ground like Schulz did tonight.

Gibson also was poor for most of the game. He did effect some good spoils but he also seemed to misjudge the ball in flight a good deal. He's probably the match-up for Franklin next week, and to be honest, it doesn't fill me with much confidence.

Birchall fought hard to create play off half-back, but Monfries also kicked four goals and Birchall spent the bulk of his time on Monfries (although one goal was a generous one from the umpires, IMO).

Burgoyne had a quiet first half and was quick enough to butter up from his own mistake in kicking out to force a Port Adelaide miss. On the other hand, his run and carry down the ground created a goal-scoring opportunity. Nowhere near the heroics of his 2013 preliminary final, but he played a reasonable game.

As far as I could tell from watching the game live, while Langford generally played on Boak, he wasn't asked to tag Boak, who was Port Adelaide's best player (particularly in midfield). Langford also turned over the ball twice in the first quarter for two Port Adelaide goals (a handpass to Mitchell which missed the target, though Mitchell perhaps could have gone in harder for the ball, created Port's first goal). However, his manic attack on the ball and his capacity to win clearances for his teammates were vitally important. I'll mark him down a fraction in the voting for the Yabby medal, but he played a very good game.

Hodge rose to the occasion as the game wore on. With Lewis generally well-held (and then subbed off with injury), Hodge was his usual bullocking self, creating space for teammates. His efforts with the game on the line at the end of the game were par excellence. On the other hand, while Mitchell had it plenty of times, he also wasn't his usual efficiently creative self, IMO. It's not often that one sees Mitchell pinged for holding the ball, but Port managed to nail him a few times tonight. As he prepares for his fourth grand final, I'm sure Mitchell is setting himself for a big one.

Gunston didn't touch it in the first quarter, and while he was less than his usual output, he still had important touches and his patented approach to holding his ground and plucking a mark against a defender was used to create a goal for himself tonight. Hombsch generally played him pretty well.

Once again, we saw the devastating effect of a fired up and angry Roughead. This time, Roughead was pretty peeved off at the umpires for not pinging his defender for grappling him, and he responded with his best ever final performance. In fact, without his game, Hawthorn would be dissecting a missed opportunity. He was very efficient - at one stage, he had four goals from four kicks - and he was my BOG.
 

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Geelong and Essendon supporters are far from neutral. Wonder if they'll be rocking the Sydney avatars again.

Pathetic, scared and scarred.
My Facebook will be filled with them.

I'm seriously considering dropping many idiots I don't even like anymore
 
Hey, lads, you play the whole year just to play and win a Grand Final.

Seriously, it doesn't matter if you win the Prelim by 100 points or by 1, or whether you were lucky - it only matters that you get there. Nobody remembers the loser of the Prelim, no one really cares.

Also, there's no sign of Essendon or Carlton! ;)

All you want is to win and get to the big one, and once there you have a chance to win. So forget tonight's game and lets go forward.

GO HAWKS!
 
Congratulations on the win, you showed real finals composure where we fluffed our chances. At least we had one great prelim final this year.

I didn't realise just how good Roughead is, rough head and all (sorry). Such great athleticism in such a big man. But you all know that.

Enjoy the week and the game next Saturday. I'll be scuffing around in the dirt muttering about what might have been. :p
 
Your attitude sucks, and in saying that You better hope the swans don't smash you next week. Then your season will be for nothing to. To the rest of the fans great game, two awesome teams showed a great performance tonight!
Nothing awe-inspiring about that win, that's for sure. The week off blunted our skills. Just hope Lewis can mend in time. If not, then Sewell's going to have to play a blinder if we're to have any chance against Sydney.
 

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Autopsy Hawks vs Port featuring the Great Escape

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