Autopsy Hawks vs Roos - tear it apart here

[Off The Couch]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-04-29/rioli-has-scans

"...In a further potential blow to the club's small forward stocks, Luke Breust was reported for striking North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein during the third quarter of the match."

Wtf? - I don't recall him being reported... he had better get off, there was nothing in it, Goldstein just got his big block head in the way of a spoil :/

Interesting - commentary (north) thought it was a legit spoiling attempt with eyes only for the ball and incidental contact. I would of thought guerra was in more trouble for his bump on ziebell although it was only shoulder contact

 

[grizzlym]

He's from Sudan but his biceps grew up mostly in Senegal; I understand this has been the subject of a lot of border disputes between them over the years, not to mention the countries caught in between.

Fair dinkum though some people on here are just haters on the Majak. I was at the game and he was an incredibly imposing figure on the ground - statuesque, agile, muscular, strong vertical leap, incredible closing speed, just an awesome player. He mightn't have had a lot of effective disposals, but just him being on the ground clearly intimidated Hawthorn. During the second quarter they even sent Buddy into defence to mark up on Majak. I noticed even Buddy didn't fancy the prospect because he wandered around about 10 meters away checking out Majak's pecs and then thought better of it and disappeared back upfield. I was actually pretty worried about it because Majak didn't seem to have anyone marking him at all by that point, but for some reason nobody at North kicked it to him.

If Buddy does leave, we should get Majak.

I think you'll find that many were just sick of the constant, and I mean constant references to the guy during the call yesterday. it was incessant.

And it has nothing to do with Daw, rather inane commentary trying to manufacture interest rather than focusing on what's actually happening.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

I think you'll find that many were just sick of the constant, and I mean constant references to the guy during the call yesterday. it was incessant.

And it has nothing to do with Daw, rather inane commentary trying to manufacture interest rather than focusing on what's actually happening.

Have a re-read grizz, Arc is on FIRE!

 

[grizzlym]

Have a re-read grizz, Arc is on FIRE!

Ah too true. Only got a few lines in.

 

[Off The Couch]

Rioli out for upto 7 weeks

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

Rioli out for upto 7 weeks

Sauce?

 

[Kcrack]

Rioli out for upto 7 weeks

That really blows for you guys, some players have horrible luck.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/rioli-to-miss-up-to-six-weeks-20130429-2inzo.html

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Lengthy post, so thanks to those that take the time to read.

So we need to talk about Gunston... Sick of seeing him potted by posters.

He does look like he's gone backwards this year but looks can be deceiving. He has been told to play a role this year that is completely foreign to him. I think he'll keep getting picked because he's doing his best to learn the role, and I don't think Box Hill would allow the flexibility to play the utility role. That said, it's absolutely killing me to watch.

I loved his work last year as a natural key forward in the making. This year Clarkson and co in their ever baffling attempts to construct a forward structure, have decided to make him into a "utility". I can only hope that the rationale is that we're without Whitecross, Suckling etc at the moment, but for his career's sake I for one would much rather see him kicking 5 at Box Hill for a few weeks (as a farrrrking foward!) than looking like an awkward HBF/Jack of all trades, master of none (mind the pun).

For all his talk of replacing one soldier with another, Clarkson seems more inclined in this instance to mould this solider into something he isn't rather than pick a player who is suited to the position. Perhaps we haven't got someone for the role though? Litherland or is hey not athletic enough?

In essence, it's not his fault that he's running around looking like a headless chook at times. The coaches have a lot to answer for if you ask me. I'd like to have some faith in "the bigger picture" but when this guy looks to be capable of being a champion goal kicker, the current strategy hurts my head.

On the positive though, and to reinforce that looks can be deceiving, he went at 94.4% disposal efficiency yesterday with his 18 disposals. 2nd best for us (behind Birch) in that category.

We are doing the right thing with Gunston. We know what he can do as a leading forward. We also know that when he is taken up the ground he cannot chase nor stick a tackle. He is too easy to exploit as a deep forward.

He is being given an education. Clarko did the same thing with Willo and it paid dividends. Gunston is VERY talented and needs to be challenged which is what we are doing. It might take a season or two but if he can become a good enough runner to push onto a wing as well as play deep FWD it will help us enormously.

He got the ball at some important times at both ends of the ground yesterday.

 

[LuvMyHawks]

Rioli out for upto 7 weeks

Well,it seems like I was right for a change!..You could tell it was a bad hammy,that's why I said a six week injury,minimum..

 

[Brishawk]

We are doing the right thing with Gunston. We know what he can do as a leading forward. We also know that when he is taken up the ground he cannot chase nor stick a tackle. He is too easy to exploit as a deep forward.

He is being given an education. Clarko did the same thing with Willo and it paid dividends. Gunston is VERY talented and needs to be challenged which is what we are doing. It might take a season or two but if he can become a good enough runner to push onto a wing as well as play deep FWD it will help us enormously.

He got the ball at some important times at both ends of the ground yesterday.

He has been better the last two weeks for sure. Hope he continues to get better. I wonder if we won't structure up differently come finals and that putting time into him now makes us better come the end of season.

 

[cma6]

It's two bad ones in a row now for Hodge but of course he shouldn't be dropped.

He needs to lift though.

I'm sick of hearing the argument about who is the best captain in the AFL, Selwood or Watson. I'm pretty sure it's Hodge when he's at his best!

 

[hawk for 37]

Yet to see one post about how North shut down Birchall's run and drive.

Lot's of talk about our lack of run but not one mention as to why.

It's taken 5 games, but finally a team and coach has tried to block him him out of the game (supercoach Ross failed miserably).

Reckon we will seriously need a plan B when teams lock down on him. Crows and Swans did at the end of last year and it will happen again in the next 2 weeks.

Interesting to see if Clarko sits on his hands and lets it happen, or he plans for it and devises a tactic to compensate. If Birch is clamped down on, we lose a hell of a lot drive and really don't have a player to help him out apart from Burgers.

 

[Flukey!]

Hodge had a big last 1/4, maybe 8 or "Hard Yakkas" from memory.
He was important at the end but was quiet in the earlier part of the game.

 

[Changa10]

Just on Gunston, it was hard to tell on TV, but does his role change when we sub off the big bloke such as Max yesterday?

He seemed to be forward a bit more in the last quarter and a bit, so perhaps he is playing as a tall marking type mid, with the option to play him as the third tall late in games when we sub on a runner. We didn't really get a chance to see this last week in Tassie as Schoey was subbed of course, so just interested if anyone has noticed this, either yesterday or previously?

 

[Bosk]

the reality is we weren't good enough.

At least there's some truth in what you post.

You're right too. Norf is a million miles away from being a genuine premiership contender. You'll be lucky to scrape into the 8 this year.

Now bugger off back to your own board where you belong flog.

 

[Waynesworld]

Buddy kicked no goals today. Which means Thompson will be North supporters new poster boy. It will be on their avatars....like when Mullet ran down Buddy in 1 NAB cup game. About 3 of them used that one chase as their avatar. It's the small things that keep them happy.

It doesn't take much these days to keep us happy, especially when we get close to you blokes.

I was concerned all day that, despite our dominance through the centre, you guys seemed to move it into the forward line and kick goals with ease when needed. I didn't think it was going to take much for you guys to blow us away.

Cyril especially destroyed us, really disappointing injury for you blokes, I do like watching him play. Lake also looks like he is back to his best. Looks in hindsight to be a great recruiting move.

Take the win, after the 4 hard weeks on the up you had, there's always going to be that one down game. And against North at home there was always the danger that you would take the foot off the pedal.

Anyway, I'll see myself out

 

[Bosk]

Geez Gunston is copping it. I think he's growing in his new role and his contested mark deep in the last quarter was amazing.

Gunston played by far his best football last year when Buddy was out of the side, because he had more room to lead and he became a very reliable forward target for us.

Until he bulks up (a lot) he isn't terribly well suited to playing further up the ground. Not only does he lack the size to compete in the air against opposition ruckmen when we are kicking out from fullback but he is also quite slow and not a terribly great tackler. He looks MUCH more comfortable leading from the goal square.

I'm not blaming Gunston. I'm blaming the coach who is crowding our forward line with Roughead, Hale, Franklin and Gunston and yet we STILL struggle to take contested marks in there. With so many tall players up forward its little wonder the opposition often strolls out of defense when we turn it over inside 50, giving them even more chances to cut us up on the rebound. (luckily Norf was too shit to convert most of their chances, a better side would've ripped us to shreds)

Until Gunston can start taking contested marks on the wing then I feel that role would be performed just as well by another midfielder. Gunston has looked lost for most of the year and its hard to blame him, he's being played out of position.

 

[Kavliaris69]

Having doubted if Lake could bring it... wow! Good decisions, good spoils, can't be pushed aside. Beast.

Cyril great.

Awful game otherwise.

Thought North should've got a few more frees.

Sad to see Majak subbed, he's big and muscly and exotic looking. He's from Senegal!

Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode called "The Old Man". George Costanza dipped his bald head in oil to rub on her body.
LOLLLLL.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Must say it was a game where Whitecross would have been very handy.

 

[thetigerman]

Got to be the worst umpiring i've seen. Was Hawthorn there 10 to 1 in last quarter

 

[MinerBoy]

Got to be the worst umpiring i've seen. Was Hawthorn there 10 to 1 in last quarter

Yeah, it was definitely rigged for a Hawthorn win. We should never have been allowed 1 free kick in the final quarter of a close game. NM robbed.

 

[Davo23]

Got to be the worst umpiring i've seen. Was Hawthorn there 10 to 1 in last quarter

My philosophy on umpiring is that it all evens out by the last quarter. Usually they get a few doubtful ones, we get a few doubtful ones and by the end of the day, the frees are never equal, but the umpires don't matter.

But a 10-2 differential in the last quarter meant that they had 8 extra frees. That equates to a 32 possession game, and that's 8 easy clearances/rebounds/shots for goal.
That's like having an extra star player, a 32 possession player, on the field.

Like North having 2 Majak Daws ...

.

 

[Wundo]

holding the man evidence not paid, were going into the 50..., might have stopped the injury too if it was paid and he pulled up
believe it or not Healy actually called it View attachment 16717

That makes me angry

 

[SSSSSS]

Does anyone think Birchall is starting to cope better with the hard tags? Was well down on his average this year but still managed to provide some run and find space with 8 marks and 19 touches. We needed someone to step up in his place but I thought he did well to keep his cool and not give silly frees away ala Heath Shaw. Last year he was comprehensively beaten by Bolton IIRC and had no influence.