Preview Hawks vs West Coast - Changes and discussion

[WWSD]

Re: huge game in perth

I wonder if we tag Gaff. Yup, he's capable of 30 possessions again, and his run will be important to them now that Embley is out. Bateman on Gaff?

Savage vs Gaff
Shiels vs Shuey

IMO that's how they could line up.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Re: huge game in perth

Franklin never plays well at Subi Might as well just release him into the midfield for this one because he doesn't kick goals there.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Re: huge game in perth

I wonder if we tag Gaff. Yup, he's capable of 30 possessions again, and his run will be important to them now that Embley is out. Bateman on Gaff?

Lewis will go straight to Kerr and towel him in all likelihood. I'm just hoping Lewis doesn't also push forward and hurt us the other way. I can't see you tagging anyone else

 

[Noneedforaname]

Re: huge game in perth

Lewis will go straight to Kerr and towel him in all likelihood. I'm just hoping Lewis doesn't also push forward and hurt us the other way. I can't see you tagging anyone else

No disrespect to Kerr, but is he fully fit at the moment, or just coasting?

 

[WCEbrody]

Re: huge game in perth

No disrespect to Kerr, but is he fully fit at the moment, or just coasting?

Noone really knows, he's been pretty awful for the first 3 games though.

 

[Scissor4life]

Re: huge game in perth

Our biggest asset going into this match is our game plan..regardless of who plays the ground and weather conditions suit our accurate kicking game...mark my words

 

[Thaihawk]

I'm quietly confident about this game. Who have The Eagles beaten? Three teams that haven't won a game between them?

Don't understand why everyone here seems to forget Smith. If fit he should replace Bruest, with Hodge (if fit) in for Ossie. A spot might be found for Hill, but I suspect he isn't quite ready yet.

 

[Roughies Boys]

So he thinks that Birchall will play as a key Defender, doubtful. West Coast has got Lynch, Kennedy, Darling & Nat.
Schoey to Kennedy
Gibson to Lynch
Boumann to Darling, Boumann is not slow
Either Boumann in or Hodge plays half-back at times,
Stratts on Maybe a medium tall

My team guess:

FB: Stratton, Gibson, Guerra

HB: Birchall, Schoenmakers, Suckling

C: Smith, Mitchell, Lewis

HF: Burgoyne, Franklin, Rioli

FF: Hale, Roughead, Savage

Foll: McCauley, Hodge, Sewell

Inter: Whitecross, Shiels, Gunston

Sub: Young

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Re: huge game in perth

No disrespect to Kerr, but is he fully fit at the moment, or just coasting?

Who knows - i doubt he can be injured, because he would have been rested last weekend - albeit he picked up a corky during the game.

Still - if he's let of the leash he can be very damaging, hence I'm sure he'll be your number 1 shut down target

 

[HawkNation]

Luke Hodge in.

The rest will take care of itself if that's the case.

 

[illnino]

Brilliant work Illnino - I like it.

Would you consider BigMac to come in though?

They will play 2 ruckmen (Cox & NicNat) & both will maul Hale & Roughy & will likely blow them up running around the ground. No way they can rest at FF after playing in the ruck against those two - Glass would eat them alive... They must get off the ground for a break & leave our forward line smaller & quicker - otherwise we're gone.

I think this really is a game when Roughy has to play defence & as such we will need 2 genuine ruckmen to play in the ruck. Priddis gets 80 kicks a week as it is. If their ruckmen get free reign & we have 1 x 2nd Ruck (Hale) & 1 x part-timer in Roughy & no big defender we will be 4 goals down at Qtr time.

Even if all BigMac & Hale achieve is to make contests around the ground then they will have done a whole lot more than a Ruck/Forward (Hale) & a Forward/Ruck/Defending Swingman (Roughy) will have done.

If this is the case then I would go:

Outs: Young Osborne Cheney Breust
Ins: Hodge Popeye BigMac Smith

We all know there is no way we will make 4 changes, but hell, our team would look brilliant with those 4 inclusions. I guess it depends on fitness though - no way Hodge or Popeye will come in if they don't have the miles in their legs.

If Hodge doesn't get up then we better hope that Breust is fit. Breust is obviously no Hodge but he is a lot harder & more defensive than Young & a lot more creative & effective (at the moment) than Ossie.

Excellent points mate, and you know I was that close to adding in the Cheney/BMac change as well. But for the same reason as you have mentioned, that being that we will likely not make 4 changes, I decided to leave that one out (also, do we actually know why he didn't play against the Crows? Will he even be available for selection this week?).

My other line of thought on this is looking at it from Clarko's perspective (not easy at the best of times) as my changes are what I think Clarko will do, not necessarily what I'd like to see done. Possibly more of a gut feeling than anything else, but I reckon Clarko will back Hale and Rough to....maybe not so much as 'break even', because as you alluded to, even that'll be a struggle against Cox/NicNat, but just to do enough of a job so that their mids aren't consistently being served up the ball on a silver platter, so to speak. We'll also go 3rd man up at the ruck contests around the ground obviously, so I think that must be taken into account also.

I think there's a bit of a stigma with the second ruck in today's game in that some of them tend to get over looked in regards to their ability in the ruck or as a forward because there seems to be this perception that because they can play both of these positions and rotate between the two, that they don't really excel in either of them. I don't know, perhaps I'm overrating him, but I think Hale is better than just an average second ruck/forward. I'd say he's a half-class above that, but still a half-class below a proper first ruck and a proper full forward. One could even argue that as good as Broc has been for us (and I think he's been fairly good), with his lack of experience and weight/strength, would he really offer us much more than hale would against two monster ruckmen?

As for Rough, while he'll never be as fit as a NicNat, he's been running for a number of weeks/months now to my knowledge, and should be fairly well up to speed in regards to his match fitness. For mine, when Hale takes over in the ruck, I agree that Roughy needs to play back. If we're worried about him gassing out, then let him rest (as much as possible anyway) deep in defense against one of their monster forwards or ruckmen, or as the 3rd man up if he's feeling up to it. He could also rest forward for 5-10 mins if our back line is going okay without him or when West Coast rest a dangerous forward or two.

Then there's always the option of bringing in Boumann to take the 3rd/4th tall, or McCauly to play ruck and relieve Roughead to go back as you've suggested. So many viable options, I honestly can't wait to see which way Clarko goes come Thursday arvo.

 

[Roughie]

So he thinks that Birchall will play as a key Defender, doubtful. West Coast has got Lynch, Kennedy, Darling & Nat.
Schoey to Kennedy
Gibson to Lynch
Boumann to Darling, Boumann is not slow
Either Boumann in or Hodge plays half-back at times,
Stratt on Maybe a medium tall

Gibbo will get the higher playing forward and will try push them up field. Schoey to get the deepest forward of Lynch and Kennedy.

Stratts will get Darling.

Birch to get the next best option and rebound accordingly to force accountability.

Its not that Boumann is overly slow but having that many key defenders in the backline makes our rebound look one paced at time. Boumann will not come in for anyone bar a defender injured/ dropped.

 

[Roughie]

Re: huge game in perth

Who knows - i doubt he can be injured, because he would have been rested last weekend - albeit he picked up a corky during the game.

Still - if he's let of the leash he can be very damaging, hence I'm sure he'll be your number 1 shut down target

I love Kerr, and hope he can rekindle some of his great form of past but maybe not this week. Our centre line up is very rarely over defensive and we will try let Mitch, Sewell and Lewis for starters try and get the ascendency on the West Coast midfield. There is no doubt both your rucks are much superior but I dont see us trying to tag your mids but rather see our mids try shark the taps or win the contested footy. Having Roughie in the ruck gives us another midfielder essentially much like Nick Nats strength. Their ability to follow up the tap and provide a linking handball or a tackle helps the midfielders greatly.

I believe the game will be won or loss in the midfield. If we can control the football I dont see us trying to run and link with the footy but rather use our foot skills to try pass the zone. Its a dangerous game and West Coast are an elite team, if it breaks down we will loose.

This game seems like a true test for us with Collingwood and Geelong looking out of sorts, and West Coast looking like the top team in the league right now imo.

 

[jpzhawk]

Interesting how so many of us here worry about the Weagles tall forward line, and yet also get nervous about us going in too tall up forward if we play Buddy, Hale, Ruff, BMac and Gunston....

Also interesting to see how the Eagles will go against a top team - they have got off to a great start with 3-0 and 200%+, but really, against the teams they have played so far this would be expected. They got done in the NAB Cup final by Adelaide who we have just comfortably disposed of...

Can't wait to see how we go on Saturday...think we might get home in a close one.

I think what Carlton have done is living proof that the NAB means nothing.
Really should look at how the Eagles finished last year. Top 4 side that no doubt will have improved aswell. We are also a top 4 side that should have improved. Yes, they have only beaten bottom 8 teams but they have destroyed them. This game is by far our biggest challenge, one that i don't think we will win due to the sheer fact it's in Perth and the crowd advantage their is huge. When they get on a roll over there they are very hard to stop and we have gone mising at times which could hurt us. Shoey is a massive liability down back, their mids are playing well and their ruck duo is top class and confident. It would take a mammoth effort to go home with the points from this game.
If you think the Eagles are nobodies because of who they have beaten, you are sorely misguided.

 

[Roughies Boys]

Why's there calls for Bruce?

 

[Hawkas1988]

Is Birchall definitely fit to play? He didn't look good after the match

 

[Roughies Boys]

Is Birchall definitely fit to play? He didn't look good after the match

That was 2 days ago mate, heaps of stuff can change...

 

[suedehead]

Injury update as at 17 April

Max Bailey (wrist) - TBC
Luke Breust (concussion) - test
Xavier Ellis (calf) - TBC
Luke Hodge (calf) - test
Isaac Smith (calf and back) - test
Alex Woodward (knee) - season

Interesting that Birchall hasn't been added to the injury list. Hopefully he'll be right. I also hope Smithy isn't suffering the same "calf and back" ailment that has kept Puopolo out all season.

 

[sTeeL]

Interesting how so many of us here worry about the Weagles tall forward line, and yet also get nervous about us going in too tall up forward if we play Buddy, Hale, Ruff, BMac and Gunston....

The benefit of the West Coast talls is that Darling, Kennedy, and Naitanui are all extremely quick for their size. Even faster than most midfielders. Lynch and Cox arent exactly fast but thats usually why if Cox is up their he plays deepest, and Lynch tends to roam the wings.

Im excited for a game that doesnt turn into a slaughter-fest at least though. Its been one of the most boring starts to a year for West Coast and even being on top with 200%, you would think you would celebrate a little more.

 

[Roughies Boys]

The benefit of the West Coast talls is that Darling, Kennedy, and Naitanui are all extremely quick for their size. Even faster than most midfielders. Lynch and Cox arent exactly fast but thats usually why if Cox is up their he plays deepest, and Lynch tends to roam the wings.

Im excited for a game that doesnt turn into a slaughter-fest at least though. Its been one of the most boring starts to a year for West Coast and even being on top with 200%, you would think you would celebrate a little more.

I don't think you guys will blow us away if you do win. It will be close, if it's played on your terms I think your height in the forwardline & midfielders first use from the ruck will win in. But if we play like we did against Adelaide & you let us do our top-class kicking game plan then we will have a game on our terms.

Good Luck!

 

[Roughies Boys]

Re: huge game in perth

Who knows - i doubt he can be injured, because he would have been rested last weekend - albeit he picked up a corky during the game.

Still - if he's let of the leash he can be very damaging, hence I'm sure he'll be your number 1 shut down target

Hmm, Well you have players like Priddis, Selwood, Shuey who can strat in the with Kerr.

My is Sewell to Kerr, Hodge to Priddis, Mitchell to be tagged by Selwood or him on Shuey

 

[Roughies Boys]

I really miss Puopolo, his pressure on the fore-front.....

 

[sTeeL]

Would be blown away if either team wins by more than 30 points.

 

[DivideandMultiply]

If there is one week where the Hawks defense need to play great as a group its this one. While Darling and Lynch are bigger than Gibson and Birchall/Stratton they dont have the greatest goal threat and there are slow, Darling isnt to bad at FWD pressure but isnt great.

Errrrrr was the leading forward in terms of defensive pressure in the AFL in 2011.

 

[WatWouldCyrilDo]

Errrrrr was the leading forward in terms of defensive pressure in the AFL in 2011.

How exactly do you figure that? He was 96th for average tackles last year, well behind many other forwards.