Moved Thread Hawthorn - Excuse Now?

[caitsith01]

I don't think Hawthorn did choke. All that happened was that the Cats started playing a hell of a lot harder in terms of trying to win contested footy.

They turned it on for the first half of the third quarter, but the Cats let the intensity drop off again.

In the last quarter they did it again and managed to sustain it for the whole quarter.

Geelong had plenty of motivation. On top of the usual anti-Hawthorn feeling, they were embarassed last week and got a needling in the media during the week. Points to prove and all that.

All in all it was two very good teams playing a very close match and one just shading the other, again. No choking involved.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Is that really any excuse? Hawkins is 23.

Hawkins rag-dolled Schoenmakers today.
Age has little to do with it.

Hawkins is 101kg's and has played 81 games while Schoenmakers is 86kg's and played 36 games.
That's 15kg's and 50 games. A massive gap in experience and size.

 

[Jock]

Great game, great viewing. All I can add is that the 2008 GF loss must have hurt Bartel more than anyone because he will not let the Hawks win under any circumstances. He just stands up you have to admire him.

 

[Catswin12]

Bollocks. Our mental fragility let them back into it. Seeds of doubt in ourselves and in our opposition...they smell blood, they harden up and go back to basics.

Put simply, they want it much more

Honest post..

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Honest post..

Mate, blind Freddy could see where the match was going. Breust missed a sitter again, and it speaks volumes about our belief.

Geelongs pure hardness is something we need to review and watch over and over. Shame heart and desire can't be copied.

 

[juzz_e]

Hawkins rag-dolled Schoenmakers today.
Age has little to do with it.

Hawkins is 101kg's and has played 81 games while Schoenmakers is 86kg's and played 36 games.
That's 15kg's and 50 games. A massive gap in experience and size.

Also a 21 yo Hawkins was not exactly dominating..

 

[shurg123]

No excuses for losing this one. OP clearly upset that the Pies are still in the bottom 10

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Mate, blind Freddy could see where the match was going. Breust missed a sitter again, and it speaks volumes about our belief.

No, it speaks volumes about a youngster not handling the pressure, not the team as a whole.

Geelongs pure hardness is something we need to review and watch over and over. Shame heart and desire can't be copied.

The team's "heart and desire" almost won us the game. We lost by half a kick FFS, not 10 goals.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

We agree to disagree.

We don't believe we can beat Geelong. Geelong have 100% confidence in themselves.

 

[macdaddio]

We agree to disagree.

We don't believe we can beat Geelong. Geelong have 100% confidence in themselves.

This is our biggest problem and has been since 2008..
We did win the flag that year but what gets forgotten is that we also lost to them that year in the home and away game in the exact same manner as we have done so in the last 3 years.
We can not beat the Cats it's just that simple...

 

[GFC123]

Our boys just believe that they can win, they never doubt eachother and never think they are out of the contest, it's a great thing to have and it's rubbing onto the young guys now which is fantastic. Hawthorn kicked 0.5 in the last quarter, their excuse is poor kicking, they beat us in pretty much all areas on the ground today except the score board, they are not far behind us, if they had of kicked just 1 goal in their 5 attempts in the last quarter they would have won and we would be sitting here talking about how Geelong are finished and it's an end of an era, 0-2 to start 2012 etc etc.

Anyway, so proud of the Cats, just the way they go about team, amazing team. GO CATS!

 

[H2F]

Well done Cats that's about 200 in a row now.

Pity you didn't win it when it mattered in 2008, and pity you won't win it when it matters this year too.

Nah only kidding, what a champion team of geriatrics who just do not know how to lose. Absolute respect

 

[FoxC]

Sure Geelong had many outs, but Hawthorn were also missing key players like Hodge, Shiels, Gilham, Bailey etc. Hawks would've won the game with one more straight kick.

I don't know whether Hawthorn's mental fragility against the Cats exists, but Geelong's mental toughness and determination to win is indisputable.

For mine, Hawks are still flag favourites, and Bartel is the best big game player at the moment.

 

[zachary]

This Geelong - Hawthorn rivalry feels like a rope being pulled tighter and tighter with every Geelong win. Eventually the pressure to keep winning becomes greater and Snap! Question is, when?

All things come to pass. And how sweet it will be.

 

[m0zza]

Hawthorn had plenty of chances to win...
Cats had Jimmy

Simple as that.

 

[macdaddio]

Sure Geelong had many outs, but Hawthorn were also missing key players like Hodge, Shiels, Gilham, Bailey etc. Hawks would've won the game with one more straight kick.

I don't know whether Hawthorn's mental fragility against the Cats exists, but Geelong's mental toughness and determination to win is indisputable.

For mine, Hawks are still flag favourites, and Bartel is the best big game player at the moment.

Hawks flag favorites???Please!!!

Cats supporters are so scared to admit they are the flag favorites..

 

[GoldenHodge]

No excuses from me, Geelong were the better team when it mattered. Also I don't think anyone should be blaming Schoenmakers. I reckon we should have played Jarrad Boumann in the game, sure he has only played 1 game and maybe we would have lost by even more if he played, but at least it would have been a beneficial learning experience for him. We should be trying to get as many games into Schoenmakers and Boumann as we can.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I've been saying that for years.

No excuses from me.

We don't know how to win against quality teams. Pies kicked themselves out of last week and the Cats kicked themselves out of th 08 GF.

It is a mental issue

Clarkson needs to go

Surely your taking the piss

 

[dipper86]

Marks inside 50 is why Hawthorn lost.

Hawthorn had more Inside 50's, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, tackles and scoring shots.

Geelong had more marks inside 50-------17 to 8.

Our KP defense is a real issue....Roughead has to make CHB his own.

 

[Off The Couch]

Surely your taking the piss

Unfortunately he is not

 

[Partridge]

Certainly mentally fragile against Geelong.

No excuses for losing today.

Kudos, your posts are always intelligent and well thought out. Bad luck today. I'm sure the next clash is going to be just as tough on the nerves. You've found a player in Whitecross, just lethal near goal.

 

[melissamarie]

Collingwood supporters obviously have 1 week memories

You go for port..when was the last time port beat collingwood??i cant even remember.pipe down flog.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Surely your taking the piss

Unfortunately, not.

2 rounds in, a loss by half a kick and the sky is falling.

Yep, we have 'em all.

 

[Bengraham]

The issue is from today's game was the inability to score in the last and a noticeable panick which seemed to engulf the side when the acid was applied.

Doesn't bode well for finals where the acid really gets applied.

Look mentally fragile.

 

[Duskfire]

Well done Cats that's about 200 in a row now.

Pity you didn't win it when it mattered in 2008, and pity you won't win it when it matters this year too.

Nah only kidding, what a champion team of geriatrics who just do not know how to lose. Absolute respect

Speaking of geriatrics, wasnt the Hawthorn team fielded today only a couple of months younger then the Geelong team?

And I would say the first final mattered last year. After all, if Hawks had won that they would have had a clear run to the grand final.