Preview Hawthorn Vs Geelong - Monday 17 April @3:20pm

[Ray Donovan]

McCarthy for Cocky the only change and I can live with the team...

Glad I held my melt till the team was finalised

I was in meltdown and let a few have it about stanley getting named CHF spraying the 3 ruck scenario smith blicavs stanley. Lol just looked at the finalised team relief to see the emergency list it's the only time i have looked at the "onion taylor" and thought beauty he's at CHF and stanley emergency list team balance continues. But we know the late withdrawl trick he played first week v freo thurlow in smith out so not quite over the line!

Good match commitee i suspected menegola would be selected and stanley out is a blessing on my Easter monday

 

[Pure_Ownage]

milburn played to he got injured a couple of weeks out from finals and then they didnt bring him back for the prelim (which is when he recovered from injury) because he hadn't played for 6 weeks. If it wasn't for the injury he would of played finals including the grand final and deservedly so as he was better then Hunt. Milburn being dropped is a complete myth.

Milburn was fit. They played West as 2nd ruck (vardy had the hip injury a couple of weeks prior) against hawthorn in the QF and had to leave milburn or hunt out and they chose the former.

It rained all day on game day and scott spoke in the post match presser about watching the rain outside his window and agonising over whether to pull west out 90 minutes before the game because milburn was such a good wet weather footballer. They didn't and ottens hawkins pods and west dominated hawthorn's rucks and backs and milburn and mooney never got back in.

 

[Partridge]

Milburn was fit. They played West as 2nd ruck (vardy had the hip injury a couple of weeks prior) against hawthorn in the QF and had to leave milburn or hunt out and they chose the former.

It rained all day on game day and scott spoke in the post match presser about watching the rain outside his window and agonising over whether to pull west out 90 minutes before the game because milburn was such a good wet weather footballer. They didn't and ottens hawkins pods and west dominated hawthorn's rucks and backs and milburn and mooney never got back in.

Spot on. A big factor all night was our big men able to take marks up forward, and all four did their bit.

 

[Ray Donovan]

Wow just saw the final teams and thankyou very much. I was thinking after 3 rounds of being extremely pleased with the match commitee they had torn it all to shreds. Now faith is restored haha

It gave me that warm fuzzy feeling when i looked at the emergency list and saw R.Stanley on it! Genuine smile

 

[Ray Donovan]

Spot on. A big factor all night was our big men able to take marks up forward, and all four did their bit.

"The pill" best thing richmond ever did for us

 

[iameviljez]

I think we need to get serious on Monday. We are 3-0 but never in the discussion when people discuss the best teams this year. Are we just getting lucky or are we actually a good unit?

We've had a lucky rabbit's foot stuffed up Dangerwood's bum, basically. Norf collapsed, Melbourne shoulda been out of sight by 3qtr time, and none of the three sides we've played are exactly world-beaters.

 

[Vdubs]

We've had a lucky rabbit's foot stuffed up Dangerwood's bum, basically. Norf collapsed, Melbourne shoulda been out of sight by 3qtr time, and none of the three sides we've played are exactly world-beaters.

Freo beat the premiers.
But you are spot on.
We could be lucky that we are playing a messed up Hawks team as well, BUT I don't trust them.

 

[iameviljez]

Freo beat the premiers.
But you are spot on.
We could be lucky that we are playing a messed up Hawks team as well, BUT I don't trust them.

True, but seemingly the pre-rebuild Freo appear to be a different beast? It's hard to get a read on it - Melbourne have that sort of shocking inconsistency that young sides have, particularly with their CHF and ruckman out.

We look finals-bound, but what happens - and in what shape we get there - is so dependent on the Big Three staying fit. If one of those three go down, we are incredibly stuffed.

 

[Vdubs]

True, but seemingly the pre-rebuild Freo appear to be a different beast? It's hard to get a read on it - Melbourne have that sort of shocking inconsistency that young sides have, particularly with their CHF and ruckman out.

We look finals-bound, but what happens - and in what shape we get there - is so dependent on the Big Three staying fit. If one of those three go down, we are incredibly stuffed.

If Demons just miss out on a finals spot this year, Hogan and Lewis should be red-faced.

 

[barmy44]

It's a weird year to read... some teams look good and aren't winning, we haven't looked great but are winning. I do feel our record so far flatters us.. really not sure what to expect Monday, but hopefully we show something more like round 1 compared to round 2

agreed. i pretty much followed up my own post be saying exactly what you did in the first sentence!

 

[iameviljez]

It rained all day on game day and scott spoke in the post match presser about watching the rain outside his window and agonising over whether to pull west out 90 minutes before the game because milburn was such a good wet weather footballer. They didn't and ottens hawkins pods and west dominated hawthorn's rucks and backs and milburn and mooney never got back in.

True - when West pulled out that hanger in the QF, I thought "gee, he might just make the grade here". I was almost as wrong about that as I was when I thought, two quarters earlier, "Gee I hope Menzel only misses half of next year with that knee"

 

[Ray Donovan]

I wasn't under the impression that you could only name potential outs on the extended bench?

You can for late games like this one you name a squad and can then adjust it. But once ita finalised on the saturday you cannot bring anyone else in not named on the emergency list.

It's a really big fine to do that i believe and you would have to apply to AFL to get it done.

 

[Catsnlakers]

"The pill" best thing richmond ever did for us

Along with Round 6 2007.... The day it all began .

 

[00VicWard001]

well, all just my opinion of course, but at this stage, yeah definitely those two. west coast look good, richmond look pretty good as well. ports best is pretty good.

weird one, though - north have looked incredible at times against us and footscray, yet 0-4. GC looked like premiers against hawthorn, but have also looked putrid.

weve put in 2 very uneven performances, but have played some excellent footy in both as well, and sit 3-0. our round 1 against freo is starting to look a bit better as well.

i guess my point was if we put up what we have the last two weeks for the entire season, we wont be doing much.

but if we can consistently play at a level approaching the best we have played in those two weeks, we could go a long way.

I'd say at this stage that most teams would say that too, especially the ones you've mentioned.

The reality is that teams make-up, synergy, form and ability change across a year as the opposition changes too.

There are no real better teams at this stage. Everyone has been playing well, and playing poorly too. GWS and Adelaide included.

There is no guarantee we'd win or lose based on how have played over the last two weeks. Because for you to assume that the team would lose, you're assuming our opponents would be playing at their best.

All we can definitively say is that we've somehow dug deep, and out played our opponents to get wins over the last two weeks. We take that and move on and continue to evolve as the season goes on.

 

[barmy44]

All we can definitively say is that we've somehow dug deep, and out played our opponents to get wins over the last two weeks. We take that and move on and continue to evolve as the season goes on.

agreed (with the whole post, actually - but especially that last part)!

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I think we need to get serious on Monday. We are 3-0 but never in the discussion when people discuss the best teams this year. Are we just getting lucky or are we actually a good unit?

I think it's a bit of both to be honest.

The coach will say that it's just another game and a chance to gain another 4 points but it's not. There is emotion attached to this, particularly for the boys that were around in '08.

This is our chance to send them into anonymity!

 

[00VicWard001]

agreed (with the whole post, actually - but especially that last part)!

Sorry,probably stating the obvious.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

"The pill" best thing richmond ever did for us

Taking Caddy the other.

 

[cynical]

Which are the better sides this year?

Adelaide? GWS?

Adelaide, GWS, Port, Bulldogs

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Adelaide, GWS, Port, Bulldogs

We were 6 from 7 against those sides last year and we're a better side this year.

 

[iameviljez]

Taking Caddy the other.

Underpaid for him, though. I'd happily take Caddy over the bottom end of our current midfield rotations. Gee he was a frustrating player, though.

 

[hbk_aus]

This game is taking so long to arrive. God I hate Hawthorn.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Underpaid for him, though. I'd happily take Caddy over the bottom end of our current midfield rotations. Gee he was a frustrating player, though.

I'm still firm in my belief that Richmond paid the right price.

 

[cynical]

There are no real better teams at this stage. Everyone has been playing well, and playing poorly too. GWS and Adelaide included.

That is rubbish.

GWS and Adelaide are the clear standouts. Port and the Bulldogs are next in line.

After that there are maybe 10 teams who are still jostling.

The weaker teams like Brisbane, Carlton and North are much better than last years bottom clubs and will be competitive but they will still be bottom 4.

After that there is limited information on who will fill out the last 4 spots of the 8.

WCE probably another safe bet due to their experienced list and big home ground advantage.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

That is rubbish.

GWS and Adelaide are the clear standouts. Port and the Bulldogs are next in line.

After that there are maybe 10 teams who are still jostling.

The weaker teams like Brisbane, Carlton and North are much better than last years bottom clubs and will be competitive but they will still be bottom 4.

After that there is limited information on who will fill out the last 4 spots of the 8.

WCE probably another safe bet due to their experienced list and big home ground advantage.

The reality is that the Bulldogs don't win last years premiership in that farcical pre-finals bye isn't introduced. We had their measure easily last year and they finished 7th on the table.

I'm confident in saying we're the better side.