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

[iameviljez]

Until those teams beat us, they are not better teams than us.

I think it's pretty reasonable to say that Adelaide is a better side than us in 2017, at least on exposed form.

I know we beat them twice last year - once was at Footy Park when we were absolutely on fire early in the season (of course, after that game we became flag favourites and then got beaten two weeks in a row by sides that missed the eight), and the other was when we played them at Geelong. I think we do match up well on them, though, because our strength matches theirs - we have a good match for each member of that incredibly potent forward line.

 

[iameviljez]

I'm speaking structure wise. We've fixed our deficiencies at both selection and via trade at least.

Apart from that minor issue at CHF, I agree with you.

 

[smelly cat]

What's amateur is your failure to understand the context of my post.

Unfortunately we all understood your post.

 

[Cronin]

Apart from that minor issue at CHF, I agree with you.

Didn't you know? When you don't have a genuine CHF you just move your All Australian CHB to fill the position and hope that everything else just falls into place

....Alright I'm starting to feel like a bitch so I'm gonna stop now.

 

[smelly cat]

Didn't you know? When you don't have a genuine CHF you just move your All Australian CHB to fill the position and hope that everything else just falls into place

....Alright I'm starting to feel like a bitch so I'm gonna stop now.

This. The idea becomes more absurd with every week.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

That last bit in bold is interesting, because I think that (if anything) we look slightly worse. It's hard to get a read on it this early in the year, but there's a few things that stick out:

• Enright is irreplaceable, even at his age 2016 was just a fantastic individual season. He could have won a B&F if it weren't for having two midfield superstars in the side IMO
• We just don't have any depth through the middle at the moment. Losing Caddy did hurt - because it means that one of Murdoch and Cowan play.
• While neither of Vardy or Kersten were exactly AFL finals-standard, we're currently playing a CHF who averages zero goals per game so far this year.
• We have struggled badly against two sides who missed the eight last year (though it's hard to place Melbourne).

On the plus side, our speed out of defence and Hawkins and Menzel are looking far, far better.

Enright is irreplaceable but tuohy in and mackie in good form helps some of our structural issues (run from defence).

We have scott selwood GHS out injured and cockatoo has been injured and kolo is just coming back. Hopefully guys like murdoch and cowan won't play when we have a fully fit 22.

Caddy is not much of a loss when menegola and ghs have been struggling to get games while putting up good numbers it's clear we bat deep there. Caddy would have continued in a fwd pocket and parfitt is a good replacement there as is cockatoo. This is not to say caddy is a bad player he is decent but he isn't a natural fwd pocket i would argue we are better off there.

No doubt second key forward is a massive issue and we either need taylor to increase his output there or stanley black or house to really come on. But don't forget the dogs had cordy as their 2nd KPF when they won the flag last year and he is very average. We can have an average 2nd kpf if the structure works.

 

[iameviljez]

Didn't you know? When you don't have a genuine CHF you just move your All Australian CHB to fill the position and hope that everything else just falls into place

....Alright I'm starting to feel like a bitch so I'm gonna stop now.

Works well if they are mobile and can leap...

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Is that because you think Harry Taylor's done and might aswell play out his career as a bollard in the forward line?

Taylor or no Taylor Is STRUCTURELY better than playing 3 ruckman and 5 tall defenders and thus we're a better team as a result.

I think a few of you are missing my point.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Bews captaining vfl side today means tuohy should be fit and stanley playing vfl means taylor will start forward.

 

[cats_09]

Bews captaining vfl side today means tuohy should be fit and stanley playing vfl means taylor will start forward.

My concern is that with Lang as the non playing emergency, Cockatoo might be in some doubt - same replacement as a couple of weeks ago

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Nah it's a shit hat

It's brown and it's shitty. Plus it smells. You aren't really gonna eat it?

 

[Cronin]

Taylor or no Taylor Is STRUCTURELY better than playing 3 ruckman and 5 tall defenders and thus we're a better team as a result.

I think a few of you are missing my point.

I get your point, I just have a different view.

You say 3 ruckman
I say;
1 ruckman - Smith
1 KPF - Stanley
1 Utility - Blicavs

Now if any of them don't perform their role then you either drop them or adjust, but IMO that's our best setup structurally, given our list.

You say 5 tall defenders
I say;
Taylor
Henderson
along with 1 of;
Lonergan/Kolodjashnij/Gardner

Along with Mackie on current form and 2 small defenders.

 

[Cronin]

It's brown and it's shitty. Plus it smells. You aren't really gonna eat it?

If we're 7-0 and Taylor is still being named at CHF I will.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I get your point, I just have a different view.

You say 3 ruckman
I say;
1 ruckman - Smith
1 KPF - Stanley
1 Utility - Blicavs

Now if any of them don't perform their role then you either drop them or adjust, but IMO that's our best setup structurally, given our list.

You say 5 tall defenders
I say;
Taylor
Henderson
along with 1 of;
Lonergan/Kolodjashnij/Gardner

Along with Mackie on current form and 2 small defenders.

I understand, I'm simply of the view that with our recruitment of Tuohy and to a lesser degree Stewart, and the return of Thurlow, it gives us a better balance.

The forward line is functioning better as a result.

We're conceding a few more points than we would have liked but that's due to a relatively new back half that need time to gel as a unit.

 

[iameviljez]

Taylor or no Taylor Is STRUCTURELY better than playing 3 ruckman and 5 tall defenders and thus we're a better team as a result.

I think a few of you are missing my point.

Ah, that's what you're saying. Yeah, we were too tall - but the major issue with that IMO is how we made ourselves play as a result. Taylor and Hendo are pretty ok with ball in hand, but we still went with the safety-first approach after Collingwood chopped us up, and it just killed us.

I do agree about playing Stanley and Smith in the same side when Blitz is a more flexible option as 2nd ruck, and I'd imagine that if we found a decent CHF there's only room for one of them.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Unfortunately we all understood your post.

As well as the simple minded could I guess...

 

[Cronin]

Ah, that's what you're saying. Yeah, we were too tall - but the major issue with that IMO is how we made ourselves play as a result. Taylor and Hendo are pretty ok with ball in hand, but we still went with the safety-first approach after Collingwood chopped us up, and it just killed us.

I do agree about playing Stanley and Smith in the same side when Blitz is a more flexible option as 2nd ruck, and I'd imagine that if we found a decent CHF there's only room for one of them.

If we had Jack Darling playing at CHF then none of this would be an issue; Taylor would still be down back and only two of Smith/Stanley/Blicavs would be playing.

 

[iameviljez]

If we had Jack Darling playing at CHF then none of this would be an issue; Taylor would still be down back and only two of Smith/Stanley/Blicavs would be playing.

Why Darling in particular? I know he slid back in his draft group, but he's undersized for a CHF, and perhaps more to the point did have a few behavioural issues IIRC that led to him going in the late 20s to a club in his home state.

 

[Cronin]

I understand, I'm simply of the view that with our recruitment of Tuohy and to a lesser degree Stewart, and the return of Thurlow, it gives us a better balance.

The forward line is functioning better as a result.

We're conceding a few more points than we would have liked but that's due to a relatively new back half that need time to gel as a unit.

Yep, all I'm saying is we didn't need to move Taylor forward to plug a gap because IMO a). He's still our best defender along with Henderson and b). there were/are better options.

 

[iameviljez]

As well as the simple minded could I guess...

When people refer to the Geelong board as sometimes being quite nasty and unpleasant, this is exactly the sort of thing they are referring to.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Until those teams beat us, they are not better teams than us.

Agreed. We haven't beaten any of the teams higher on the ladder than us yet

 

[Biggy_Boy]

The backline is suffering from Taylor's absence and Thurlow, Tuohy, Stewart and Ruggles all being suspect defensively.

 

[Bobby_]

As well as the simple minded could I guess...

 

[Cronin]

Why Darling in particular? I know he slid back in his draft group, but he's undersized for a CHF, and perhaps more to the point did have a few behavioural issues IIRC that led to him going in the late 20s to a club in his home state.

He's a great mark for his size, a pretty good kick for goal, very mobile, competes on the ground, tackles well and can also go through the midfield.

IMO he's exactly what we needed to complement Hawkins and Menzel and as far as I'm aware we could have had him instead of Smedts but oh well.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

When people refer to the Geelong board as sometimes being quite nasty and unpleasant, this is exactly the sort of thing they are referring to.

Yeah but he started it.