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

[Cronin]

Lonergan ommited
Taylor back where he belongs
Stanley forward
Injured boys aren't ready yet

I'd drop Stewart and Ruggles for Stanley and Bews.
Play Stanley at CHF.
Play Lonergan, Taylor and Henderson in defence along with Mackie, Tuohy and Bews.
When Kolodjashnij is fit, play him in the VFL for a few weeks and eventually bring him in for Lonergan, unless Lonergan is tearing the house down.

 

[Hamingja]

Lucky it's a Hawthorn home game this year. Will be barely 40k there with all their fair weather supporters jumping off.

 

[cats_09]

I was sitting behind the goals yesterday and whilst Taylor does stiffen the defence a bit more the problem yesterday was Ruggles and Stewart, the amount of times I saw Hendo and Mackie remonstrating with them for not playing on their man was astounding. Constantly played loose and it cost some goals, how many goals did Smith and Weidemann score? I'd say the talls did their job down back sans Taylor. The Dees also scored a few goals from forward pressure causing turnovers whereby it's either an easy shot or they have our players out of position for an easy pass I50.

Ideally we'd have Harry down back, everyone agrees on that. However, we've seen Stanley as a forward and he's shit but Hawkins in particular was ganged up on, now whether that's the opposition not taking Stanley seriously or Stanley leading into the same spots I don't know but we've tried that and it didn't work so time for another plan. That's presently Taylor and I see no sense in moving back to a plan that didn't work ala Stanley as the foil, to do that is nonsensical to me. I'm willing to persist with this as long as Hawkins and Menzel are able to play 1v1 and score goals as a result. If that changes then the plan shouldn't remain unless Taylor starts scoring goals himself.

Otherwise we may have to consider Black, House or Buzza which atm seems less than ideal.

Totally agree about Ruggles and Stewart - I've heard it described before as vfl defence whew you play 5m off your man and hope to anticipate what's going to happen. It drives me nuts when they do that because you can't afford to give that much space at AFL level.

Bews used to do this also, but watching him last year he seemed to have tightened up on his opponent and that is why I'd prefer him as a small defender.

It's great to have an attacking nature to ones games, but as a defender I'd rather they be thinking defence first when the opposition has the ball compared with wanting to pull off an intercept play.

 

[Meow]

So, who's bringing a wooden spoon?

 

[Daniel McL]

Still worried, Hawks are gonna come out absolutely firing, kind of like Freo last night after bringing in heaps of young guys.

 

[Vdubs]

I know Murdoch didn't play great yesterday, but is it possible that the MCG might suit him better than Etihad?

He actually played pretty well at Subiaco which is similar in length to the MCG and longer than the Etihad, while the MCG is significantly wider than both? If he played on the wing like he did against Freo with more space to run could that help his game?

My thoughts too.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Hawks had their backs to the wall after last week, no-one has come from Owen 3 and played finals.
THIS is what they put up.
Simply they are a shit team now.

 

[Vdubs]

Still worried, Hawks are gonna come out absolutely firing, kind of like Freo last night after bringing in heaps of young guys.

Exactly what will happen, and there's very little we can do about it UNLESS we regard them as top team. Utterly convinced it will be 3-1 and 1-3 on Monday night, but will be relieved to see otherwise. We have used maybe 2 get out of jail cards already.

 

[fpm84]

Brandon Matera has kicked 6.

Brandon Matera.

Lock Menzel in for 14...

 

[Vdubs]

Hawks had their backs to the wall after last week, no-one has come from Owen 3 and played finals.
THIS is what they put up.
Simply they are a shit team now.

Incorrect actually.
DEMONS were 0-3 in 2006 and did play 2 finals.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Incorrect actually.
DEMONS were 0-3 in 2006 and did play a final.

Well rarely then.
Point was the hawks back was to the wall after last week.
They have completely lost their system, can't win the inside footy (so Selwood and Danger will have *some fun*), their forwardline looks BFL standard and their backline is all at sea against such Champions like... I don't actually know their names.
I don't think they will be this bad next week but I also can't see them getting anywhere near close.

 

[Vdubs]

8 days to get their act together.
This is going to be an awfully long wait until we play again

 

[romeohwho]

Hawks were washed up with about 10 minutes to go in the final against us last year and all downhill from there for at least this year. They've done all right.

 

[STPer18]

Cats by triple-figures. Owen-4 looms large.

 

[Bobby_]

Unbelievable.
You would think after recent events people would start to assume there is no certainties in life but the blatant arrogance by our supporters is something to behold.
I for one believe this game will not be a walk in the park. If anything, I feel as though it will be just like the Melbourne game. Very tough to predict a winner one way or the other.

Hawthorn will throw everything at us just as they did in last years final.

I have no faith in Mackie, Ruggles, Thurlow keeping their small forwards in check.
I don't even trust Guthrie after looking out of form this weekend.
It's those small forwards which always cut us to shreds.

 

[year of the cat]

We are going to have to come out hard and destroy them early.

 

[SkittleCats]

I don't even trust Guthrie after looking out of form this weekend.

Bit harsh given it was his first game back.

 

[Bobby_]

Bit harsh given it was his first game back.

Exactly why I don't trust him as he's out of shape having played no competitive football for how many months?

 

[romeohwho]

Unbelievable.
You would think after recent events people would start to assume there is no certainties in life but the blatant arrogance by our supporters is something to behold.
I for one believe this game will not be a walk in the park. If anything, I feel as though it will be just like the Melbourne game. Very tough to predict a winner one way or the other.

Hawthorn will throw everything at us just as they did in last years final.

I have no faith in Mackie, Ruggles, Thurlow keeping their small forwards in check.
I don't even trust Guthrie after looking out of form this weekend.
It's those small forwards which always cut us to shreds.

Why do you assume it's arrogance? Methinks it's just a realistic assessement of where Geelong and Hawks are this year. I may be wrong but that probably means I am stupid, not arrogant thank you very much!

 

[SkittleCats]

Exactly why I don't trust him as he's out of shape having played no competitive football for how many months?

Weeks not months, if you're gonna have a go atleast get that right, he got injured against Hawthorn in the JLT.

 

[STPer18]

Cats could win this by 1000 points if we play this correctly.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

We need to be absolutely ruthless with the Hawks here, bloods in the water, our boys should want to put a big nail in their coffin. If we bring the killer instinct, we will win comfortably

 

[Bobby_]

Why do you assume it's arrogance? Methinks it's just a realistic assessement of where Geelong and Hawks are this year. I may be wrong but that probably means I am stupid, not arrogant thank you very much!

It is arrogance to assume we are blowing them away on the basis they got thumped today.

Weeks not months, if you're gonna have a go atleast get that right, he got injured against Hawthorn in the JLT.

Hawthorn v Geelong JLT game was played on February 17. He played his first game on April 8.
Do you not believe there is four weeks in a month or something?

 

[Mad_Hatter]

We need to be absolutely ruthless with the Hawks here, bloods in the water, our boys should want to put a big nail in their coffin. If we bring the killer instinct, we will win comfortably

Don't think the Cats have EVER taken the Hawks lightly, can't see it changing this year either.
This should be another nail in the coffin.

 

[Turbocat]

I wouldn't take anything from the way they played V the Suns , they almost certainly will not dish that up against us. They will come breathing fire as I expect them to cop a bit of a bake thru the week. OMeara trade will be front and centre..Haven't they trade their R1 , not much use in them trying to not try.