It's not the norm to be so out of form...

[Rushed_Behind]

sack clarko.

 

[MinerBoy]

sack clarko.

Where's Clarko at?

 

[Ordovician]

You could also argue the other way and say most of our players will be fresh having missed big chunks of the season through injury.

Then it's about time they showed this freshness and vigour!

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Agree but I'm talking teams as a whole.

I'd say Sydney, Freo and North seem to have timed their runs well.

Pies, Port and to a lesser extent us look shakey.

Not sure on Cats. I suppose if they win their last two they are also in form.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Roast
Where's Clarko at?

EFA

 

[Off The Couch]

Is Clarko second tier

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Has clarko underachieved with this group?

 

[Davo23]

Has clarko underachieved with this group?

President Kennett must act!

 

[dcutter]

The Hawthorn Football Club is preparing for September. They have known since St Kilda beat Freo that the top 4 was almost set and that the Hawks were looking at Geelong week 1 of the finals.

The Hawks are not out of form. At some point they need to flick the switch again and that might not be this week - in fact I am almost certain it will not be this week given the QF 2 weeks later.

Anyone who wants to see a rampaging Hawks side is going to have to wait until the pies. Until then it is all about preparation.

Couldn't agree more. This is a side which has players who have played finals for years on end and is embedded in their psyche when they have to bring out their best. The 2012 season taught us that peaking too early can be costly. We have to remember that it is only now we're starting to get some continuity into our side.
The back 6 and midfield is finally settled with a full list to choose from and has got some continuity and fitness with solid games into gibbo, mitchell and now lake.
The fwd line will be at full potential this week and we will basically field our best possible team minus rioli.

Clarko knows when and how to get these guys up for a game of footy. There have been games this year where we didn't have a lot to play for EG: NM, Freo, Cats and it showed. The other losses more an indication of loss of personnel at the time.
Its a long season and motivation can be hard. Make no mistake this team will begin its finals assault against collingwood, where we will smash them into oblivion and begin our march towards another premiership.
I think its exciting, we've basically got our best list together right now, at the right end of the year. Almost every club has a worse injury list than ours:
Freo: mcpharlin, barlow, fyfe (susp), johnson
Sydney: kennedy, bird
Geelong: Johnson, bartel

 

[Brishawk]

Not too many back to back losses there going into the finals apart from 2012.

So it won't be very auspicious if we lose to the cats on Saturday.

Normally I don't mind a loss a few weeks out from the finals to give the players a reminder that playing like crap results in a loss and not to get ahead of themselves.

This year is very different. We have folded so many times under the weight of injuries that the team has taken a real battering just completing the season. They must be very sore and tired, as well as being close to mentally spent, after such a relentless year.

Interestingly on the weekend the guys who have carried some of the biggest burdens this year in hodge, Burgoyne, Lewis played well but the guys who have missed due to injury etc. such as lake, gibbo and Mitch were poor for us. Sheils had a down game too which didn't help and I think the likes of birch, hill and smith were somewhat starved of opportunity due to losing the midfield battle and the backs letting everything through for a goal. The challenge will be getting enough matches into the returning players to ensure they can deliver what they need to in the finals. Time is running out.

 

[heh]

.... The challenge will be getting enough matches into the returning players to ensure they can deliver what they need to in the finals. Time is running out.

This is what concerns me, the injured finding their touch, and the team getting their mojo back, structure wise etc. We only have two more games for it to gel.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

I'd say Sydney, Freo and North seem to have timed their runs well.

Pies, Port and to a lesser extent us look shakey.

Not sure on Cats. I suppose if they win their last two they are also in form.

I reckon Port are about to come good again. I think they will have timed it quite nicely. They do have THE guru fitness adviser remember.

 

[Jewbacca]

sack clarko.

Bit extreme. Maybe a week in the twos to rediscover some form.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Bit extreme. Maybe a week in the twos to rediscover some form.

We need female footy players playing for us this week. That would solve the issue.

 

[Jewbacca]

^ I think Gibbs has re-signed.

 

[TyHawk]

More I think of it, with Lake, Gibbo,Sammy and Stratts still looking rusty, the more it's looking unlikely for Brad Sewell to be given a chance.

 

[Xtreme]

The Hawthorn Football Club is preparing for September. They have known since St Kilda beat Freo that the top 4 was almost set and that the Hawks were looking at Geelong week 1 of the finals.

The Hawks are not out of form. At some point they need to flick the switch again and that might not be this week - in fact I am almost certain it will not be this week given the QF 2 weeks later.

Anyone who wants to see a rampaging Hawks side is going to have to wait until the pies. Until then it is all about preparation.

While i agree that it's too much to ask for the club to go in 100% every game and beat every team by 6 - 12+ goals each and every week. I don't think form has deserted them BUT they need to show something where they mean business. When you talk about flicking the switch it's as though it will happen automatically, i think with the cobwebs some players seem to be playing with.... they would need to be dusted off ASAP - what if they try to flick the switch in the finals series, but it doesn't turn on ? There are so many variables in football for things to have to go right for a team on match day (or match night lol).

This muddling message is posted by someone that was convinced that Hawthorn would probably fall at the final hurdle again (if anyone pays attention to me i my theory was that Hawthorn's 2013 campaign was going to end up being the same way as Collingwood in 2011.... dominant but ultimately not successful - gladly proven wrong).

 

[QuietB]

While i agree that it's too much to ask for the club to go in 100% every game and beat every team by 6 - 12+ goals each and every week. I don't think form has deserted them BUT they need to show something where they mean business. When you talk about flicking the switch it's as though it will happen automatically, i think with the cobwebs some players seem to be playing with.... they would need to be dusted off ASAP - what if they try to flick the switch in the finals series, but it doesn't turn on ? There are so many variables in football for things to have to go right for a team on match day (or match night lol).

This muddling message is posted by someone that was convinced that Hawthorn would probably fall at the final hurdle again (if anyone pays attention to me i my theory was that Hawthorn's 2013 campaign was going to end up being the same way as Collingwood in 2011.... dominant but ultimately not successful - gladly proven wrong).

When I say flick the switch I would not be referring to form. I would be referring to intensity. There is no doubt that intensity lifts in finals and the Hawks will raise their intensity levels massively once they decide to.

The Hawks seem to be playing like a side who has not been given the green light yet. In racing parlance they are pulling.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Jordan Lewis on AFL 360 on Tuesday night gave me a little bit of confidence in what he said. Can't remember word for word, but to sum up what I took from it was, Sunday's result wasn't important in a win or loss sense, it was important to remind players what type of intensity and effort is required to win games of football against good opposition.

He brought up things like hill running past 5 players and slotting goals etc. I think the playing group know what is required now to make a charge. I'm still not 100% confident they will be able to flick the switch though. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Ordovician]

Unbelievable.

Do our footballers really have such short memories that they can not for the life of them actually remember the intensity and effort it took to beat the swans four weeks ago?

Pure media spin.

 

[Brishawk]

Unbelievable.

Do our footballers really have such short memories that they can not for the life of them actually remember the intensity and effort it took to beat the swans four weeks ago?

Pure media spin.

Well they don't play footy because they are Einsteins . . . but yes I agree it is a large spine covered pill to swallow.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Jordan Lewis on AFL 360 on Tuesday night gave me a little bit of confidence in what he said. Can't remember word for word, but to sum up what I took from it was, Sunday's result wasn't important in a win or loss sense, it was important to remind players what type of intensity and effort is required to win games of football against good opposition.

He brought up things like hill running past 5 players and slotting goals etc. I think the playing group know what is required now to make a charge. I'm still not 100% confident they will be able to flick the switch though. I hope I'm wrong.

Thank God for the loss so that the players could remember that you have to bring intensity to beat top sides.

Sheesh.

 

[Davo23]

Mate you have nailed it....

Those that think that we can "switch on" whenever we want are dreaming....the scoreboard flattered us on Sunday night.

Some of our prime movers are playing sore such as hill, gunston, hodge and gibson while others are simply out of form.

Ha ha, so it wasn't true!

I was dreaming tonight!

 

[cryptor]

Turns out you can flick the 'form switch' between games. Turns out you can even flick it during games.

Unfortunately it probably means it can be flicked back off just as quick. Let's just leave it on for the rest of the season.