Keep the faith!

[Thaihawk]

I believe we can make the finals, and if you consider these facts, then let’s change the negativity that’s spreading like a disease on this board.
I followed the Hawks in the forties and fifties when winning one game was a rarity, but never gave up hope for the future. My faith has been rewarded in the form of ten premierships, more than any other club.
So, now in 2010, we are saying we cannot blame injuries anymore. Why? Aren’t they still relevant? Take the captain, first ruck, and arguably their best player, out of any team, and see how they go.
My prayers are that we can get some games into Big Max before the end of the year. I am still not giving away the finals for 2010, and with Burgoyne, Gibson and Hooper all fit and firing we are still a chance.
We saw great improvement in the form of Lewis and Roughie, and watching Young charging down the wing, I believe things started to look good. In the end it was only 8 points.
I believe we have to address the long problem of ‘free kicks.’ Once again, we were done in this area, 29-20. Kennedy, at full forward was the recipient of four of these, while Roughie got none.
Because this problem has been ongoing for a long time, it is time the club addressed formally. In my opinion, most of the frees were there, but the discrepancy seems to be they way they are interpreted for Hawthorn as compared to others. A push to Kennedy was a free, however to Roughie, it was play-on! We see this week-in and week-out and we are always on the receiving end. The other area that needs urgent attention is our kick-ins. Other teams can do it, why can’t we?
Next week, if we can’t beat Richmond, then we don’t deserve to have any faith. (And I will join all the negativity.)

 

[macdaddio]

In my heart I believe we can still make finals but in true honest reality we are no way going to be playing finals and the sooner we all admit that the less painfully it will be at the end of the season

 

[stoner]

If we beat Richmond, with some blokes supposedly coming back, we better do it in the order of somewhere between 60 and 100 points. Scraping over that rabble just wont cut it for me. If we can do this, then yes, it will go some way towards restoring the faith.

 

[Flamin Joe]

At this rate, unless we pull off some miraculous form reversal (and I'm talking not "scraping in" form, 2008'ish form), does making the finals even matter? I'd rather have a real crack at the finals then just making up the numbers.

 

[Ellis08]

I agree next week could be the turning point.

i.e. if the ins are: Franklin, Mitchell, Burgoyne, Hooper, Skipper, Osbourne

and the outs are: Bateman (Suspension), Guerra (Inured) and 4 of the following: Morton, WhiteX, Shiels, Shoenmakers, Ellis, Ladson

And we come out and beat Richmond by 10+ Goals.

However what if we lose with that side? And what if Clarkson was just spinning shit about our injuries once again?

Will probably be:

In: Hooper, Osbourne
Out: Bateman, Guerra

 

[Gene Simmons]

I had the priveledge of watching Hawks play and then watching the Collingwood game. I can safely say, skill wise, Collingwood makes Hawthorn look like a VFL side in comparison.

Unfortunately, there is no benefit in finishing low on the ladder, so i guess we just have to slog away and hope to get afew wins and try give as many of the 52K members a reason to renew next year.

 

[mess]

We still have a realistic chance of being 6 and 6. The worst may be over, with the slump in intensity probably over with and important injuries due to return. Buddy's kicking goals, Roughy's kicking straight, we are along way from finished.

 

[hodge2brown]

i think once we make final we make the finals we can have a tilt at the premiership because our rucks and gibson will be fit and dont forget they were no burgoyne no ntchell and buddy with no tayloy and u cant expect us to win we shoenmacer and renouf in teh ruck and remember we didnt have gibson.our draw has been tough to so keep the faith plus we have one of the youngest list n the afl too

 

[stoner]

i think once we make final we make the finals we can have a tilt at the premiership because our rucks and gibson will be fit and dont forget they were no burgoyne no ntchell and buddy with no tayloy and u cant expect us to win we shoenmacer and renouf in teh ruck and remember we didnt have gibson.our draw has been tough to so keep the faith plus we have one of the youngest list n the afl too

A premiership this year would truly be a miracle of monumental proportions. But at this point in time I would rather see us storm home and just miss the eight, and really give us something to look forward to next year, than watch us stumble around and scrape in because others fall down around us.

Oh, and I think your computer is broken, or your keyboard, or something.

 

[kick and pray]

If this is the thread for putting up your hand for your team and coach, count me in – I'm a believer (especially before the pessimists start tearing it down).

 

[Hawksgirl4eva]

I believe ( lol how corny)
people saying our injuries have nothing to do with us losing arnt seeing things clearly, yes it's not the only reason we are losing but it is an important part of it.

this week for the first time we will hopefully have a close to full side, we will have a full ruck, can you really see any other team winning games when you have one or no ruckman in your side. i dont think so.

we will have a forward line up Buddy is in good form and finally roughy is kicking straight. and Hooper will come in which will mean brown will be able to stay down back were he belongs.

and our midfelid will include both mitchell and Burgers( who better be worth the hype).

i am not saying that the injuries are the main reason we are losing games but they are a huge part of it.

if we lose this week then i will admit defeat.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Given that we still have to play the following teams:

Sydney (twice, once at the SCG)
Port Adelaide (twice, once at AAMI)
Dogs
Geelong
St Kilda
Collingwood

As well as Fremantle, Brisbane and Carlton that would all be strongly favoured to roll us, there is not a hope in hell we will be playing finals this season.

Given that we can only afford 4 more losses, you are not living in the real world if you think that we are even a remote chance of playing in September.

 

[eros]

What are all the people who don't have some sort of faith/dream going to do for the rest of the season? How are you going to cope?

Head tells us all it's a hopeless case, but the heart says believe. Given the amount of emotion that has been spent on the forum over the last weeks by the so-called 'realists', I'm surprised they can't find enough of that ingredient to suspend disbelief.

So, I've got an idea. Why don't those of you who can't muster up any hope leave this thread alone? Go and be 'realistic' in your own space. Stop shattering the fantasies of those of who want to believe. Go and be superior elsewhere.

 

[Hawker08]

Given that we still have to play the following teams:

Sydney (twice, once at the SCG)
Port Adelaide (twice, once at AAMI)
Dogs
Geelong
St Kilda
Collingwood

As well as Fremantle, Brisbane and Carlton that would all be strongly favoured to roll us, there is not a hope in hell we will be playing finals this season.

Given that we can only afford 4 more losses, you are not living in the real world if you think that we are even a remote chance of playing in September.

At last someone's talking sense.

 

[Bayer_]

I know this isn't the Bay, and we all support the same team, but:

This year is officially over. If we can't win more than one out of the first seven, we're not going to win eleven of the next fifteen.
This year is a development year. End of story.

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

that is a good post thank you thaihawk !!

 

[CaptainHodgey]

I believe keeping the faith despite the debacle that was 2009 is what's got us into this mess in 2010 in the first place. Changes needed to be made at the end of last year but instead too much was blamed on simple bad luck.

Thus we trotted out in 2010 with a similar gameplan, almost the same coaching staff beside adam simpson, the same medical/fitness staff and surprise surprise we are getting a similar if not worse result. Hopefully we don't keep the faith at the end of this year and stop resting on our laurels and stop blaming bad luck for our travails.

 

[Ellis08]

Given that we still have to play the following teams:

Sydney (twice, once at the SCG)
Port Adelaide (twice, once at AAMI)
Dogs
Geelong
St Kilda
Collingwood

As well as Fremantle, Brisbane and Carlton that would all be strongly favoured to roll us, there is not a hope in hell we will be playing finals this season.

Given that we can only afford 4 more losses, you are not living in the real world if you think that we are even a remote chance of playing in September.

It is irrelevant. It doesn't matter who we have to play I mean if Hawthorn can play it's best football I don't think many teams can beat us. Maybe Sydney at the SCG.

Just because teams are performing now doesn't mean they will be performing when we play them. Look at Brisbane.

Furthermore 11 wins will get you in the 8. Maybe even 10. So that means we need to win 10 out of 15 games. It is possible. Realistic? Probably not.

One cannot live without hope... and anything is possible. If the players actually believe this then they are a chance.

 

[EVERYHAWKUNITE]

It might not be of importance but I have a certain method in my madness.

I build up when it is necessary and beat it up when it is going wrong. there can be both reasons for it.

But I think I want us to beat the tiges if that is who we are playing ... I wish for a win rather than feel sorry for them. I don't know if we can be at the top anymore this year but it is not going to be my fault. I am not the one playing the game but I am trying my hardest to support in my own way here. It is my only way. I hope it is understood that I mean no harm with what I say...

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

It is irrelevant. It doesn't matter who we have to play I mean if Hawthorn can play it's best football I don't think many teams can beat us. Maybe Sydney at the SCG.

Wow, just....wow.

We have won 10 of our last 29 and 2 of our last 14. You are talking as though this is the 2008 side and we are in 2008 form.

Newsflash: this is 2010 and the head in the sand, it will all be okay mentality when we get players back is exactly the reason we are in this mess.

We will win about 8 games for the season because, quite simply we are not good enough to compete with even the average sides at the moment, let alone the good ones. I will watch the remainder of the season and attend every match in Melbourne as I always do. I will watch with optimism in terms of redeveloping a winning game plan and an interest in how our talent is reinvigorated.

This season is gone and has been gone since the loss to North Melbourne.