Preview Marsh Week 2 - Hawthorn v Melbourne - UTas Stadium - Friday March 6, 7.40pm

[Topiary]

Steady on tiger it’s early days!

I will say Stratton has always been poor in the pretend stuff.......BUT !!!!!

 

[Topiary]

Don't underestimate Chip being more attacking. Has become a fine player. My view is Frost should be the fullback stopper like Chip in his early days and Chip the intercept marker. Most assume it is the other way round but Frost just lacks the skills to be given any sort of offensive role.

This I can agree with.

 

[Hawk Time]

We? Maybe you.

So you expected little or are happy with his form?

 

[NICE1]

There's very little about our line up that excites me - i dont see us being any stronger than last year which is a real concern considering the teams around us seem to keep strengthening their squad year on year.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

There's very little about our line up that excites me - i dont see us being any stronger than last year which is a real concern considering the teams around us seem to keep strengthening their squad year on year.
[/QUOTE]
Our squad does have a very vanilla (and not the fancy vanilla seed variety) flavour about it.

I want to see how we stand at the end of round 5 but on current output I feel we are still a 12th to 8th type side. Well drilled and coached so won't get flogged but lacking in class and firepower to trouble the big boys.

 

[Turly]

Anyone who’s played footy would know once you’re out there you’re giving it a crack, practise match or not. Now I doubt we were 100% clocked on tonight but you’d imagine for the most part, being our last pre season match that’d we’d want to give a good account of ourselves. That’s the disappointing part, we just didn’t do much right at all.

Round 1, the G, against a good side we will lift I have no doubt, whether we are good enough is another story.

You clearly don’t know Clarko very well.

He reveals nothing in pre season games.

 

[SA HAWK]

The big positive is that we surely can’t play any worse.

Bring on the real stuff.

 

[Haz5000]

we once played a practice match on the round ones. It doesn’t mean sh$t

 

[Judd2Sewell]

we once played a practice match on the round ones. It doesn’t mean sh$t

It does mean something, we were pretty terrible in both of the Marsh games if we are being honest. That's concerning. The ball movement was slow, turgid and we just bombed it long straight to the opposition - just like we did for the most part last season. We won't have the same defense to bail us out of games too given the injury to Hardwick and the new faces, it's an unsettled backline ATM that will most likely need some time to gel.

I bet if we had won convincingly in the manner we lost then this place would be buzzing with posters talking about how we are in for a big season.

If we play as slow against Brisbane then they will run rings around us.

At least Mitchell got through unscathed, that's the one big positive.

 

[Hawk_francais]

Very interesting game, seemed like we tried out heaps of stuff position wise... which really surprises me actually as we have so many players who are still learning where the furniture is. Kicking skills were scratchy. Didn't really get a sense of how we're planning to transition the ball, nor how we're planning to go inside 50. I felt our mids were pretty well out-gunned by Petracca, Oliver and Brayshaw, which was disappointing as we had them for experience. I feel that Wingard, Worpel, O'Meara and Mitchell just need time playing together. That said, our forward line looks like it needs Wingard in there applying pressure. Demon's defence had a bit of a stroll in the park.

Individual honours of the day: Harry Morrison. Glad to see he has that thirst back for the contest.

 

[Lotus]

The signs are bad.
Form isn’t something you can just flick a switch.
Worpel a worry now.
Brisbane are a quality outfit. I’m heading into r1 with zero confidence now.

Based on last night yes Worpel is a worry but there's still 2 weeks of preparation before rd 1. I remember last year there's an article about Worpel and somehow that's motivate him. So please don't worry too much just worry a little bit.

Am I the only one here who likes Big Boy at the Half Back?

 

[MinerBoy]

Then you don't do footy well if you think we were all out.

Or

I don't do footy well.

I'll back myself and say we were picking and choosing when to roll the goods.

Have definitely seen plenty of teams look completely different Round 1 from what they've presented pre-season.

That's the thought that's keeping my going

 

[Luv_our_club]

I think Nash is a lock for r1, never loses a 1 on 1.

This board needs to starting getting on the Nash train. You are so right, he never loses. He provides real pace and is really smart with the ball in his hands.

 

[DannyJ]

Have definitely seen plenty of teams look completely different Round 1 from what they've presented pre-season.

That's the thought that's keeping my going

Yeah its the only hope haha.

The 8 quarters i saw in Marsh was that of a bottom 6 side for sure.

I think the concern isn't the results, it wasbthe ball flow and movement.

Also, Saints and Dees both comfotably beat our midfield.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[OnTheRocks]

March premiers we are not

 

[WWSD]

This board needs to starting getting on the Nash train. You are so right, he never loses. He provides real pace and is really smart with the ball in his hands.

It would be nice if he hit the score board. It doesn’t matter how many disposals he averages, as long as Nash can average 1-2 scoring shots per game then he might have a spot in the best 22.

 

[Hawk_francais]

Something we can all agree on:

Garry Lyon is a really poor commentator. I dont mind his post match comments, but I find during matches he doesn’t talk about the game, just relentlessly criticises players and says such fatalistic stuff about players “if he can’t improve his kicking he won’t hold down a spot”. He’s the new Robert Walls.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I think Nash is a lock for r1, never loses a 1 on 1.

I think the lad has a real future as a tall defender who can also play small

 

[Luv_our_club]

It would be nice if he hit the score board. It doesn’t matter how many disposals he averages, as long as Nash can average 1-2 scoring shots per game then he might have a spot in the best 22.

In an injury interrupted season Nash played 14 games last year, creating 50 score involvements.

The only other players who compare are:

TOB - 16, 52
Lewis -12, 62
Poppy - 22 - 106
Gunston - 20 - 126
Worpel 22- 110
Hendo 22- 110
Bruest 22 - 128

Nash is a going into his 3rd year as an AFL player. I can't see anyone performing at his level outside our 22.

 

[Taskmaster]

I'll say it again.....It was a praccy match. Clarko and the other coaches were trying new things and finding out what worked and what did not.....that's the whole point of pre season games. And they would have found out what they tried in the final qtr, definitely did not work, so that will be wiped off tye white board.

Also, as much as I can't stand the football side Geelong, even though I live down this way, do you really think they are going to be worried by getting smashed by GC? As much as I hope they have a terrible year and their game vs GC was a true indication of how they will go this year, this won't happen, they are a good side (I'm so disappointed in myself for saying that) but I think you get it.
The same applies for us, i can guarantee we will see a different outfit come rd 1.
We have all known Clarko for long enough to know he will and does not show his hand in pre season games.
Teams like StK and Melb have not done anything for 100 years, so winning a pre season game is all they have!!

 

[flinchfree]

The following is an unrequested unpaid for opinion largely devoid of evidence as I didn't even watch the game, just read this thread...

Meh, we play rubbish against Melb most times so not a lot new. TBH, we play similar game styles to the Dees and unless we're up for it they love to find something extra when they play us. There's a few teams like that the last 4-5 years...Melb, Bullies etc

Burgers goes back to the hbf. Need his ability to see the field and use his brilliant disposal to pick a way thru for us. Also has the kind of personal pride to detest getting beaten.

Smitty replaces him at hff. Run around like a chook and take some open space marks or running back with the flight, get a hand off circling back from the attacking box and unload from 49m to get the team going, rip down an oppo player who doesn't see him coming. Be a point of difference up forward.

Boys in the middle have to decide who they want to be, part time superstars or the kind of grit that won't be dislodged without a god awful scratching and painful fight. Should be the engine that refuses to get beaten. They don't have the mindset because being first to the ball hasn't been the Hawk ethos at stoppages. Needs to change no matter what.

Won't take alot to change the flow of the team, but it must be unflinching by the Coaches to set a directive that is 100% non-negotiable. If the team can't change it's trajectory on the ladder this year with more than enough talent to be a minimum 4-6 team, then the message is no longer getting through.

 

[Pessimistic]

This board needs to starting getting on the Nash train. You are so right, he never loses. He provides real pace and is really smart with the ball in his hands.

sicily nash cj wingard seem to be our biggest x factors. ( secretly wishing we still counted hill and rioli in this)
this could be multiplied if old hands burgs mcevoy (who looked more useful half fws than half back) stratton smith gunston shiels bruest can regain their best

cegs had a good game

 

[Dewnior]

I blame the St Kilda nuffie who scratched TOB's eye. We would have won the game last night with him in the team.

 

[Dewnior]

Something we can all agree on:

Garry Lyon is a really poor commentator. I dont mind his post match comments, but I find during matches he doesn’t talk about the game, just relentlessly criticises players and says such fatalistic stuff about players “if he can’t improve his kicking he won’t hold down a spot”. He’s the new Robert Walls.

I actually liked his comments and think he's pretty astute especially when it comes to us. I liked listening to Taz too and reckon he's got a good future.

 

[MJA33]

I can’t see us being a top 6 side, I worry we will again be 8-12. That’s not being critical it’s being realistic . Ball movement a major worry and we dont have the class of other top teams. We will compete and win some good games, also not get blown away when we loose because of structure. However can’t see us making the jump over any of other top 6 teams.

I know we can’t look back but there is one player that would completely change the dynamic of our side and play, that’s Cyril. Loosing him has cost our list more than buddy/any other player and we haven’t properly recovered/replaced (chad is midfield) He was that X factor and made us a 5-10% better side with his brilliance and defensive side.