Preview Preliminary final - Hawthorn v Port Adelaide, MCG, 20 September 2014 @ 4.45pm

[Flag08]

haha that will be more unpopular then what I said. I thought he was super. Game of opinion.

Can you go play your game elsewhere?

 

[Nomore4s]

No change.

I'm sure it's going to be an unpopular opinion, but I don't want to risk Cyril coming back in for a prelim and see him go down half way through the second. Stakes are too high.

Agree, we saw last night with Johnson how risky it is bringing a player back who hasn't played for a period of time due to injury. Cannot have passengers in big finals, we had none last night and Geelong had a few.

As much as I love Junior Boy, he misses for the rest of the year. Same goes for Suckling.

The only change I would like to see is if we are playing Freo. Litherland in to do a shut down job on Walters like what he did on Betts, as Walters has too much pace for Duryea.

 

[Cynic]

Rioli will be in for Simpkin. We won't roll the dice with Rioli in the GF but will risk it in the prelim.

Ceglar & Spangher stay in. Finals isn't the time for 'horses for courses' changes. Spangher was bloody awful in the first half but he adapted to it later. Duryea was great and will hold his spot over Suckling.

In order of preference hoping we get Sydney, Richmond, Port then Fremantle. I'm confident against all those teams coming off a break and still see Sydney as our biggest flag threat so a Fremantle win would be as sweet as last night.

 

[treefingers]

Rioli super sub?

 

[m1kest4r]

He won a 2 on 1 that would have resulted in Geelong having a scoring shot by sheer will and aggression. Of our midfielders, only Langford and Lewis had more 1% than Hill.

Hill did exactly what a lot of posters on here have been calling for and, for the most part, put his body in to the contest. A more complete game for sure.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

No changes - why mess with the winning formula?

Not sure why Ceglar would come out if we play Freo just because Sandilands is a giant. Cegs is taller than McEvoy, in much better form - and we won a premiership against Sandilands with Bailey who was being held together by our medicos all season. McEvoy may have name recognition - but Ceglar has the form and runs on the board this season.

 

[threesixpio]

Clarko Won't risk Cyril.

Should, play Freo, should belt them. Lots of flying for them in the next 2 weeks

Big outs for Freo. Was worried about them but Johnson and McPharlin are big outs

 

[Davo-27]

Big outs for Freo. Was worried about them but Johnson and McPharlin are big outs

yea big outs, Johnson usually does a job on us in the past and McPharlin can just shut-down Rough hard, so i think that without those 2 their backline will leak too many goals.......

 

[Gunstall555]

How to scheme a fri night final. Will the nrl have a bearing ?

The Bronco's losing last night means it's likely one more Sydney based team will make the NRL top 8...can only help our cause right?

 

[Gunstall555]

Duryea last night...wow - he brought the hard stuff that we've been missing since Guerra retired! Has to play in the prelim. Only argument against this is Sydney have no good small forwards.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The Bronco's losing last night means it's likely one more Sydney based team will make the NRL top 8...can only help our cause right?

If the Eels make the finals it will be 6 Sydney teams in the finals - unlikely that any interstate teams will get home semis. That is unless the Storm stay in 4th, lose and host a home semi in week 2. As it stands I think there will be an all Sydney top 4 so it's likely an all-Sydney week 2 of the finals. If that happens the AFL might have to scramble and have the SCG host a prelim should the $wines win.

 

[threesixpio]

Agree, we saw last night with Johnson how risky it is bringing a player back who hasn't played for a period of time due to injury. Cannot have passengers in big finals, we had none last night and Geelong had a few.

As much as I love Junior Boy, he misses for the rest of the year. Same goes for Suckling.

The only change I would like to see is if we are playing Freo. Litherland in to do a shut down job on Walters like what he did on Betts, as Walters has too much pace for Duryea.

Clarko's words "You would have to be a lunatic not to pick a fit Rioli". Not my words.

 

[madhawksfan]

No way Duryea can be left out against Freo. Their small forwards are dangerous and Duryea played a cracking game.

Spangler and Simpkin are most at risk. If Spangher was Schoey we would be hearing about some of the howlers he made for the next week. He improved in the second half but loses his feet and drops too many marks. Simpkin had zero awareness the first two times he touched it.

If Rioli isn't fit I don't think there will be any changes.

 

[Coathanger]

Forget about Cyril breaking down in the second. If he plays it's sub for sure!
Simpkin @ 100% or Cyril @ 70% as sub. No brainer!

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Simpkin stays sub
If Cyril's fit he plays a full game. If not he doesn't play simple as that
That's the one change I would make
Suckling shouldn't get back into the team as Doc played reasonably well last night

 

[Slawk]

I think Duryea's hardness at a contest is more important than Suckling's ability to kick 60m off a step.

Barring Cyril - no changes.

 

[checkraiseulite]

cyril in for simpkin.

otherwise no change.

spangher to stay in.

 

[savagelunchbox]

Should've known I could still count on you continuing that theme.
I just finished watching the replay, his disposal was a bit shaky to start, (no lone ranger there) but cleaned up as he got into the game.
And he did stick a few important tackles, and i thought he pressured reasonably well.
You did at least enjoy him beating the two cat players??

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he was bad, but I think it's got to the point on this board where the expectations on him are small so when he does get a lot of it, posters get excited and don't bother to look at the end result of his disposals. They were very scrappy and he often didn't choose the best option. He was solid. Smith was the better of the 'outside runners' because he did a hell of a lot of fighting for the ball and contested stuff.

 

[savagelunchbox]

27 disposals at 80+ efficiency is not butchering it. In fact, of all the midfielders playing for Hawthorn tonight, he had the highest efficiency.

Players that dominate when the games on the line are the ones you want playing for you, not the other way around.

He won a 2 on 1 that would have resulted in Geelong having a scoring shot by sheer will and aggression. Of our midfielders, only Langford and Lewis had more 1% than Hill.

Hodges kick to Hill wasn't exactly in his favour. Yeah, he slipped, but it wasn't like he shirked a contest.

Haha, probably not a good night to criticise him. I respect you're allowed an opinion and whatever, but he was just about our best player tonight.

It was Disposal EFFECTIVENESS, not efficiency that you were reading. You can still get recorded as having an effective stat despite hitting an opposition supporter on the chest while they're standing alone.

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Spangher stays, Ceglar stays, Simpkin stays.

If we win, we re-assess for the Grand Final. We might have injuries, tired bodies, match ups depending on the opposition, etc. but we CANNOT afford to mess with good form.

For those suggesting McEvoy should replace Ceglar, we play better out of the middle with Cegs. He's quicker around the ground and is a far better forward target at the moment. And he has done this against our best competition (Geelong) for two matches in a row now. For mine, he stays for sure.

 

[savagelunchbox]

We've looked a lot more potent at stoppages since Cegler's come back in.

 

[Roy boys]

Can you go play your game elsewhere?

What are you on about ?

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Suckling, McEvoy, Shoenmakers, Cyril >>>> Cegler, Dureya, Simpkin, Spanger

Did you actually watch Spangher and Duryea play last night?

Spangher fumbled a bit early but was excellent thereafter and Duryea was one of our best.

If Schoenmakers comes back in this season I will lose my shit completely.

 

[Roy boys]

Did you actually watch Spangher and Duryea play last night?

Spangher fumbled a bit early but was excellent thereafter and Duryea was one of our best.

If Schoenmakers comes back in this season I will lose my shit completely.

Perhaps my opinion has been made up on Spanger, but if he had to play on Buddy or Tip he would get murdered (my opinion). Shoey has a great record on Reid and at least has the size to have a genuine crack on Buddy or Tip.

 

[Goldhawk]

This, depending on Mcevoy's form and assuming we're playing Freo. Sandi will be a bit much for Cegs

Will Big Boy McEvoy be able to play for Box Hill next Saturday in the Preliminary Final ?