Round 2 v Geelong. Reasons to be Optimistic

[Pessimistic]

1. Buddy Changa and possibly Cyril back next week - lots of run there and we ran out of it v Melboune.

2. Forward pressure - fantastic v melboune and the cats will absolutely hate it. its their weak spot

3. Defence - Don't know why we are maligned - we have the best defence statistically in the league ! seriously though we have lots of options in defence this year.

4. Umpires - the cats have lost their immunity if the first 3 quarters of their game was anything to go by. I dont think their footy is that good they just use strength to ride tackles with some iffy tactics. A poor mans version of the Lions 2000-04 really. Expose them in tackles and they are toast.

5. Form. We only just lost (twice) to them last year. We are much better than last year. not sure about them.

An interesting thing is this week we started well and trailed off. the cats were the opposite.

 

[MinerBoy]

So are you optimistic or pessimistic?

An interesting thing is this week we started well and trailed off. the cats were the opposite.

In fairness, they had to finish off strong or they lose the game. The urgency was there because it had to be.

 

[The BIG X]

It's good to see Pessimistic being Optimistic

 

[Pessimistic]

Ever heard of Irony ?

 

[MinerBoy]

Ever heard of "yeah, we get it"? No need to spell it out.

 

[Gilbert_Hodge]

4. Umpires - the cats have lost their immunity if the first 3 quarters of their game was anything to go by. I dont think their footy is that good they just use strength to ride tackles with some iffy tactics. A poor mans version of the Lions 2000-04 really. Expose them in tackles and they are toast.

Stevie J running into open goal, being tackled and dropping the resulted in a play on decision.....

 

[Pessimistic]

Stevie J running into open goal, being tackled and dropping the resulted in a play on decision.....

Yeah the umpires went back to old habits in the fourth - which was 50% of the cats resurgence really

 

[Leather Poisoning]

we've had an extra 4 weeks of pre-season compared to the cats. We should be fitter.

Hooper and Rioli in the same side - looking forward to some more 3on1 situations

Without Harley the cats lose a lot of organisation in the back half. We've got the forward line to expose it, and if Browny and Hooper put the pressure on like yesterday we could really do some damage.

Just gotta watch out for Bartel - extremely effective player that guy, was played forward middle and back on friday night and killed every contest he was near.

And some old gems:

Buddy owns Scarlett
Hawks own Geelong
Rioli only needs 11 touches to get BOG

 

[WeneedyoungJarmans]

Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Bateman are our top 4 that can go toe to toe.

Our next tier are capable of rotation through and holding their own:

Ellis, Ladson, Shiels

Our tall backs can use the footy, our half backs can use it and mix it up in the midfield and our half forwards are versatilte to do the same.

The cats struggled to play flowing football through the corridor against Ess. Forced to play wide around the boundary line and with the Ess defence pushing far up the ground, it left them vulnerable for the counter attack which cost them the game.

The Hawks will not leave Pegan's paddock open for their half forwards and mids to push into. Furthermore, our midfield pressure and forward line pressure in Rioli, Hooper and Brown will be enough to stun their flow through the corridor forcing them wide which is the worst way to play our cluster.

I'm tipping the Hawks to stun the cats on the rebound with so many scoring options in Franklin, Rough, Morton, Rioli, Hooper, Osborne, Hodge, maybe Petersen, Moss, we will stretch their resolve.

Hawks by 37 pts in a 6 goal to 2 burst in the last by the Hawks.

If we do beat the cats without Bailey, Young, Burgoyne, Sewell, then watch the tipsters start to get on the Hawks for the flag.

 

[Flamin Joe]

One thing should be in the back of our minds. Payback.

In 2009, the media and the football community in general made a big deal about how Geelong were out for "redemption" after the "shock" loss to us in the GF 2008. It's as if the two wins they notched up against us in 2009 somehow redeemed them and proved to the many doubters that 2008 was a fluke.

We need to stick it back up them. This time with a more fitter, committed team than 2009. We still have our fair share of injuries, but this time we are in a better position and remember, both games in 2009 were won by small margins.

Time to hit back.

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Yeah but you failed to back it up the next year, which proved it was a fluke. And don't use injuries as an excuse because other teams had bad injuries as well, including Geelong.

There's no such thing as a "fluke". Does that mean that Geelong are experts at getting into Grand Finals only to lose them? Cause they've done plenty of that over the last 20 odd years. You guys might have won 2 out of the last 3, which is obviously a great effort, but history didn't begin in 2007. There was 44 years of no premierships before then.

I think you should really have a good think before coming on our board and posting about the supposed validity of premierships. Footy is all about getting to the big dance. Once there, it's 50-50 either way. Every year is different and conditions change. Geelong wont be at the top forever, so you should probably show a bit of humility in respect to that. It's only Round 1, a lot can happen between now and September for all clubs.

 

[Dragz]

And those losses are still less in points then what we beat Geelong in the GF by

Having said which, threads like this are a bit of a wankfest, but hey, it's our board

 

[FisherHawk]

You all seem to be over confident against Geelong. Yes you beat us in the grand final, but everyone knows that was a fluke. Apart from that we have won 3 of our last 4 encounters.

What a moron. That stale old line. We beat you because it was the only year you had any decent competition.

The only thing better than beating geelong will be watching them spiral back down the ladder and disappear for another 40 years.

Geelong were held tight for 3 quarters Friday night against a better than average Essendon. Hawthorn smashed a well below average Melbourne with a undermanned squad.

Bring on Buddy, Changa and maybe Cyril and we have the talent to beat them. They will lift as we will for this game which would have been marked on plenty of players and coaches calendars over the summer. I'll be tipping us for sure. Hawks by 16.

 

[Changa10]

If our GF win in 2008 was a fluke, then so was Geelong's in 2009.

St Kilda were by far the better team during the 22 Rounds, and if only they had of kicked straight would have had Geelong beaten by half time in the Grannie.

Sound familiar?

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

we've had an extra 4 weeks of pre-season compared to the cats. We should be fitter.

Hooper and Rioli in the same side - looking forward to some more 3on1 situations

Without Harley the cats lose a lot of organisation in the back half. We've got the forward line to expose it, and if Browny and Hooper put the pressure on like yesterday we could really do some damage.

Just gotta watch out for Bartel - extremely effective player that guy, was played forward middle and back on friday night and killed every contest he was near.

And some old gems:

Buddy owns Scarlett
Hawks own Geelong
Rioli only needs 11 touches to get BOG

Wish this was true, or at least becomes true for remainder of Scarlett the bogans career.

 

[go hawks!!!]

1. Buddy Changa and possibly Cyril back next week - lots of run there and we ran out of it v Melboune.

2. Forward pressure - fantastic v melboune and the cats will absolutely hate it. its their weak spot

3. Defence - Don't know why we are maligned - we have the best defence statistically in the league ! seriously though we have lots of options in defence this year.

4. Umpires - the cats have lost their immunity if the first 3 quarters of their game was anything to go by. I dont think their footy is that good they just use strength to ride tackles with some iffy tactics. A poor mans version of the Lions 2000-04 really. Expose them in tackles and they are toast.

5. Form. We only just lost (twice) to them last year. We are much better than last year. not sure about them.

An interesting thing is this week we started well and trailed off. the cats were the opposite.

for me the biggest positive is that morton will not be playing. buddy will replace him and morton will need to earn his spot with a decent performance in the AFL. also, i would not bring in dowler until he earns a spot. go hawks

 

[Gene Simmons]

Buddy & Roughy with Hooper & Rioli at their feet gives me plenty to be optimistic about

Hodge, Mitchell, Bateman & Lewis good enough to match it with Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Corey.

Our defence looks solid. I think Browny should go back in defence next week if Rioli is in and I am looking forward to how they shape up against Mooney, Hawkins, Johnson, Chapman & co.

Personnel wise..(apart from the guys who have retired) we look like having the closest to our 2008 GF side in

 

[WillowSF]

I'm not convinced. Obviously Buddy coming back in improves our chances significantly. I'd like to see him at full forward and Roughead at CHF. Our defense in general looks fragile. I sincerely hope Shoenmakers plays CHB this week. We need him there! Our other obviously glaring weakness is in the Ruck. Renouf is serviceable but still has significant development left before he can be considered a genuine positive for the team. The best we can hope for there is to break even. I'm cautiously optimistic and a loss would be a set back for the Cats who have been used to coasting at the top of the ladder for the last 3 years. I hope we can also do it to make amends for that heart breaking loss to them late last season. Early season wins are critical. Hawks by 15.

 

[boric1]

5. Form. We only just lost (twice) to them last year. We are much better than last year. not sure about them.

I like your comments mate and i like many have high hopes this week but lets not also forget in rd1 of last year we trailed be 40 odd points in the 3rd and it could be argued that the only reason we got close was the fact that Geelong rested some players, but on a +ve note we are a much stronger side this year to last and i feel we can do some really damage to the hearts of all those soft Geelong supporters and players.

 

[spudmaster]

I like your comments mate and i like many have high hopes this week but lets not also forget in rd1 of last year we trailed be 40 odd points in the 3rd and it could be argued that the only reason we got close was the fact that Geelong rested some players, but on a +ve note we are a much stronger side this year to last and i feel we can do some really damage to the hearts of all those soft Geelong supporters and players.

That's true, however we were even more undermanned the second time we matched up on them and were in front for most of the day, albeit we ran out of legs as you'd expect with so many fresh players who haven't had the necessary conditioning - not to mention the few senior players left such as mitchell and changa had been pulling more than their usual load each week to help cover.

Most often it's a mental match for both sides rather than a skill-based match. Whichever team can stay mentally strong for 4 quarters and find that extra oomph in the last will prevail.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

key to beating geelong is attack attack attack. cant sit back, and i know we can do it, it is a matter of what mindset the players go in with, because any team can beat the cats, they have looks choppy these past 3 years, but very few have had the guts to take them on

 

[B&GBlood]

If Renouf plays as well as he did last week he will beat Blake and seriously suprise Ottens. Monkey has taught him well, and he is now older & stronger with 4 or 5 preseasons under his belt.

 

[saaam]

Monkey has taught him well, and he is now older & stronger with 4 or 5 preseasons under his belt.

B&G, he's a 3rd year player, only had the 3 pre-seasons. Many forget just how young he is. He must be no more than 20-21 years old I'd say.

 

[Mojo]

Forward line is key importance; must score freely. I think with our forward pressure & inclusions of Buddy and hopefully Cyril the team will be itching to keep the ball inside our 50.

 

[Neville Bartos]

B&G, he's a 3rd year player, only had the 3 pre-seasons. Many forget just how young he is. He must be no more than 20-21 years old I'd say.

Actually, he's in his 4th year. Same draft year as Selwood