Preview Round 20, 2024: Adelaide Crows v Hawthorn, 28 July 2024, 4.10pm AEST @ Adelaide Oval

[Dixie Flatline]

Another must-win game for Hawthorn in their quest for finals football.

Keep the discussion in here.

 

[Roddy]

One thing we can not not not do is take them too lightly.

 

[MrPremiership]

No Dawson - huge
They lose 2 KPD - very useful

Go and get the job done boys

 

[HedgeFund]

One thing we can not not not do is take them too lightly.

So we can't take them too lightly.

Agreed.

It's a matter of getting 4 wins from our last 5 games and this one simply has to happen.

Same focused effort as the past 2 weeks will make that happen, but if we are 5% off, Crows will smell it.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Must win. Must back up the weekends efforts, and build even more belief.

 

[Buttonsticher]

This could be the round we jump into the 8. Must win and few other games to go our way

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Finn out
Frenchy in

Do we rest Bruest for the trip?
If so, play Seamus/Hust as the sub

We will be hungry for the win as part of the PT loss

 

[Billyc]

Dawson and Rankine are their two best players and we have the better side to begin with. Home ground advantage will play a role but of all interstate grounds, the Adelaide Oval should pose little concerns. We've played well there and could have won our last two times when our form and belief was nowhere near what it is now. If we want to play finals, we need to be beating an undermanned bottom 5 side, and I expect that we will.

While I thought he was ok when he came on (though the game was already over), i'd replace Finn with Morrison as sub, who I think offers more at this stage and there's no player we would need a tagger in reserve for with Dawson and Rankine out.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Confident we can get this done, but the Crows will be up and about after some decent wins.

Mackenzie for Finn with Bruest as the sub perhaps?

Or do we bring Frenchy back in the sub role?

 

[RoughysMullet]

If we can’t beat the crows with their two best players out of the side we don’t deserve to play finals…

 

[VandoHawk]

Adelaide has a potent forward-line and the ability to score very quickly. Three genuine hulking talls with some crafty smalls that can trouble opponents provided the ball comes in fast. Even in our earlier match where we dominated them in most aspects, they were able to score 3-4 goals in quick succession. It will be worse on their home deck.

Their midfield and backline are lacking. The former is extremely reliant on Rankine and Dawson for X-factor and creativity (both missing). The latter is prone to significant defensive lapses, and will likely be missing pillars in Butts and Murray.

Win the midfield battle and our quick transition should be too much for their backline to handle. Our smalls are humming and they don’t have the cattle to cover it. However, if we rock up complacent and expecting a win against a team below us we will be in for a rude awakening.

 

[TylerDurden]

McKenzie for Finn. That's it.

Their midfield is shit and defence is horrible. Meek needs to break even with ROB and we should get the W.

Dawson and Rankine are massive outs. No excuses.

 

[Ripper Rioli]

Genuine expectation to win, whilst playing away against a side missing their 2 best players. Get a real sense of the maturity of the group this week. Listened to Will Day on SEN this morning, sounds like they've enjoyed the win but now the focus is straight onto the Crows. Big week!

 

[TylerDurden]

Reeves played last time at the G, and did well v ROB.
Keen to see what Meek can do this time.

 

[MatteeG]

Will be there with the fam behind the northern goals. Hoping for reasonable weather!

 

[kazzooka]

They looked good against Essendon but the both sides in that game were deplorable behind the ball. Just attacking immediately and not setting up behind the ball.

Confident that when we get it forward we will not left them take off from the turnover like that. Last time we played Adelaide they couldn't get through our defensive structures at all. And didn't do well to stop us either.

Frost should be able to contain fogerty and I don't think Thilthorpe is quite there yet, bulked up but still gets a bit lost.

 

[moginie]

Will be there with the fam behind the northern goals. Hoping for reasonable weather!

Sure will be! Weather won't be too bad. I'll keep Strapping Young Lad informed about Adelaide's treacherous humidity.

 

[parsons nose]

Last time the two teams met, we were wasteful with our opportunities. The scoreboard did not accurately reflect our dominance in general play. Our midfield to forward connection has improved dramatically since our last encounter. For Adelaide it’ll be like trying to throw a blanket over mice.

 

[HoldingThe Ball]

Their forwards are huge.

Normally you'd back Sicily to free-float and cover but one knock to that shoulder and we are in strife as no matter how determined they are - Scrimshaw and Weddle will be outsized.

Massively so.

As a one-off I'd seriously consider Phillips for extra height, allowing Weddle to go out wide.

If we are still getting pumped he can drop back as extra cover.

We have them done in the midfield, and Murray and Butts are probably both out, so we will match well up front too.

Tillthorpe, Fogarty and Walker are their main hope - expect lots of long high balls into our 50.

Hence Phillips.

Take them lightly, and we will lose this,and undo all the good work up to now.

 

[Hawkspot]

Thilthorpe had an almost game against the scum, looks ready to tear a game apart. Their form over the past 4 weeks has been excellent, it won’t be the same as the last time we played them.

Can’t let it be a shoot out in Adelaide.

I’d swap Dear and Finn for Gunston and Mackenzie, but I’m not sure about Gunston travelling two weeks in a row and we likely want him vs the giants.

Feel like some fans are a touch overconfident about this one. They are currently favourites for a reason.

 

[kenneje]

Did two of their KPDs go down over the weekend?

 

[Hawk88]

Given the injuries to crows and given how well we play Adelaide oval (unless we 50+ points up ) we should win

But I get the feeling this has a let down game written all over it

 

[Ka Norkers]

Butts out but Murray plays. Obviously Dawson and Rankine out.
Sunny day is the early forecast, great opportunity for Calsher and Mabior.
Nash goes to Keys.
No excuses, it should be a 25-35 point win.

 

[Argy]

I think it's always hard for a young team to back after a huge win like last weekend. Collingwood looked like they gave up early in the last and their pressure dropped to zero. Hope we don't think that's going to continue in South Australia.

 

[kenneje]

I think it's always hard for a young team to back after a huge win like last weekend. Collingwood looked like they gave up early in the last and their pressure dropped to zero. Hope we don't think that's going to continue in South Australia.

Not sure if this has always been the case, but it seems to happen a lot this year. Teams have an easy win and then start really slow the following week.

Swans v North and then Lions a great example.
Hawks v WCE and then Geelong ...

I recall Impey making mention of the fact Box Hill got sprung early a few weeks ago and the seniors made a pact to not let it happen to them. Hoping they bring that same energy this week!