Preview Round 3, 2022: Blues v Hawks, 1:10pm Sunday 3rd April, MCG

[hawkman]

Have been critical of Harry in the past. Thought of him as a bit soft and went missing when it got hot in the oven. I reckon this has changed significantly and he now goes when he needs to go, takes hits and seems more use to the pace of the game at AFL level. A good example of what happens when kids hit that 50 game mark!

Never thought he was soft just don't think he has any standout weapons. He is a solid Nick Ries, Craig Treleven, Tim Clarke 80-90 game type player who looks ok in an ordinary team but will get pushed out as we get better

Started the season well though

 

[HedgeFund]

OK, I'm gonna say it.

We have beaten 2 very, very ordinary teams.

Next up are Carlton, St. Kilda, Geelong, Sydney, Melbourne, Essendon, Richmond, Brisbane.

So, after 10 games we should expect to be... 4-6.

I hope I am wrong. I guess I am tempering my own expectations.

Totally agree. The way some are spouting here, you’d think this was a double chance final preview. North are sh1t and Port were horribly undermanned and hammered physically up in Brisbane the week before.

Great that we have 8 points in the bank, but to suggest we’re are playing like Richmond at their best is absolute fantasy.

Would be delighted to be 3-0 this weekend but if we ran into a Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane at the moment we would struggle.

 

[detox]

It might come down to Morrison V Bramble when fit. I like Morrison but I reckon Bramble has shown more.

So we need to add to this team Day , impey, Bramble

Mcguiness is the easy out, but who are the other 2?

Nash and Morrison are the closest for me but both would be unbelievably stiff.

Some hard selection calls coming.

 

[Sixpence]

Totally agree. The way some are spouting here, you’d think this was a double chance final preview. North are sh1t and Port were horribly undermanned and hammered physically up in Brisbane the week before.

Great that we have 8 points in the bank, but to suggest we’re are playing like Richmond at their best is absolute fantasy.

Would be delighted to be 3-0 this weekend but if we ran into a Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane at the moment we would struggle.

Oh FFS, no one thinks we're a premiership chance after these 2 games.

Port weren't horribly undermanned, they had a few injuries that simply would not have overcome a 64 point deficit. Give us some credit for the performance.

We could indeed be 4-6 after 10 games, we could just as easily be 7-3.

 

[MasterSamurai]

İt's strange, but looking at Impey attributes you'd think he'd make a excellent small Frwd, zipping high up the ground and putting heaps of pressure to oppo defences İ50 and having plenty of scoring opportunities using his speed and ariel ability yet, everytime I've seen him play Frwd,. He seems to struggle getting into games. A Frwd line of :
Lewis
Gunston
Breust
Moore
Chad
Impey
Would make one of the most dangerous and highly rated Frwd lines in the competition.

 

[WWSD]

If Butler and Serong can come on as hoped, this could be the best draft haul Hawthorn have had since 2005. Ward and MacDonald have added a new spark to the team.

Ward
MacDonald
Butler
Serong

 

[The hands of stone]

Totally agree. The way some are spouting here, you’d think this was a double chance final preview. North are sh1t and Port were horribly undermanned and hammered physically up in Brisbane the week before.

Great that we have 8 points in the bank, but to suggest we’re are playing like Richmond at their best is absolute fantasy.

Would be delighted to be 3-0 this weekend but if we ran into a Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane at the moment we would struggle.

Got to enjoy the wins and thats what most are doing , I know I am .
I think the majority know where we are in the scheme of things especially compared to Carlton who I rate very highly.

All pre season the narrative was bottom 4 , no young players, boring style etc . We snag a win round 1 then play some great footy and belt a top rated side .
Got to enjoy that.

I mean the narrative is still going to an extent , Ive read 'slingshot/quick fix rebuild' , won because of old players, injuries to Port .
Its great too , some people are fascinated/fixated and wary of us maybe just maybe coming good a little quicker than they hope.

Its a great test for us this week , ups and downs , swings and roundabouts (clarko) will happen .....enjoy the ride I say

 

[RoughysMullet]

It might come down to Morrison V Bramble when fit. I like Morrison but I reckon Bramble has shown more.

So we need to add to this team Day , impey, Bramble

Mcguiness is the easy out, but who are the other 2?

Nash and Morrison are the closest for me but both would be unbelievably stiff.

Some hard selection calls coming.

Get the feeling we’ll get an injury or two at some stage which will take care of the problem… can’t drop Nash on current form - gives our midfield a dynamic that no one else brings IMO… maybe one of the young ones Ward or MacDonald get a rest

 

[Toasted]

C

İt's strange, but looking at Impey attributes you'd think he'd make a excellent small Frwd, zipping high up the ground and putting heaps of pressure to oppo defences İ50 and having plenty of scoring opportunities using his speed and ariel ability yet, everytime I've seen him play Frwd,. He seems to struggle getting into games. A Frwd line of :
Lewis
Gunston
Breust
Moore
Chad
Impey
Would make one of the most dangerous and highly rated Frwd lines in the competition.

Can we convince Cyril to come out of retirement? It would top off that fwd 50 perfectly

 

[CHUBBSS]

C

Can we convince Cyril to come out of retirement? It would top off that fwd 50 perfectly

Jk leaves mid season and Cyril come back through the mid season draft imagine

In any case I hope he does get involved in the club again

 

[KermitJagger]

Oh FFS, no one thinks we're a premiership chance after these 2 games.

Port weren't horribly undermanned, they had a few injuries that simply would not have overcome a 64 point deficit. Give us some credit for the performance.

We could indeed be 4-6 after 10 games, we could just as easily be 7-3.

If anything Richmond proved beyond doubt that injuries are no excuse. Port had their entire first choice midfield in.

 

[eldorado]

to suggest we’re are playing like Richmond at their best is absolute fantasy.

Phew. It's probably just as well then that nobody has said or thought anything of the sort.

But thanks for feeling the need to tell us all how it really is.

 

[Wingnut19]

Totally agree. The way some are spouting here, you’d think this was a double chance final preview. North are sh1t and Port were horribly undermanned and hammered physically up in Brisbane the week before.

Great that we have 8 points in the bank, but to suggest we’re are playing like Richmond at their best is absolute fantasy.

Would be delighted to be 3-0 this weekend but if we ran into a Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane at the moment we would struggle.

Day, Bramble and Impey were bigger outs than Allir, Gray (cooked) and Dixon (likewise).

 

[MrPremiership]

If Port are an 11 goal better side with Aliir, then wowee, he's getting underpaid.



Looking for a big game from our rucks. We really need them to do a number on Pittonet and De Koening

 

[rei154]

Can't help but think that the winner of this game will be the team that adapts best on the fly to the other. Their offensive set is fearsome, and their midfield is clicking well.
I'd like us to stick with what we have from last week- give Day an extra week in the 2's given there is no rush with injury (If Chad doesn't get up I'm assuming Day will get the call up though) and though he was influential in the game against the wobbles, I think he can take his game to another level before forcing his way into the 1's.

I'd like at times for us to send Ward to Walsh, and Finn to Cripps. Not for long periods of game time, but at various points throughout the game to give them experience against the best, without detracting from their developing game styles.

Massive game for Frost and DGB- easily the biggest test for DGB, and given the size of Curnow/McKay I think they'll have a real challenge on their hands.


What wins us this game:

• Dynamicism across all lines. Keep the blues guessing with our rotations and continue to capitalise on our talented players who can play in multiple roles
• momentum. Our team froths itself hard and I can see them getting some serious rolls on.
• Coaching adaptability. Smitchell has shown at BHill and in his first two senior games that he can adapt on the fly.

What could "cost" us this game:

• youth. We're a bloody young squad and the blues have a lot of very big bodies on their list. I'm expecting Nash and Newc to have massive games on the inside this week, the challenge will be whether they can beat up against their counterparts all game
• Defensive girth... or lack thereof. Their forward line has some wide boys- like I said earlier I think this is the first and arguably thiccest test for DGB in his young career
• Midfield domination. We weathered the storm against port better than anyone could have hoped. Two weeks in a row might be a big ask, but I'm expecting us to be more competitive in that space.

I think we will go into half time chasing a few goals, but will really bring it in the second half. A goal either way for mine.

 

[HedgeFund]

Oh FFS, no one thinks we're a premiership chance after these 2 games.

Port weren't horribly undermanned, they had a few injuries that simply would not have overcome a 64 point deficit. Give us some credit for the performance.

We could indeed be 4-6 after 10 games, we could just as easily be 7-3.

Allir (CHB) Clurey (KPD) McKenzie (FB)

That's 3 of their 4 key defenders, with Jonas the exception. Hence Lewis got off the chain and Gunston was hard to contain.

Dixon (CHF) Gray (forward) Fantasia (forward)

That's their main key forward and best two small forwards.

We were missing three running back flanker/mids.

They won every statistic other than score, because we were exceptionally efficient with ball in hand (which is great BUT....)

Seriously we all need to bring some perspective. It's a positive start against ordinary opposition.

 

[Tuck In]

I've read a few people (rightly) tempering expectations but I'd like to recall what my cricket coach always said :

The losses will take care of themselves, the wins are harder to come by so celebrate each and everyone and remember how hard they are to earn. Those memories eventually become the norm and then you are a successful club.

We are on the up and I'm so happy with the pleasure it brings

Hawks by 10 on Sunday

 

[Dipper]

Believe it or not Harry has become one of the best tacklers at the club. He and Dimma make a formiddable combination in the drills we run

There was that footage of him wrestling with Finn and he bested him every time.

That was an eye opener.

Sent from my SM-A326B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[WWSD]

A win against Carlton would set our season up very nicely. Hawthorn has 10 home games to come - 5 MCG, 4 UTS and 1 at Marvel.

Stopping Cripps and Walsh won’t be easy. The last time the two teams met, Walsh was BOG.

 

[hawkguru]

It might come down to Morrison V Bramble when fit. I like Morrison but I reckon Bramble has shown more.

So we need to add to this team Day , impey, Bramble

Mcguiness is the easy out, but who are the other 2?

Nash and Morrison are the closest for me but both would be unbelievably stiff.

Some hard selection calls coming.

If I had a shot everytime Finns surname was spelt incorrectly I would probably spell out Mcguiness myself

 

[theiaofseed]

Allir (CHB) Clurey (KPD) McKenzie (FB)

That's 3 of their 4 key defenders, with Jonas the exception. Hence Lewis got off the chain and Gunston was hard to contain.

Dixon (CHF) Gray (forward) Fantasia (forward)

That's their main key forward and best two small forwards.

We were missing three running back flanker/mids.

They won every statistic other than score, because we were exceptionally efficient with ball in hand (which is great BUT....)

Seriously we all need to bring some perspective. It's a positive start against ordinary opposition.

1. McKenzie played
2. Clurey isn't best 22
3. Allir has had one good season in his career and wouldn't have stopped Gunston and Lewis
4. Hardwick would stop Fantasia or Gray
5. Ports useage by foot was so terrible Hudson and Dunstall would have kicked donuts.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I'm not tempering anything.

I was so humble throughout our entire three-peat and only got cocky once (during the goal pile-on in the 2014 Grand Final).

After a few years absolutely copping it from everybody about how far we'd fallen, I'm screaming from the rooftops that we are right back where we belong on top of the ladder. It isn't true, because it's only round 2. But it's bloody fun to revel in some great form that has come along unexpectedly with a future that looks promising.

 

[chopflop]

I'm not tempering anything.

I was so humble throughout our entire three-peat and only got cocky once (during the goal pile-on in the 2014 Grand Final).

After a few years absolutely copping it from everybody about how far we'd fallen, I'm screaming from the rooftops that we are right back where we belong on top of the ladder. It isn't true, because it's only round 2. But it's bloody fun to revel in some great form that has come along unexpectedly with a future that looks promising.

Click to expand...

In contrast, after 2015 I was rocking around the pub talking about fourthorn in 2016!

We flog the blues this week!

 

[norway blue]

Fixed.

Fair enough grumbleguts. Looking forward to both up and coming ruckman go at it.


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[hawkman]

For all the talk about how weakened Ports ends were, apart from Naughton and he was playing injured for much of the 2nd half I don't think the Dogs were much better. Cordy, Keath, Gardner, Ugle-Hagan and Naughton are hardly the stuff of nightmares. In fact I think we are almost better at both ends.

The issue will be the midfield, Carlton took away their real strength. If we can do similar to Carlton in the middle I think we are a real chance