Preview Round 4, 2023: Geelong v Hawthorn, MCG 3:20pm Easter Monday 10th April

[Mitchell Madness]

Do we have any news on how the member replacement game stuff is working this year? The match day hub on the hawks site hasn't got our match up yet for the cats and I'm wondering wtf the process is this year (ticket stuff but $0 online or just scan in with usual membership on the day and head to a GA/hawks designated area?)

Even last year. You could scan in for GA.
You upgrade for a seat

 

[Paul Kersey]

Do we have any news on how the member replacement game stuff is working this year? The match day hub on the hawks site hasn't got our match up yet for the cats and I'm wondering wtf the process is this year (ticket stuff but $0 online or just scan in with usual membership on the day and head to a GA/hawks designated area?)

Yeah. Think it's scan in and cop the worst seats possible on Q. Still having nightmares from the Richmond game last year - was packed up there.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Just on the way Newcombe ferociously dealt with Logue on the weekend. The 'chicken wing' was not a good look but I dont think its a coincidence that it was soon after Logue laid out Day.

Newcombe is not a dirty player, he was flying the flag for his team mate and making Logue hurt. Good to see in a young side.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Just on the way Newcombe ferociously dealt with Logue on the weekend. The 'chicken wing' was not a good look but I dont think its a coincidence that it was soon after Logue laid out Day.

Newcombe is not a dirty player, he was flying the flag for his team mate and making Logue hurt. Good to see in a young side.

Long may it continue (weddle, long and some of the new blokes will be flag flyers as well)

 

[RoughysMullet]

Media trying to fire up Geelong all week, wonder why it always seems to be whoever we are playing…

 

[peetoo]

Telstra customers can buy $22 in the afl reserve most MCG matches

40 odd games @ $22 is $880. How much is AFL memebership?

 

[tommyk72]

The problem is that this isn't the 1980/1990s anymore where you can carry unfit yet talented players with X factor ala Derek Kicket.

I don't see any other clubs carrying players like Chad through matches in the current AFL, even as a sub. Just stuffs up rotations, defensive running, etc.

Also given the intensity of AFL these days even if he plays just a half of footy he will probably break down again

I thought the same. Then had to see Tippa and his multiple goals against us.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I thought the same. Then had to see Tippa and his multiple goals against us.

He looked well into his second trimester

 

[Jazzfan]

Gotta say I have been pretty disappointed by Meek's output so far this season. With everything that had been said about him off season (particularly Freo supporters) I was expecting to see an aggressive hard at it tap ruckman who doubled up as another midfielder. In essence a Marc Pittonett 2.0.

As someone who was dead set against trading out Pittonett yet retaining Ceglar, I thought (and still do) that maybe we get a slight upgrade on a Pittonett type ruckman. So far,this is nowhere near the case and underwhelming is the only word I can use to describe Meek ATM.

Hope he starts to show a bit more in the coming week, really needs to bring against Geelong

I expected he'd be a better mark around the ground (gee how good was Big Boy here).

Had a stinker on the weekend. Ducked his head expecting contact and a spectacular miss.

Hopefully he's out to make a presence this week. Doesn't look like he'll ever dominate hit outs, so he needs to be tough and physical. Ideally work over the opposition's ruckman so Reeves can shine.

 

[threesixpio]

He's a little preoccupied atm, but apparently his calendar opens up from around Sunday onwards.

Gold

 

[Stranglers]

His hands are slightly bigger.

 

[eldorado]

Media trying to fire up Geelong all week, wonder why it always seems to be whoever we are playing…

Hanging shit on the team that has lost all its games?

I thought that's what they were doing do to us?

 

[birch]

Love to see Cameron get hit hard contest after contest.

This is a must. Looks very ginger, despite his outstanding play so far

 

[threesixpio]

Hanging s**t on the team that has lost all its games?

I thought that's what they were doing do to us?

Nice to see them enjoying a Hawthorn styled 2009

 

[Elhawko]

Reeves looked good.

He competed and got up for a fair few marks, took a couple and looked good as a hit out ruck again.

Meek on the other hand was horrific.

I think that if nothing else, Reeves form seems to be on a slightly upward trajectory and that’s all we want to see at the moment. Plus he did well early in the same game last year so hopefully he’ll be coming into this match more confident. It’s not like we have Paul Salmon waiting his turn in the reserves so we can afford to give all our rucks a good sighter this year before settling on our preferred combination. One thing is for sure, that preferred combination does not include Frost, Kosi or Nash!

 

[TylerDurden]

Media trying to fire up Geelong all week, wonder why it always seems to be whoever we are playing…

Media means nothing, while their geriatrics try and run with our young mids.

 

[Elhawko]

Gotta say I have been pretty disappointed by Meek's output so far this season. With everything that had been said about him off season (particularly Freo supporters) I was expecting to see an aggressive hard at it tap ruckman who doubled up as another midfielder. In essence a Marc Pittonett 2.0.

As someone who was dead set against trading out Pittonett yet retaining Ceglar, I thought (and still do) that maybe we get a slight upgrade on a Pittonett type ruckman. So far,this is nowhere near the case and underwhelming is the only word I can use to describe Meek ATM.

Hope he starts to show a bit more in the coming week, really needs to bring against Geelong

Well, one of the Freo supporters , Wobbly Punt, did give us this summary back in the Meek thread...

*He's not a contested marking beast but he doesn't get outmarked often either. He provides a great contest and knows how to use that big rig he's got to make it harder for others to secure a grab. He won't take mark of the year but he won't get on any posters as the stepladder either.

*Here then lies Lloyd's biggest query and something he mentions he's worked hard on in the AFL article today. Right now, he's just not good up front. Lobb has plenty of faults but he was streets ahead of Lloyd as a forward so there just wasn't a spot for Lloyd in our B22. Asking Lloyd to be a RUC/FWD or FWD/RUC for you guys will be a big ask at the minute. He's a RUC, a good one.

*He can also struggle a bit with centre bounce ruck taps in terms of getting first hand to it. He may not get that first hitout so the real surgeons in that area might expose him from time to time. I think this deficiency may be the reason he has developed one of his real strengths which is the follow-up at stoppages. Around the ground he's fine but this is something he'll need to work on as it can lead to goals when exposed at centre bounces. That's my main knock on him as first ruck.

*One other thing I'll add before leaving you all to it. Meek will provide a physical presence to assist your mids no doubt, but he's no Mumford or Preuss in this regard. He's got no crazy meathead in him but he's not going to let anyone get away with anything either, especially other rucks. I'm sure he'll get queried for his level of mongrel in him at times but I wouldn't worry about it

As I read that I was left wondering what Meek 's ceiling might be, and whether he could bump his own head on it!! But he's young, willing and built for the role so let's just hope he's a work in progress.

 

[FB19]

Nice to see them enjoying a Hawthorn styled 2009

Understand the joy and comparisons to 2009 in terms of a failed start but even more joyous is our list was youngish in 2009, theirs is cooked. Going to be an interesting off season for them, waiting to see how much their assistance package comprises…

 

[Steven Tyler]

Understand the joy and comparisons to 2009 in terms of a failed start but even more joyous is our list was youngish in 2009, theirs is cooked. Going to be an interesting off season for them, waiting to see how much their assistance package comprises…

Cats will still play finals this year

 

[Khmerhawk]

Gotta say I have been pretty disappointed by Meek's output so far this season. With everything that had been said about him off season (particularly Freo supporters) I was expecting to see an aggressive hard at it tap ruckman who doubled up as another midfielder. In essence a Marc Pittonett 2.0.

As someone who was dead set against trading out Pittonett yet retaining Ceglar, I thought (and still do) that maybe we get a slight upgrade on a Pittonett type ruckman. So far,this is nowhere near the case and underwhelming is the only word I can use to describe Meek ATM.

Hope he starts to show a bit more in the coming week, really needs to bring against Geelong

I think he might show a bit more grunt this week. A couple of members in the media had called him out on "hearing footsteps" when he was going back to take that mark and spilled it.
It's one of the worst things you can say about any player so let's see what we get this week.

 

[Topiary]

Unfortunately the Hawks are meeting Geelong with their backs against the wall. Geelong will win, don’t know how comfortably.

 

[HappyHawk_1]

Unfortunately the Hawks are meeting Geelong with their backs against the wall. Geelong will win, don’t know how comfortably.

Media absolutely roasting Geelong and individual players - nothing surer than the Cats come out guns blazing.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I expected he'd be a better mark around the ground (gee how good was Big Boy here).

Had a stinker on the weekend. Ducked his head expecting contact and a spectacular miss.

Hopefully he's out to make a presence this week. Doesn't look like he'll ever dominate hit outs, so he needs to be tough and physical. Ideally work over the opposition's ruckman so Reeves can shine.

I tell you what watching Meek and Reeves this year has given me a new found appreciation for Big Boys work.

He was undersized for a ruck, slow, turning circle of a Mack truck and couldn’t jump over a jam jar but by god was he hard at it and never, ever dropped his head in a marking contest (as the numerous bandages he had to wear testified to). Plus he was a beautiful kick for goal and could run all day.

Out of all of our retirees/trades I reckon we are missing Big Boy the most funnily enough.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I tell you what watching Meek and Reeves this year has given me a new found appreciation for Big Boys work.

He was undersized for a ruck, slow, turning circle of a Mack truck and couldn’t jump over a jam jar but by god was he hard at it and never, ever dropped his head in a marking contest (as the numerous bandages he had to wear testified to). Plus he was a beautiful kick for goal and could run all day.

Out of all of our retirees/trades I reckon we are missing Big Boy the most funnily enough.

Do you think McEvoy was all those things at game 18 of his career?

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Do you think McEvoy was all those things at game 18?

Here’s the thing Meek is 24. He should be in the prime of his career and ready to go after his time under Darcy at Freo.

He’s not 18 or 19.

Nankervis was even younger when he came to the Tigers and he made a massive difference to them from the first game.

Fair enough it’s still early days but I reckon most on here would have expected more from Lloyd than what we’ve seen so far. Meeks been given a rolled gold opportunity to cement himself as a primary AFL ruck and I haven’t seen the desperation in him to make it his.

Let’s revisit this at the halfway mark of the season.