Preview Round 5, 2019: Hawthorn v Geelong, 22 April 2019, 3.20pm @ MCG

[Mississippi]

Has anyone actually written off the club ? I think we'll be back in the Premiership conversation in the next 12-24 months, but as for this season we'll be lucky to play finals.

I’m with you Hodgey.
People are branded “peahearts” by someone called Falco because they raise issues about how we’re travelling. We lost 2 games we probably should have won - even accounting for umpires and injuries. That doesn’t make them peahearts does it?

So tell us Falco, how do you think this year’s going to pan out, you don’t see any problems? What are we then - top 4?
Let us know so we can revisit your wisdom at the end of the year.

 

[beta_condition]

Massive LOL's at all you pea hearts who have written off the club.

Don Scott wasn't wrong when he called our supporters spoiled brats, we're 2-2 and could be easily 4-0, we finished last year in the top 4 for the 7th time in 8 years, we have a 20 year old in AA form, 3 AA forwards entering the peak of their careers, we stole the best wing in the competition for peanuts yet people are still melting bloody hell.

 

[Davo-27]

i hate playing Geelong, theres this big hype around the game but i dont ever feel like they're a rival, its more just offended Geelong players/supporters from the fact we ruined their back-to-back premierships and we have to listen to them sook about it..... id rather play essenscum who i actually hate.

we have options at the selection table to revitalise a forward line being a little limp atm

with Frawley and Stratton out it leaves our defence a little exposed, especially with Mohr also done for the season

OUT: Frawley(Hamstring), Stratton(concussion)
IN: JOM, Brand

i would also drop Morrison for Miles or Nash for Lewis, because i feel as though we need some energy or difference in tactic, maybe change some things up to get them out of this rut they have been in for the last 3 weeks, or maybe this is how we play now? round 1's are always an aberration in form, so maybe this is how we play now which is very middle of the road.

 

[grumbleguts]

i hate playing Geelong, theres this big hype around the game but i dont ever feel like they're a rival, its more just offended Geelong players/supporters from the fact we ruined their back-to-back premierships and we have to listen to them sook about it..... id rather play essenscum who i actually hate.

Yeah there is an element of truth in this. Although you have to also include the whole windmill farming issue that shits us all to tears. Selwood and his sooking for frees. Against melbourne last year I think it was, he sooked for a free and while doing so his opponent ran off with the ball, passed it inside fifty, they scored and Geelol lost. Then there's floggerfield whispering to the umpire that he was nominating for ruck and not telling the opposition, then runs around so he is behind an opposition and claims he was blocked. The opposition player of course isn't privy to the little secret women's business floggerfield has conducted with the umpire. The guy wasn't blocking floggerfield ran around to get himself behind him so he could be blocked from the ruck contest. Then Suckwood claps his hands like a 3 year old whose daddy just said their getting ice cream.

I hate that about them. The fact that they are an irrelevant nothing entity whose jumper looks more like prison uniform than anything else makes me question the rivalry.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Has anyone actually written off the club ? I think we'll be back in the Premiership conversation in the next 12-24 months, but as for this season we'll be lucky to play finals.

You’ve written off the club playing finals.....but you can’t see anyone writing off the club.

 

[KOLOKOTRONIS]

I don't mean rue them as in their wasn't reasons and circumstances as to why it happened, I just mean in the washup it'll be 2 losses to non finalists.

Fair call.

It stings no doubt. Further proves that you need absolutely everything to go right in a season to compete. It is extremely hard to cover losses to key personnel. We’ve been punished from the first round of the finals. Stratton v Richmond, o’meara and Mitchell in the final game against Melbourne. Massive outs.

To think we’ve missed wingard for the first two rounds, silk and shiels, Roughead a late withdrawal, and the St Kilda game where we had 17/18 fully fit players by the end of the game.

The luck has to turn.


KOLOKOTRONIS

 

[KOLOKOTRONIS]

Re Miles

I felt that he produced in every game he played last season and was very sure with ball in hand. Rarely ****s up.

Desperately unlucky to miss finals and being overlooked all year has been a mistake in my opinion.

Deserves a chance.


KOLOKOTRONIS

 

[tige19]

Don Scott wasn't wrong when he called our supporters spoiled brats, we're 2-2 and could be easily 4-0, we finished last year in the top 4 for the 7th time in 8 years, we have a 20 year old in AA form, 3 AA forwards entering the peak of their careers, we stole the best wing in the competition for peanuts yet people are still melting bloody hell.

Would love to see those forwards get some quick footy to work their magic.. For all the talent in that forward line, our ability to score isn’t great.

 

[tige19]

i hate playing Geelong, theres this big hype around the game but i dont ever feel like they're a rival, its more just offended Geelong players/supporters from the fact we ruined their back-to-back premierships and we have to listen to them sook about it..... id rather play essenscum who i actually hate.

we have options at the selection table to revitalise a forward line being a little limp atm

with Frawley and Stratton out it leaves our defence a little exposed, especially with Mohr also done for the season

OUT: Frawley(Hamstring), Stratton(concussion)
IN: JOM, Brand

i would also drop Morrison for Miles or Nash for Lewis, because i feel as though we need some energy or difference in tactic, maybe change some things up to get them out of this rut they have been in for the last 3 weeks, or maybe this is how we play now? round 1's are always an aberration in form, so maybe this is how we play now which is very middle of the road.

89 created the rivalry, 91 semi when we fell in at Waverley solidified it, then 2000 elimination when we rolled them had cats supporters losing their marbles... but the 2008 grand final is the one that done them in, well and truely done them in.. this is a big rivalry, our biggest modern day rivalry without a doubt.

Of course we all hate Essendon but they’ve been shit for so long it’s hard to even consider them worthy.

 

[Nugett]

I’m thinking we are going to win this. It’s us against the 25 of them.

 

[Davo-27]

I’m thinking we are going to win this. It’s us against the 25 of them.

i really want to skip this game because i can just feel a Western Bulldogs deja vu nightmare with the umpires making sure they affect the result in some really dumb way that ruins my love for this sport.....

but i'll probably watch it and get enraged at the inevitable, if i do i think im going to get drunk so i wont remember it...

 

[Harper_Hawk]

Strange feeling we're going to roll them..and leave them with ..where did it go wrong. Where it will go wrong is bullsh*t like the wolf pack and typical Geelong head exploding. Clarko will have that article fair and square on the team board. Injuries or not. Clarkson is miles in front of Scott as a coach. Miles...and they know that and it shits them..but it is what gives us something to work with over them.

 

[detox]

Dont know why people are writing us off.

In 2009 when they were playing premiership football and we were falling over and finishing 9th they were still taking shots after the siren to beat us.

It will be tough, but it's not beyond us at all.

Excited for what Wingard can produce. Loves the big stage, and hopefully can find a routine of routinely torching our biggest rival like he did with Ports.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Turly]

Massive lols at anyone who even listens to a word of that shit fest called a BUPA report

We get it mate. You post the same thing every single week.

 

[cryptor]

Strange feeling we're going to roll them..and leave them with ..where did it go wrong. Where it will go wrong is bullsh*t like the wolf pack and typical Geelong head exploding. Clarko will have that article fair and square on the team board. Injuries or not. Clarkson is miles in front of Scott as a coach. Miles...and they know that and it shits them..but it is what gives us something to work with over them.

I'm certainly expecting a comfortable loss this week. Simply due to our injury list as it is currently. A fit and healthy list and we'd do them, I'm sure.

But if we can indeed roll them then that unexpected victory always feels so good.

 

[Harper_Hawk]

I'm certainly expecting a comfortable loss this week. Simply due to our injury list as it is currently. A fit and healthy list and we'd do them, I'm sure.

But if we can indeed roll them then that unexpected victory always feels so good.

All Geelong need to do is go into that game and think they will roll us and be 1% off. They're gone. Bruest will put 5 past them and so will Gunston..and Scully not too far behind. To St Kilda's credit they tackled us hard in the last quarter and pressured us right to the last minute. Geelong will need to do the same...we're not that bad.

 

[macdaddio]

Last year in Round 21 McEvoy, Roughead, Sicily, Birchall and Howe all didn’t play that game and we still won.

This game is going to come down to how Smith, Stratton, Gunston, Breust, Wingard etc perform. If they can rebound and play well we will win.

The problem right now is not the youth as Worpel, Cousins and Scimshaw have all been tremendous. It’s the senior players who are in their prime like Gunston, Stratton, Smith, Breust etc who are letting us down badly with their below average performances.

Geelong’s strength is in the midfield and down back with it’s key defenders and is considered our weakness and our strength is in the ruck and small forwards is where Geelong can be exposed.

Need to breakeven in the midfield at the very least to have any chance of winning.

“Last year in Round 21 McEvoy, Roughead, Sicily, Birchall and Howe all didn’t play that game and we still won.”

But we had the brownlow medalist

 

[Mrzohs]

Wow we have been really stiff on the injury front and a few decisions. We could be 4-0.

Look our midfield is simply running out of gas in the 2nd half of games! Maybe due to the injurys and the younger body atm are being asked to play 4qtrs on ball thats a massive step up ( i would say a extra 5km a game perhaps) with limited options of rotations.
As Soon as we get jaeger and shiels back we will see a better 4qtr effort.
All is not doom at least we have been winning in every game, We just need to get thru a few weeks of no Injurys.
This week would be a massive steal but we need to win this or the next.

Positives Scrimshaw has been great! Scully, Smith and Hendo are starting to form a damaging combination.
Poor Smith only played that last qtr because we had no one else fit.
Breust,Wingard combo is slowly taking shape with Gunners.
Exciting give them 10 games together.

Negatives dimma,stratts they must lift must have been drinking there own bath water with the M.F.C. preseason.

On ball brigade is struggling to run out games understandable.

Forward line is killing me I actually think the coaches have out whitted themselves there seem to be way to many half back flanks at our club and no half forwards that can take a mark.
Why have we trained so many forwards to play back and we continue to play Nash and Ceglar in the forward 6. Fix it up!

I'm almost incline to say put scrimshaw fwd he has clean hands and a good kick but he doing a great job.

Brand and Tob must play there is no point frawley and mirra keeping brand out of the team .. if not throw him forward.

 

[bradburygold]

Stratton is saying he is good it was just precaution, but get the feeling doctors will get final say so it would be unlikely. Same source said Jaeger should be good last week yet the held him back, seams like they are being pretty conservative this year.

 

[Falco131415]

I’m with you Hodgey.
People are branded “peahearts” by someone called Falco because they raise issues about how we’re travelling. We lost 2 games we probably should have won - even accounting for umpires and injuries. That doesn’t make them peahearts does it?

So tell us Falco, how do you think this year’s going to pan out, you don’t see any problems? What are we then - top 4?
Let us know so we can revisit your wisdom at the end of the year.

Unlike you genius I cant predict the future!
where do I refer to the players as pea hearts!
I was referring to the peeps on here like yourself most likely who've written the year off already!

 

[cryptor]

Stratton is saying he is good it was just precaution, but get the feeling doctors will get final say so it would be unlikely. Same source said Jaeger should be good last week yet the held him back, seams like they are being pretty conservative this year.

Most players will say they’re right because they simply just want to play. But the doctors will do the concussion tests and make a best judgement call based on those. They’ll have a fair idea by selection time if he’s on track to playing or not. And these days they’ll lean towards playing it safe.

 

[Leeda]

Jom.. Scully I .. hope.. Ruffy.. smitty.. straten... close enough...

it is late enough that I can use diabolical spelling to release our weapons..

 

[grumbleguts]

“Last year in Round 21 McEvoy, Roughead, Sicily, Birchall and Howe all didn’t play that game and we still won.”

But we had the brownlow medalist

And that Brownlow medalist got 1 vote in the brownlow. The 2 votes when to Chip scablett who frint ran his way around the park. His laziness was directly responsible for O'Meara's last match-winning goal.
Ad the 3 votes? Figjam Floggerflog and his floggery band of muppets in green giving him 5 frees for and one consolation free against just in case there's an enquiry.

 

[cyrilicious]

89 created the rivalry, 91 semi when we fell in at Waverley solidified it, then 2000 elimination when we rolled them had cats supporters losing their marbles... but the 2008 grand final is the one that done them in, well and truely done them in.. this is a big rivalry, our biggest modern day rivalry without a doubt.

Of course we all hate Essendon but they’ve been shit for so long it’s hard to even consider them worthy.

And in 2005 or 2006 cant remember, we were bottom of the ladder fresh in our rebuild and cats were supposed to be up and about and we flogged them early in the season. I think Bomber Thompson was almost sacked after that but they stuck with him.

 

[hk89]

If we are to have a chance on Monday, I think we have a lot of players who need to clean up their disposal skills. Some fumbling and missing targets is forgivable in the first few rounds, but we've been extremely un-hawthorn is this department this year. I don't think our game plan has changed that much that we can get away with poor disposal efficiency. Especially when we are getting smashed in clearances (last for clearance differential, and second last for average clearances).

We've been able to do ok with lower clearances numbers in the past (not as low as we are getting now, but have won flags outside the top 4 in the this stat), but we do that because we are super efficient once we get it back off the opposition, so can transition into attack off an opponent turnover in their front half without having to win a stoppage. At the moment though, we are sitting 10th in the comp for disposal efficiency. To put in context how unlike Hawthorn that is our disposal efficiency rank over the last few years has been:
2019: 10th
2018: 3rd
2017: 1st
2016: 2nd
2015: 1st
2014: 1st
2013: 2nd
2012: 1st
2011: 1st

Top 3 for the 8 years prior to this year, now 10th. That is a pretty large difference.

I think JOM is feeling under pressure, as the only experienced player in the starting midfield. Perhaps banging it on the boot a little too quickly, having gone from 72% last year to 60% DE this year. This is probably somewhat a reflection of having to replace Mitchell's contested possessions, but JOM is only slightly more contested this year than last year for a fairly large drop in efficiency. Even good users like Smith have dropped from 74 down to 67. Frawley, despite what many think of him, was actually very efficient last year, at over 80%, this year running at 66%. These numbers are probably a little skewed by the start of the season cobwebs, and players like Shiels at 47% who only has game time from the first game and a bit will go up a lot, but our ranking of 10th shows that we've fallen a long way against the rest of the comp compared to this area in previous years.