Preview Semi Final: Hawks vs Sydney Swans, Teams and Discussion

[jpzhawk]

im wrapped for stratts , he's worked dam hard and deserves his place back in the team . i reckon he said to himself , i am going to play finals football this year and he bloody well will so good on ya stratts . how he goes is another question but he has given himself every chance to play , and contribute .

losing breust is not the end of the world . we have planty of goal options .
buddy , rioli , hale , hodge , lewis , mitchell , burger , osbourne , whitex , poppy , smith , sheils , bateman , suckling , ... even birch has snagged goals this year . 1 or 2 goals from each or most of them and we have 20 goals + .
i am pretty sure the boys wont be putting in the same lack luster effort tomorrow night . they will be keen to amend . they all know it would be embarassing to finish 3rd and go out in straight sets and will be hell bent on making the prelim and beyond .

go hawks !!!!!!!

 

[Agent Smith]

When I heard the INs and OUTs I imagined the match committee dissecting last Friday night's game, and deciding the backline was okay, the on-ballers were okay. The fault obviously laid with Breust. If he'd kicked 8 goals, we wouldn't have lost. So let's drop him for his sins and bring in that Stratton fella. He can play forward, can't he?

Of course, that might not exactly have been the way it went, it's just the way my warped mind works... Why else did we drop the one sacrificial lamb? Thankfully, it's not like we might be light on forwards. Oh wait...

Buddy Franklin selected, eh? Did he come out and say he was confident in lining up? Based on previous experience, that makes him a dead cert to miss. Certainly makes a good smokescreen for Bailey though, but Clarko did say he was confident Bailey would be lining up. Uh oh.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Im ok with The changes but doubt thats how they'll stay..
Bruest was poor last week and I'd prefer he made way for Stratts than Bateman.
This is a final and we need experience out there, Savage and Bruest will get their chances in years to come

 

[grizzlym]

When I heard the INs and OUTs I imagined the match committee dissecting last Friday night's game, and deciding the backline was okay, the on-ballers were okay. The fault obviously laid with Breust. If he'd kicked 8 goals, we wouldn't have lost. So let's drop him for his sins and bring in that Stratton fella. He can play forward, can't he?

Of course, that might not exactly have been the way it went, it's just the way my warped mind works... Why else did we drop the one sacrificial lamb? Thankfully, it's not like we might be light on forwards. Oh wait...

Buddy Franklin selected, eh? Did he come out and say he was confident in lining up? Based on previous experience, that makes him a dead cert to miss. Certainly makes a good smokescreen for Bailey though, but Clarko did say he was confident Bailey would be lining up. Uh oh.

I know what you mean - and this is getting to be a regular thing... me agreeing with you - re Breust. He's been an important source of goals this year. And, for the life of me, why not just drop him back to the sub role instead of Bateman? Obviously there are other factors at play, but from a helicopter view, I don't get it.

 

[westaussie76]

I know what you mean - and this is getting to be a regular thing... me agreeing with you - re Breust. He's been an important source of goals this year. And, for the life of me, why not just drop him back to the sub role instead of Bateman? Obviously there are other factors at play, but from a helicopter view, I don't get it.

Just another day at the HFC selection table Grizz. There has been selections all year that have baffled me! I guess we have to keep trusting the powers to be!

 

[crazywildhorse]

I have a feeling Shoenmakers will have the best game of his career.

Shoe is at the tipping point, it's only a matter of time before it all clicks. I am, like most, dissapointed with punky being omitted. It did remind me of the stories where guys were dropped as a part of their 'apprentiship'. He'll kick 5 the next final he plays.

 

[Fluro Boots]

Shoe is at the tipping point, it's only a matter of time before it all clicks. I am, like most, dissapointed with punky being omitted. It did remind me of the stories where guys were dropped as a part of their 'apprentiship'. He'll kick 5 the next final he plays.

Totally agree with that bit. I still think over the last 2 years we have missed many opportunities to get games into Shoe and Lisle that would have served us well now.

 

[Spursfan]

half our team looked slow, tired and didn't tackle though, this is the point I'm trying to make. Bateman was absolutely putrid when he came on the ground, two big turnovers as soon as he came on, Cyril was nowhere to be seen I actually thought he was injured, burgoyne the same and yet we drop a young player that's been kicking goals all season and will be better for the experience.

Cut throat finals aren't about giving games 'for experience'. Cyril and Bateman have runs on the board for playing well in big games, Bruest doesn't. He'll get his chance in time.

 

[feathers]

franklin out.lisle in ?

 

[Rev08]

I know what you mean - and this is getting to be a regular thing... me agreeing with you - re Breust. He's been an important source of goals this year. And, for the life of me, why not just drop him back to the sub role instead of Bateman? Obviously there are other factors at play, but from a helicopter view, I don't get it.

2 areas we were smashed in last week were height (both forward and back) and hardened bodies. Unfortunately breust solves neither issue.

Breust (at the moment) is a small forward only. We cannot throw him in the middle or down back. We can with chance.

This is absolutely the right call.

 

[Donnybrook]

To me it doesnt matter who we select up front this weekend. The game will be won and lost in the midfield. I like the idea of Stratton and Franklin getting a game. Win at all costs. We were 18 and 4. Thats a great season. The expectation must be to move on.

 

[killerspud]

I appear to be alone in liking the team.

Stratton had to come in. Sydney have some tall forwards and with Schoey's form, we needed some insurance.

Sydney also have a number of really good gut runners in Goodes, O'Keefe, McGlynn, Rohan, etc. Guys like Lewis, Hodge, Mitchell, Burgers, etc are going to struggle to keep up with them. I assume Bateman will be given the job to run with either McGlynn or O'Keefe and keep them quiet.

Breust out for mine is purely saying we need an extra mid rather than an extra small forward. It makes sense if we end up lining up with:

FF: Silk - Hale - Rioli
HF: Ossie - Buddy - WhiteX

If Buddy misses then one of Lisle or Breust come in. If Breust, then I expect Schoey to get some time across half forward.

I'm with you 100% - I reckon its the best team we could have chosen. Lots of people bagging out Changa BUT at his best he is a star of this team AND last week played as a sub and was only brought on after the game was lost.

I love Breust and he is going to be a great player for years to come BUT he is a first year player who is suffering the effects of an extra long season - he didn't deal with the intensity of his first final - he'll learn but for a do or die clash I'd be going with the tried and true.

GO HAWKS

 

[J0NNY B]

All the posters who are comfortable that breust is out, do yourself a favor, next time you watch him play, follow him around for the entire game, watch closely everything he does. Then scratch your head not only why he didn't play against the swans but why the hell did he not play in 2009 and 2010.
It seems that only injuries create opportunity at hawthorn.

It iS that ridiculous that the only explanation for him not being named is to mess with Sydney's strategy. Name some dead wood, give Sydney a false sense of security, then at the last minute bring in savage breust and lisle.
At the moment John longmire has a grin from ear to ear.

 

[J0NNY B]

Not sure what the big deal is with Breust being dropped. The kid can't take a hard tackle. We need strong bodies against Sydney, not wippy flankers and he is still a couple of seasons away from having the body to deal with finals football. Stratton in will sure us up in the back line. Good change IMO.

He can lay a strong tackle, and creates opportunities out of nothing. The last time I checked, goals win games also.
So what you are saying is if you have a strong body you get a game. Look at Lewis, he has a strong body, but what does he do with it? On Fridays form Lewis jumps out of sellwoods way when the hard ball is there to win, but picks him off all game with cheap shots. What is the worth of his hard body?

Breust is a class footballer, not a wippy flanker. Learn what a footballer is and this might help you.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

If we play to our capabilities and they play to their's we will win easily. We can afford to be a bit more visionary in our selection. No use getting to a prelim final and not having the best team possible.

This game will be won by us if Hodge, Mitch, Sewell and Burger show up.

For us to win against better sides we need Sav up and running and kicking goals. This is an ideal game to play him and run him into form. Stratts is a greater punt but a good long term selection.

I am not confident in Max and Buddy to come up. Mummy is a star and he will destroy Hale and Moose Lisle. PJ is a joke but he has genuine size and will be able to bullock Mummy.

 

[grizzlym]

My wanting Breust in is because he can kick goals. Bring him in as a sub if needs be, but he's worth goals.

Osborne doesn't kick many these days. Rioli is either feast or famine, more famine of late. Burger isn't paying forward. Savage 'aint playing.

Bateman has been a great servant to our club, but for me, I'd prefer having the insurance of a small goal kicker as an option.

 

[Flukey!]

I don't think Bailey is in doubt. All reports are he is in great shape.

 

[Rev08]

He can lay a strong tackle, and creates opportunities out of nothing. The last time I checked, goals win games also.
So what you are saying is if you have a strong body you get a game. Look at Lewis, he has a strong body, but what does he do with it? On Fridays form Lewis jumps out of sellwoods way when the hard ball is there to win, but picks him off all game with cheap shots. What is the worth of his hard body?

Breust is a class footballer, not a wippy flanker. Learn what a footballer is and this might help you.

Breust has 8 goals in 7 games against top 8 sides. Lets say clarko has a job lined up for Bateman, who else would be dropped for breust?

He struggles to stick tackles against the bigger bodies, and as shown above, his goal output drops by half against the quality teams. At the moment he is a whippy flanker, and Osborne, whitex, and rioli offer more in the small forward role.

 

[macdaddio]

My wanting Breust in is because he can kick goals. Bring him in as a sub if needs be, but he's worth goals.

Osborne doesn't kick many these days. Rioli is either feast or famine, more famine of late. Burger isn't paying forward. Savage 'aint playing.

Bateman has been a great servant to our club, but for me, I'd prefer having the insurance of a small goal kicker as an option.

My point exactly, im not quite sure what the value of keeping Bateman in who has showed nothing all year and yet drop a young guy who has kicked a remarkable 30 goals in 16 games..

 

[Hawkers]

My point exactly, im not quite sure what the value of keeping Bateman in who has showed nothing all year and yet drop a young guy who has kicked a remarkable 30 goals in 16 games..

Crazy Clarko strikes again!

 

[Tall Tales and True]

With regard The Shoe: someone said they're expecting his best game ... someone else mentioned the tipping point, where everything might click.

All I'd ask is some kind of statement from the lad. Looking at the junior video - as we did at draft time - he, surely, looks the part, but I don't know if we haven't buggered him up somehow. He looks very much the lean, athletic hit up forward, with better than average disposal (yes, I know what's been happening). Now, he's much bigger, but, maybe not built (mentally, or skills-wise) for the big man's game.

I understand he's had a couple of games when he did step up some; at times he does look as though he's on the verge ...

Now, there's been much talk about confidence; still, there seem a lot of young blokes about the league (around his vintage) that have pretty much established themselves.

I suppose, in one sense, this is a great opportunity ... let's hope he can start to make his mark Friday night.

 

[Hawka_de_Haven]

I for one rarely have a deafetest attitude but somehow I believe the game with the swans has been lost at the selection table. I also think that Lisle will play instead of Buddy. My quick summation

Dropping Breust
Changa instead of Savage
Cheney instead of Whitey

Stratton Back

Hodge for Goodes in the middle swapping with Gibbo when he goes fwd. The Hawks cannot afford their captain to take a tagging role for 4 qrts, especialy as he is in good nick. Bailey to get the ascendency in the centre bounce and accept that he will have to give up some ground to mummy elsewhere on the park. Holding Mummy and Goodes, there lies the kick to a Hawks victory. Okeefe is another who deserves respect tomorrow.

The Hawks need to be aggressive and post a winning score. If they try and restrict the opposition from kicking a winning score, they will lose. Breusts ommission removes a crucial avenue to goal especially without Franky. I am at a loss to understand the reasoning for selecting the team this week given their performance last week. Clarko must think that this line up is not to far off from matching it with geelong and collingwood, two teams from which the Hawks are yet to register a win in 2011 after 4 attempts.

 

[Adebisi]

I have liked Bruest as an inclusion this year. But his intensity was a worry when it came to finals time. After watching him up close against Geelong, i can totally see why he may not play again this year. Was very well below the intensity required...and to be honest it is hard to expect anything else. If there was one thing all year that was probably his weakness it was fearless attack and intensity at the contest. It is a very different perspective sitting close at the games live and watching players leading into contests. I saw the above with Bruest...

Hopefully over time he will build more intensity (more size too, though i doubt it as it isn't in P Burges most pressing factors he feels players need to develop) etc and confidence cos hes a good lil goal kicker.

Keeping him as a sub...maybe, but i think overall you just have to pick the best 22 for the game, and from there pick your sub.

 

[hawksfan71]

Its a real shame Savage didnt get a game, he is a great new player and like Breust can kick some good goals! Oh well, this time tomorrow we will know what happened. Everyone on the footy show except gary and same went for sydney, bit surprising as they arent the favourite.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Dropping Breust
Changa instead of Savage
Cheney instead of Whitey

Whilst the first 2 I agree with to some extent, I have no idea what you are thinking with WhiteX/Cheney swap Play very different roles in the side and WhiteX has worked hard all year and desrves his spot.