So Hawthorn, how does it feel to have an inferior midfield to Richmond?

[Neville Bartos]

To be fair, let's compare them:

Cousins vs Bateman
Hard-running midfielders who get plenty of the ball and play with flair. Cousins wins from reputation and ability, but Bateman is younger and can still improve. Cousins is also potentially damaged goods

Deledio vs Hodge
Both gun midfielders (and no.1 picks) who can go forward or back when required. Hodge wins because he's more imposing, a better kick and a better leader. Deledio is still young, but Hodge is only 24

Foley vs Mitchell
Extraction wizards, one uses his speed to break out of packs, one uses quick hands and strength. Mitchell had a far superior 2008, and has more runs on the board

S. Tuck vs Lewis
Close call to Tuck, but both are 3rd/4th midfielders who win the footy and use it well. Lewis is on the up, Tuck is plateauing though.

K. Johnson vs Sewell
Sewell is close to an elite midfielder, Johnson is on the decline

Richardson vs Young
No contest here. I love Richo

Cotchin vs Ellis
Contentious and you'll accuse me is being biased, but Ellis' performance in the GF, coupled with the fact that he's had 2 extra years than the Cotch, puts him JUST ahead. Cotchin will probably even up the ledger by the end of 2009

Connors, Tambling, Jackson, Edwards vs Osbourne, Rioli, Ladson, Williams
Richmond's backup group is pretty raw, and will potentially become top midfielders, but Hawthorn's backup group has them pretty easily covered at the moment

Hawthorn wins 5-3

 

[The Kipster]

...on and on until we read your sig and find that you have only barely limped in for 10 flags in total. Inferior to Richmond. Fail.

Not sure but how many flags have you seen in your lifetime?

 

[ReaperX]

Who was the last team to beat Hawthorn in season 2008?

As far as I'm concerned, I don't care if our best contributors are 30+, or under 20, as long as we do well. If the 30 year olds are retaining their spots, it's because they are all very good players, not because we don't have any quality young kids.

In 3 years time:

Deledio, Cotchin, McGuane, Rance, Thursfield, Edwards, Schulz, Hughes, Morton, Riewoldt, Vickery, Pattison, Polo, etc will all still be between the ages of 20-25

Foley and Moore will be about 26/27, and at their peak.

Newman and McMahon will be 28/29.

Tuck will be 30.

Simmonds, Johnson, Bowden, Richo, and Brown will all definitely be gone, and Cousins should, if all goes according to plan, still have a year or two left in him.

So, if all that happened, we'd have one 33 year old, one 30 year old, two 28/29 year olds, two 26/27 year olds, and about ten to fifteen 20-25 year olds. The perfect balance, if you ask me.

 

[Neville Bartos]

Who was the last team to beat Hawthorn in season 2008?

As far as I'm concerned, I don't care if our best contributors are 30+, or under 20, as long as we do well. If the 30 year olds are retaining their spots, it's because they are all very good players, not because we don't have any quality young kids.

In 3 years time:

Deledio, Cotchin, McGuane, Rance, Thursfield, Edwards, Schulz, Hughes, Morton, Riewoldt, Vickery, Pattison, Polo, etc will all still be between the ages of 20-25

Foley and Moore will be about 26/27, and at their peak.

Newman and McMahon will be 28/29.

Tuck will be 30.

Simmonds, Johnson, Bowden, Richo, and Brown will all definitely be gone, and Cousins should, if all goes according to plan, still have a year or two left in him.

So, if all that happened, we'd have one 33 year old, one 30 year old, two 28/29 year olds, two 26/27 year olds, and about ten to fifteen 20-25 year olds. The perfect balance, if you ask me.

Perfect Balance does not equal premierships unfortunately. You have to actually win most of your games, not just dead-rubbers against Hawthorn in Round 19 or whatever it was.

 

[HSSB]

Hawthorn >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Richmond


In your dreams, seriously all your midfielders are old men, compared to Hawthorn, where all our midfielders are under 25

 

[thatswhatimtalkinabout]

Dunno. I'll get back to you if it ever happens.

 

[willo_k]

True, your midfield is closer to ours now. Good thing you recruited so well in 04 and secured some real firepower up forward... oh wait...

 

[Hawthorn1971]

FWIW, I am happy to see Ben get picked up today. His story needs to play out....


Don't normally get involved with this Bay 13 bollocks, but this one is too good to pass up.

It is nothing to do with Cousins, just the psyche of Richmond supporters in general.

When asked to describe Richmond to AFL novices, I always say: "like a castle built on sand".

.

 

[Xtreme]

He will probably be under some sort of cloud and deregistered by the AFL before round 1 anyway

It's not like he will make a huge difference to Richmond's position on the ladder, if anything... you'll still finish 9th / 10th but perhaps a game or two closer to 8th.

 

[DrEvil]

Let's hope his-story does not repeat itself.

FWIW, I am happy to see Ben get picked up today. His story needs to play out....

 

[Hodgepodge]

Our midfield isn't our strong point to be honest. Maybe when Ellis and Rioli are added to the mix we'll have an elite engine room. But mostly it's just our defence and forward line that does the damage.

 

[captain foley]

i LOL'D.. this guy is an idiot and this definatly isn't what most tiger supporters actually think.

 

[xfacta]

He will probably be under some sort of cloud and deregistered by the AFL before round 1 anyway

It's not like he will make a huge difference to Richmond's position on the ladder, if anything... you'll still finish 9th / 10th but perhaps a game or two closer to 8th.

Not sure if this is possible, from my calculations you are saying we are in!

 

[Gold Member]

When asked to describe Richmond to AFL novices, I always say: "like a castle built on sand".

Have to get out my Hendrix cd now

...
"and so castles made of sand,
fall into the sea
eventually."

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Keep blowing that bubble up Tugger supporters. You do it every year and every year we know the result. By round 11 when Cuz has done his hammy for a second time, Tambles still can't get a kick, Coughlan's played less footy that Cuz, Bowden's still jibbing it and Foley, Lids and Tuck are still fighting a losing battle, you'll be screaming for Tezza's head again and spitting on your players.

 

[Colin Grigson]

Hilarious!!

Tiges have made 2 finals series in 26 odd years and all of a sudden they're the cream of the crop!!

HA HA...


Keep on dreaming son!

 

[krayfesh]

Premiership >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 9th .

Source?

 

[richoatthedisco]

To be fair, let's compare them:

Cousins vs Bateman
Hard-running midfielders who get plenty of the ball and play with flair. Cousins wins from reputation and ability, but Bateman is younger and can still improve. Cousins is also potentially damaged goods

Deledio vs Hodge
Both gun midfielders (and no.1 picks) who can go forward or back when required. Hodge wins because he's more imposing, a better kick and a better leader. Deledio is still young, but Hodge is only 24

Foley vs Mitchell
Extraction wizards, one uses his speed to break out of packs, one uses quick hands and strength. Mitchell had a far superior 2008, and has more runs on the board

S. Tuck vs Lewis
Close call to Tuck, but both are 3rd/4th midfielders who win the footy and use it well. Lewis is on the up, Tuck is plateauing though.

K. Johnson vs Sewell
Sewell is close to an elite midfielder, Johnson is on the decline

Richardson vs Young
No contest here. I love Richo

Cotchin vs Ellis
Contentious and you'll accuse me is being biased, but Ellis' performance in the GF, coupled with the fact that he's had 2 extra years than the Cotch, puts him JUST ahead. Cotchin will probably even up the ledger by the end of 2009

Connors, Tambling, Jackson, Edwards vs Osbourne, Rioli, Ladson, Williams
Richmond's backup group is pretty raw, and will potentially become top midfielders, but Hawthorn's backup group has them pretty easily covered at the moment

Hawthorn wins 5-3

What an arbitrary load of nonsense. Why not Deledio v Sewell, considering Lids tore him a new arse last time? Why Hodge at all? He's a loose man in defence. Tuck plateaued? He just had his best season, and if he's anything like his dad (you remember him, right?) he's got 12 years left. Lewis is a receiving thug. Calling Ellis better than Cotchin is just bias or ignorance or complete lack of football judgment.
Plus you forgot Coughlan, Thomson, Brown (hey, if you can count Williams...), White, McMahon and Polo. Not to mention Andy Collins.
But then this is a stupid thread. Hawthorn won the flag (thus proving that midfields don't necessarily win flags) and we came 9th. Nothing new there, either way. Hawthorn has been vastly superior to Richmond for most of the last 26 years. Seriously, look it up.
And yet you sell home games to Tasmania (for three more years anyway) and memberships to pets, while we, the laughing stock of the AFL, will always occupy prime real estate on Punt Road. God help you guys if our on-field fortunes ever swap with yours. I think that's why you enjoy kicking us so much.

 

[Reasonable]

Well both midfielders will be full of drug users

 

[fishbowl]

Richmond were the last team to beat Hawthorn

 

[Pessimistic]

It feels as bad as having an inferior midfield to Geelong.

too true

 

[richoatthedisco]

Hilarious!!

Tiges have made 2 finals series in 26 odd years and all of a sudden they're the cream of the crop!!

HA HA...


Keep on dreaming son!

Melbourne.

 

[matey]

Midfields will not kick you a winning score regularly, will not stop a lot of goals in the back half, will not win a lot of ruck contests gee Tigers sound alot like the Blues still miles off the pace.

Clubs really need to take a leaf out of Clarcko's book and keep it simple by looking at recent premiership teams. You gotta have quality players over the entire ground. Hawks midfield is not a weak link in it's TEAM structure its just a well oiled cog in the machine.

 

[Brown n Gold]

What an arbitrary load of nonsense. Why not Deledio v Sewell, considering Lids tore him a new arse last time? Why Hodge at all? He's a loose man in defence. Tuck plateaued? He just had his best season, and if he's anything like his dad (you remember him, right?) he's got 12 years left. Lewis is a receiving thug. Calling Ellis better than Cotchin is just bias or ignorance or complete lack of football judgment.
Plus you forgot Coughlan, Thomson, Brown (hey, if you can count Williams...), White, McMahon and Polo. Not to mention Andy Collins.
But then this is a stupid thread. Hawthorn won the flag (thus proving that midfields don't necessarily win flags) and we came 9th. Nothing new there, either way. Hawthorn has been vastly superior to Richmond for most of the last 26 years. Seriously, look it up.
And yet you sell home games to Tasmania (for three more years anyway) and memberships to pets, while we, the laughing stock of the AFL, will always occupy prime real estate on Punt Road. God help you guys if our on-field fortunes ever swap with yours. I think that's why you enjoy kicking us so much.

Next person that says Hodge plays Loose man in defence is.... as dumb as you are... that is all

 

[cartman48]

I know you all must be feeling pretty peeved at the moment. Bradbury premiers and all you have to hang your hat on is that you have two half decent forwards. However, for everybody on bigfooty, I think its finally worth officially stating.

Richmond > Hawthorn.

You haven't done anything yet!!! I wish Cuz all the best but 2 years out of the game and a proven drug problem - I hope he doesn't fall off the wagon but I won't be surprised if he does....

Maybe we can start the Tambling greater than Franklin threads again???