Preview The Grand Final - Hawks vs Swans - teams and match discussion etc

[Cynic]

I strangely feel much more relaxed about this week compared to last. I'm just absorbing all it all and loving it. This week I KNOW that the boys are going to be ruthlessly focused on the match, not saving themselves for anything, not thinking about 'next week' etc. Last week, there were too many balls up in the air.

I haven't batted an eyelid this week...it's strange. Last week I was nervous as hell but like you a definite calm.

 

[Walk the Hawk]

I was thinking the same thing. He seems so cool and at times like he doesn't have a care in the world, especially on the field, but geez his reaction really struck me. It looked like it meant absolutly everything to him. Have a feeling he is just warming up, that was the entree, the main course is to come.

I like to think of it more as he was looking at the menu and has decided on the buffet for Saturday. It's all you can kick time.


Anyway, Murph may be the unlucky one to be dropped here to make way for Hodge. I loved his game against Adelaide but...

Ellis - Despite being smashed and crashed recently, he is tough, hard and a big game player.
Savage - Sub duties.
Puopolo - Pressure.

Props to Murphy for speaking about the possibility of losing his spot so selflessly. The guy is all class.

 

[436hilly]

Sorry I know you were replying to something more specific about ground size, but my recollections of that game aren't so much that we got smashed. From memory, early on in the piece we looked like we were going to kick away from them quite comfortably, and then we got incredibly complacent, stopped going as hard at the ball and eventually let them run over the top of us. That's just my memory of the game anyhow. They're a great side, that can't be ignored, but on that day I think our failings were more crucial to the result than their abilities.

That was the Mark Maclure/Robbo 'they dogged it' game. What those flogs forgot was

1) we had four hard games (Coll, Geel, Adel, WC) while they did not, we were coming over from Perth --> Melb, and then to Launceston. We simply ran out of puff. Infact, I remember Cyril tired with his hands on his knees even at the half time break
2) We lost Gibson and our defensive structure was completely out. Only had Shoenmakers and maybe Stratton to play on 3-4 talls. No Birchall to pinch hit, and it was probably Hodge's 1st or second game and he looked completely out of touch.
3) Actually we did well to stay within 10 points halfway thru the last quarter

Sure we will do much better this time

 

[MrFujiMoto]

I have been super worried about Goo not being in the team. He was close to BOG against the Swans last time ou. But then I remembered that Rioli was out for our last game against the Swans and that should even the teams up again. Even if they do play opposite ends of the park.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

What makes you think Young wont come up, no injury has been reported???

He missed the first final through injury.
He spent times in the room during the PF.
He looked vacant when they sang the song.
He did not train on Tuesday.

But it is only me joining a few dots.

 

[B&GBlood]

The swans won in Tassie, they flogged us, the ground over there is probably bigger than the MCG..

We had no run that day, inside or out. We are not the same team now.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

That was the Mark Maclure/Robbo 'they dogged it' game. What those flogs forgot was

1) we had four hard games (Coll, Geel, Adel, WC) while they did not, we were coming over from Perth --> Melb, and then to Launceston. We simply ran out of puff. Infact, I remember Cyril tired with his hands on his knees even at the half time break
2) We lost Gibson and our defensive structure was completely out. Only had Shoenmakers and maybe Stratton to play on 3-4 talls. No Birchall to pinch hit, and it was probably Hodge's 1st or second game and he looked completely out of touch.
3) Actually we did well to stay within 10 points halfway thru the last quarter

Sure we will do much better this time

Agree massively with point 1. I would put it to anyone to find a team that has ever started the season harder than we did. Sydney by comparison started with GWS, Freo, Port and North (the Freo and North games were at the SCG). We killed Sydney for a quarter and a half but then ran out of steam, it's much harder to dig deep in round 5 than a Grand Final. We will show up the swans or bloods or whatever they like to go by. I am sick of their negative style of play.

GO HAWKS!!!!!

 

[B&GBlood]

He missed the first final through injury.
He spent times in the room during the PF.
He looked vacant when they sang the song.
He did not train on Tuesday.

But it is only me joining a few dots.

He appeared to run out the game ok to me.

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

And can I just say how great it is that we have a board that can talk in depth about the footy. Checked out the Swans board for a Sydney perspective and they have about 5 pages b**ching about the weather and then getting excited about meeting Nathan Brown after the game (wowee!)

 

[Brishawk]

And can I just say how great it is that we have a board that can talk in depth about the footy. Checked out the Swans board for a Sydney perspective and they have about 5 pages b**ching about the weather and then getting excited about meeting Nathan Brown after the game (wowee!)

haha I kept my bitching about the weather to discussion with my brother. Bring a poncho folks!

 

[Hawks1994]

I haven't batted an eyelid this week...it's strange. Last week I was nervous as hell but like you a definite calm.

Maybe this is the calm before the storm..........

 

[Glacier]

And can I just say how great it is that we have a board that can talk in depth about the footy. Checked out the Swans board for a Sydney perspective and they have about 5 pages b**ching about the weather and then getting excited about meeting Nathan Brown after the game (wowee!)

Very true, kind of weird to read really

 

[Hawks1994]

And can I just say how great it is that we have a board that can talk in depth about the footy. Checked out the Swans board for a Sydney perspective and they have about 5 pages b**ching about the weather and then getting excited about meeting Nathan Brown after the game (wowee!)

Yeah, not much positive energy coming from their side...

It is just complaint after complaint about Melbourne and our weather......

And which Nathan Brown are they talking about???

 

[WWSD]

IN: Hodge
OUT: Savage

B: Murphy Gibson Stratton
HB: Birchall Schoey Burgoyne
C: Lewis Mitchell Young
HF: Gunston Franklin Smith
F: Breust Roughead Rioli
R: Hale Hodge Sewell

INT: Ellis Shiels Suckling Puopolo (Sub)

EMG: Bateman Savage Bailey

 

[Taskmaster]

Never been so nervous in my life. After last week, if we play like that again, the result will be very different. Hoping the boys learn from it.

For me it is hodge in, Ellis out!!!! I cannot watch this bloke play. He turns it over, he goes down with an injury every bloody time he goes near it. Savage and Murphy are all over Ellis. I will be very disappointed if one of these boys miss for Ellis. Or if he does play, play him as a sub and put him on in the last 2 mins when the game is won. Sorry to those Ellis supporters out there, but he is just not up to it.

And as for syd people complaining about the weather, well it will be a little cold and a few showers. Big f..ken deal. Who gives a shit about the weather, it's a grand final!!!!

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Are Sydney people complaining about the wet? They win if its wet

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Shows how much the Sydney folk know about their team. I would have thought the rain was a godsend for their BS style of play. The only positive I see with the rain it will be harder for their big forwards to exploit our perceived weakness of KPDs as it will be harder to to clunk marks with the ball so greasy.

 

[Bardo State]

I'm not sure if the wet helps either team. Both have gun bottom of the pack players and not many big marking players.

 

[Milang_Panthers]

3 sleeps to go but i don't think i'll be sleeping at all so excited!!!

 

[moginie]

I haven't batted an eyelid this week...it's strange. Last week I was nervous as hell but like you a definite calm.

Yeah, I've been pretty calm this week except for late this afternoon.

Last week was torture.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

I'm a wreck. It's getting worse.

 

[Hodginator]

I don't think the rain will go against us. Swans will go in tall to try stretch us down back, but the the rain will go against them if they try that and our forwards aren't known for taking big grabs in our forward 50 except for Gunston and Hale/Rough when they are up there.

 

[Glenferrie Oval]

I imagined for a minute that I missed the game (as if) and before I got the result what things about the game did I want to hear.
Here is a few.
- Sydney's back flankers had trouble getting the ball out. They looked up and all options were covered or under pressure.
- Adam goodes had a shocker (he has these from time to time. See essendon and collingwood this season)
- jetta 1 goal
- Kennedy not in the list of best players for the swans

- hawks got 'value' on the scoreboard for the amount of forward entries that they had, particually in the first quarter
- two of Sewell, Mitchell, Lewis, hodge listed in the best players for the hawks (mids)
- two of cyril, buddy, roughy, gunston in the best.
- gibbo in the best.
- the hawks discussed over and over during the week what to if it was a close game half way through the last quarter.

With these results you think we would win.
Your thoughts?

Finally Chelsea wears a very tight top and it rains and is cold.

 

[bungholes_premiers]

the butterflies are already destroying my stomach ..

MCG still expecting 98K crowd despite the weather forecast

 

[Flukey!]

We lost to the Swans in round 5. That is nearly a season ago.

We beat them just 5 weeks ago, on their turf. We should be taking more from that than looking for negatives from a game that is no longer relevant.