Hawks?

[ledge]

The press talk about up and coming teams and how the Hawks and Cats are the teams to beat, but after 2 rounds are the Hawks the big sliders?

Are the first 2 games part of the premiership hangover or did the Hawks actually over achieve last year?

Are they now the hunted and finding it hard to handle or are they just slow starting and just going to cruise into finals?

We see clubs over the years come from near bottom and fly up the next year, are the Hawks vulnerable to the opposite? eg Port Adelaide.
I have always wondered what would happen if we finally got that elusive flag, would it be enough or would we want more?

[LostDoggy]

I think they will soon hit there straps, they had a very much interrupted pre season & have players to come back as well.

[LostDoggy]

Still it will be a couple more weeks before they get their injured players back onboard, and a slow start to the year can be costly.

[bornadog]

Over achieved on the back of buddy

[Remi Moses]

Injuries and underdone players are hurting them. Let's be honest the marathon has just left the stadium.

[GVGjr]

Injuries and underdone players are hurting them. Let's be honest the marathon has just left the stadium.


They lost Sewell before the game today and have quite a few missing. Hodge was injured as well. They will be very hard to beat by about round 6

[ledge]

Would they have lost confidence though if they havent done well by round 6?
Its then catch up footy, no doubt more injuries by then too.

[GVGjr]

Would they have lost confidence though if they havent done well by round 6?
Its then catch up footy, no doubt more injuries by then too.

Why would they? They are just waiting for the reinforcements. I think you are taking losses to Geelong and Sydney (on their home pitch) as a sign of a slump when in fact they have put up two good performances all things considered.

[Mofra]

They will start slow after a delayed and interrupted pre-season.

Either way they are still one of the top three sides, with Carlton or Saints to make up the top four

[BulldogBelle]

The Hawks at the moment have quite a few injuries once they all start coming back into the side they will settle. Having Taylor out suspended didn't help their cause tonight against the Swans.

[ledge]

Why would they? They are just waiting for the reinforcements. I think you are taking losses to Geelong and Sydney (on their home pitch) as a sign of a slump when in fact they have put up two good performances all things considered.

I am just putting out a post as i think if any team of the top 3 last year is vulnerable i think its Hawks, most say its us.

[GVGjr]

I am just putting out a post as i think if any team of the top 3 last year is vulnerable i think its Hawks, most say its us.

I just can't see how they are vulnerable.

[ledge]

Injuries apparently from what im reading on these posts.
Premiership hangover.
2 Losses one of them from a side that has been written off as past it by the media.
Dont get me wrong they might be ok, my point being of the 3 top sides last year i think they are the most likely if any to fall away.
Im not saying they will.
If you were to pick one of the three to drop who would you think would be the team?

[wb_age]

Another thing that should be considered is the rolling zone, last year Clarko introduced this and the Hawks were one up on the competition largely due to it's success.

Come 2009, many other sides have practiced such rolling zones and the coaches have at the least analyzed ways around or through it. Clarko no longer has his ace card up his sleeve.

That being said, I think injuries and conditioning are the main factors resulting in there slow start.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Geelong have problems of their own, as well.

Hunt and Egan out for the season.
Milburn looks finished.
Ottens out for 6.
Harley yet to play (no idea how much longer he's out for).

If they lose just one of their top midfielders they will be right back with the rest of the pack.

[LostDoggy]

if we won the flag last year i couldn't care if we lost the first six games, they will come good

[dog town]

I actually tipped Sydney last night and got on them in a multi bet for my punters club. Have never really rated the hawks as highly as some and tend to think they pinched a flag last season. Having said that they are a good side so I wouldnt be writing them off. They have to many good players to slide a long way. The style they play tends to cover the fact that they have 5-8 really ordinary players in the side.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Milburn looks finished.

If they lose just one of their top midfielders they will be right back with the rest of the pack.

Is he just looking slow and generally lacking agility? So the go to ploy of Higgins on Milburn in the prelim was a sign of things to come

The Cats have generally had a very good run with injuries - particularly their midfield

The Hawks are blooding a lot of kids and staying competitive with some good teams. When they get a few more back they're going to be very hard to beat again

[Bumper Bulldogs]

The Hawks are a good out fit however i though that Roos coached very well last night.

It was interesting to see Bolton smother buddy (like Morris/ Williams)
I thought they got smashed in the ruck & Midfield (We also have this covered)
Mitchell gave them nothing after Kirk shut him down (Matthew Boyd style)

the thing that I noted most was the way the swans broke down the cluster, they got the ball and then went straight across to the other side of play with two kicks then ran by hand to a long kick deep in the forward line over Hodges head.

I thought that the hawks looked ran off their feet and after a few trips interstate they will be looking forward to the midyear week off.

Basically I think we have the team and the game plan to beat them and apart from the one game last year, the hawks will be very nervous playing against us.

[ledge]

Geelong have problems of their own, as well.

Hunt and Egan out for the season.
Milburn looks finished.
Ottens out for 6.
Harley yet to play (no idea how much longer he's out for).

If they lose just one of their top midfielders they will be right back with the rest of the pack.

Difference is Geelong have still won.

[azabob]

Geelong have problems of their own, as well.

Hunt and Egan out for the season.
Milburn looks finished.
Ottens out for 6.
Harley yet to play (no idea how much longer he's out for).

If they lose just one of their top midfielders they will be right back with the rest of the pack.

Geelongs forward line is in trouble also I reckon.
Milburn was good for them yesterday, so he may hold on for the rest of the year.

[LostDoggy]

Geelongs forward line is in trouble also I reckon.
Milburn was good for them yesterday, so he may hold on for the rest of the year.

Whats different from Geelong forward line from the last 2 years?
If Mooney has to ruck, yes its a problem, but they haven't changed much there and some of their young bloke are getting expereince with more game time. Ottens does pinch there but he isn't key. They might be missing easy shots but thats a pressure issue.

Their defence is the issue with injury and age. Also without Ottens, I'm not sure Blake is up to it in the rucking dept.

[azabob]

Whats different from Geelong forward line from the last 2 years?
If Mooney has to ruck, yes its a problem, but they haven't changed much there and some of their young bloke are getting expereince with more game time. Ottens does pinch there but he isn't key. They might be missing easy shots but thats a pressure issue.

Their defence is the issue and without Ottens, I'm not sure Blake is up to it in the rucking dept.

I think Mooney is struggling, Longagan and Hawkins don't appear to be the answer. Without Johnson yesterday they most likely wouldve lost.

Maybe the difference is with the injuries and poor form further up the field it is all a flow on effect.?

[LostDoggy]

I think Mooney is struggling, Longagan and Hawkins don't appear to be the answer. Without Johnson yesterday they most likely wouldve lost.

Maybe the difference is with the injuries and poor form further up the field it is all a flow on effect.?

Mooney had to ruck yesterday. He never really dominated say like a Fev, Buddy or Brown. Only one of Lonegan and Hawkins plays and they are equal or better than Nathan Ablett who they won a premeirship with. Gamble look good each time I see him. Chapman had a poor GF with injury, if he was fit and in form they would have won it easily.

Its definetely the injuries and the age that are the issue.

[mjp]

I just can't see how they are vulnerable.

They are a little bit vulnerable GVGjr, but not really in areas we can exploit.

Without Croad and Gilham, they are woefully undersized down back...I mean, good for Campbell Brown playing as a key back at 180cm in the grand final, but you have to acknowledge it isn't the greatest strategy for the long term.

They do have those wonderful forwards (and no, despite Darcy's babbling last night I am not pointing at Rioli) but if they can be held (like last night), then the deficiencies down back and lack of 'class' through the midfield can become an issue. What I mean here is that they get it done with toughness, attack on the ball etc - but Sewell and Mitchell in particular are not the greatest players running around at the moment. Very effective in the system though.

Our problem? Forwards who are old, slow and - whilst very clever - without Murphy not really likely to tear them apart.