I know its at the start of the season and we must try an stay positive but seriously does anyone give us a 'real' chance against Hawthorn.........from what i've seen so far this yr through the pre season matches it didnt look good.......having said that i have liked our backline structure so far and i can see where are mids are going but we have MAJOR problems in the forward line and to go into saturday with MILLER and MARTIN as our key forwards is nothing short of embarrassing.....however good luck to the boys and may dean and the boys prove me wrong....ur thoughts?

Not really. The Hawks have a crap back six, but we don't have the forwards to capitalise. While they have a couple of mids out, that really just makes it even. Our backs should be fairly strong against what they can put forward, so they won't blow us away. Sadly though, the only area we should clearly win will be the ruck. I just don't think we have the right people yet to convert clearances into scores, so there's not much chance of beating them.

There'll be patches where debutants get a rush of blood to the head, and do some fantastic things... But in the end, we're not going to be able to hold it in our forward line for long enough to make an impact on the scoreboard. They'll run it out pretty easy, and will have the ascendency through the midfield on the rebound.

We're not quite good enough with our best 22 against their current 22, so I would think that with the team on the park on Saturday, a loss is expected. By me at least.

Nothing wrong with that. I rate the Hawks IMMENSELY, and am still hoping to be proven wrong.

Just Believe

We are a real chance, with a young team all we need is a little luck in the first quarter. Instead of kicking points in the first quarter like against Essendon and the Eagles we get a 2-3 goal break then our players start to grow in confidence. The errors that we made through preseason then get less and less players back themselves and don't go into that defensive mind set.

Don't believe all the negativity in the media, we aren't as far off as everyone thinks all we need is a little luck early and we are bloody due for some luck. The only luck we have had is Richmond kicking a goal after the siren to give us Scully and Trengove, also getting Jurrah, but apart from that not much on the field has gone our way over the past 3 years.

Form and history are against us but in any two horse race either team is a chance. Unlikely would be my response but definitely not no chance, alot can happen.

I have no doubt we can win. If Bailey can get them "mentally on" for this game like they were against the Bulldogs, West Coast and Freo last year, we have every chance.

But I have my doubts about whether they will be "on".

Experience at the selection table will be important for this reason I believe. Too many debutants will be a bad thing.

Edited March 24, 201015 yr by Allen Jakovich

Carn the Dees!

I fully believe we will 22 guys going out on Saturday to win, they have had a gutful of being the laughing stock, and everybody saying the only part of the club that is not going forward is them, we may not win, we may fall down in the skills area, but I will go home happy if I see everybody having a crack and being completely spent by the end of the game.

We only need to get a good start and the confidence will grow, the longer we stay with Hawthorn the better it will get.

Of course we can. I can't believe so many think it's beyond us.

At full strength Hawthorn are formidable side, but they are far from full strength. With so many outs they are just an average side.

A very average side.

Comparitively we have lost very little.

This is a 2 horse race and I think we start favourite.

Those being fooled by preseason form need their head checked.

I fully believe we will 22 guys going out on Saturday to win, they have had a gutful of being the laughing stock, and everybody saying the only part of the club that is not going forward is them, we may not win, we may fall down in the skills area, but I will go home happy if I see everybody having a crack and being completely spent by the end of the game.

We only need to get a good start and the confidence will grow, the longer we stay with Hawthorn the better it will get.

We also need to get of to a flier, say 3 goals ahead at quarter time. I truly think we can win also--at least I dream and believe in miracles- however do not believe it would be a miracle to win.

Of course we can. I can't believe so many think it's beyond us.

At full strength Hawthorn are formidable side, but they are far from full strength. With so many outs they are just an average side.

A very average side.

Comparitively we have lost very little.

This is a 2 horse race and I think we start favourite.

Those being fooled by preseason form need their head checked.

I would love to see as get close...

From what I have seen pre season, the type of football we are playing and spaeking from the heart ... 30 to 40 points loss

I'm anticipating a 7-10 goal loss to be honest. As long as Scully and Trengove rip it up, and our younger players are in the best, I'll be happy.

we'll know in the first 15 minutes. If they look clueless, sloppy and switched off and concede the first 3 or 4 in quick time we will know it's all over. I will be so disappointed I will just about go home if that happens. We are own worst enemy IMO, MUST go out there with their heads on straight and NOT be playing catch up from quarter time

I will be so disappointed I will just about go home if that happens.

Your not one of those are you C & B?

Your not one of those are you C & B?

Reminds me of the Freo game in 2008.

Seeing so many leaving at half time was crushing, but so so sweet in the end.

I almost cried.

we'll know in the first 15 minutes. If they look clueless, sloppy and switched off and concede the first 3 or 4 in quick time we will know it's all over. I will be so disappointed I will just about go home if that happens. We are own worst enemy IMO, MUST go out there with their heads on straight and NOT be playing catch up from quarter time

To be honest, I'd be disappointed but understanding.

Over and over and over again we're told these kids are inexperienced and will take time, so we can't be too surprised.

It's not so much a simple matter of not being switched on, I can hardly blame an 18 year old in their first game getting lost in traffic and the buzz of a half-full MCG, conceding a goal.

Trengove, Scully, Strauss, even a player like Maric, Bennell or Spencer could be excused for such lapses.

Carn the Dees!

This is the kind of support needed at the game.

We're a chance, it will simply come down winning the ball/having possession of the ball more often than the Hawks, disposal efficiency (minimising errors that create turnovers), high level of intensity for the majority of the game. This should result in enough scoreboard pressure to dismantle the Hawks. You would think.....

Your not one of those are you C & B?

I said 'just about'

I never leave early, but I don't know how I am going to bear it if we are down 6 goals to zip at quarter time or something like that

..... if we are down 6 goals to zip at quarter time or something like that

This would be a disastrous start - especially if we contributed with childish simple turnovers.

Two areas where Hawthorn can work us into the ground:

• Taking a clear advantage early in the physicality stakes; and
  
• Centre clearances once Jamar brings the pill down to earth
  

Otherwise, it's game one of the season so there are few prejudgments to be had. Dean Bailey and his men have something to prove to us, Hawthorn as a whole have a lot to prove to the football universe.

Expectations?

1. 1%ers and teamwork on the rise
   
2. Clean bill of health post-game
   

You really can't make 'no injuries' an expectation. It's a game of football.

I was light on expectations, ID --- needed to beef it up somehow!

I think the one thing we all seem to be forgetting, we have 9 on the injury list (if it is to be believed, which makes 31 with the 22 that are picked this week, that means 15 will be mssing out, that is 3/4 of a team, if you don't play well this week, despite what Bailey says about getting games into players, there is somebody waiting to take you spot, I still think we have a reasonable chance of beating Hawthorn, I hope we do, but will not be shattered if we lose as long as I said in previous post we have a crack. I won't leave the game early, but I don't want to see us 6 or 7 goals down at the end of the 1st.

This would be a disastrous start - especially if we contributed with childish simple turnovers.

Can't you see it happening though.. but as an above poster said it is (to an extent) excusable with this high school lineup

We have a really bad habit of completely dropping our bundle for 20-30 minutes and conceding an avalanche of goals. This is how we lose most of our matches, and often this bad period is right at the start of the match. If we go 4 quarters without one of these patches I will be happy with the effort even if it means we still get soundly beaten (although I guess it goes hand in hand with a solid 4 quarter effort that we WON'T be smashed, I mean losing each quarter by a goal or 2 and ending up 6 down or something like that will be acceptable).