Mark Neeld announced his mantra for his coaching as the team being the hardest to play against in the league. He has put the focus on the players defensive skills and tackling.

Hawks smashed Swans in hitouts, clearances and inside 50's but were defeated by 109 tackles and the competition's best defence. Bring it on Neeldy!!

For those who doubt the wisdom of picking Watts over Natanui, the proof was there to see. If you don't have the skilled forwards to kick the clutch goals you don't win Premierships. I'd take a clutch goal kicker over a ruckman any day, especially with the ruckman wel have coming through on the list. In '05 Barry Hall kicked the clutch goals and the Swans won the Premiership, in '06 he missed them and they lost by a point. He said it took him over a year to get over that game, wonder how long it will take Buddy, knowing that he cost his team a Premiership. Tough call but true.

Edited October 1, 201213 yr by It's Time

Try and explain to me how Buddy Franklin was more responsible for Hawthorn losing than Jarryd Roughead. Go on.

Try and explain to me how Buddy Franklin was more responsible for Hawthorn losing than Jarryd Roughead. Go on.

Pretty simple. Franklin was the target the whole team looked for all game. He had 9 shots on goal thanks to the whole team working the ball into the 50 so he could have a shot and he only got 3 out of 8 shots. Roughead spent a lot of time in the ruck, he certainly wasn't the key forward target, he created more of his shots than Franklin. He can also hang his head in shame for bad kicking but wasn't the target Franklin was. Malceski nearly got as many goals as him and he was a backman who was under instructions not to go into the forward line.

Just heard a whisper we are into John Butcher...

Just heard a whisper we are into John Butcher...

ssshh!

Just heard a whisper we are into John Butcher...

We better not be contemplating giving up Brodie Grundy or Jimmy Toumpas for him...

Just heard a whisper we are into John Butcher...

You do realise there is a whole board dedicated to drafts and trading.

Nothing

The person who coached Buddy Franklin in Auskick cost them a premiership

Unable to run straight in and kick like a pro

Makes my golf swing look PGA quality

Neeld wrote in the Age on Saturday morning analyzing how the Swans would go about their business (Voss did the Hawks). He likes their style no doubt about it.

You do realise there is a whole board dedicated to drafts and trading.

Perhaps WYL was being cunning and hiding it from our trade threads so that Hutchy and Kim Hagdorn might not find it?

You do realise there is a whole board dedicated to drafts and trading.

yes. I am on the mobile. News is news, just passing it on.

Try and explain to me how Buddy Franklin was more responsible for Hawthorn losing than Jarryd Roughead. Go on.

Roughead was a liability on Saturday. Achillies goes...never the same..

Pretty simple. Franklin was the target the whole team looked for all game. He had 9 shots on goal thanks to the whole team working the ball into the 50 so he could have a shot and he only got 3 out of 8 shots. Roughead spent a lot of time in the ruck, he certainly wasn't the key forward target, he created more of his shots than Franklin. He can also hang his head in shame for bad kicking but wasn't the target Franklin was. Malceski nearly got as many goals as him and he was a backman who was under instructions not to go into the forward line.

Wrong. Franklin lifted the entire team spirit and got the Hawks back into the game in the 3rd quarter. You did see this right?

Guys like Roughead and Gunston who let the team down at crucial moments are responsible, not Franklin. Clinton Young and Suckling also contributed little.

yes. I am on the mobile. News is news, just passing it on.

Thanks Sandra.

For those who doubt the wisdom of picking Watts over Natanui, the proof was there to see. If you don't have the skilled forwards to kick the clutch goals you don't win Premierships.

Like he did against Freo....

Wrong. Franklin lifted the entire team spirit and got the Hawks back into the game in the 3rd quarter. You did see this right?

Guys like Roughead and Gunston who let the team down at crucial moments are responsible, not Franklin. Clinton Young and Suckling also contributed little.

Sorry GL Franklin kicks 5 from 8 they win it is that simple.

Also believe they did not have a proper ruckman.

Hawks had 2 pinch hitters, swans 2 proper ruckman.

This is a serious problem for the Hawks and has been for some years.

IMO until they fix their Ruckman problem they will struggle to win a flag.

Like he did against Freo....

In that pointless game as a 19 year old two years ago? How is that relevant?

I'll take Buddy everyday of the week

Are people here seriously trying to say Watts is better than Franklin? Or did I just misread this whole thread? Think I'm going to have to give Demonland a wide berth for a few weeks so my brain doesn't turn stupid.

Great OP, It's Time, but its a shame that its gone off topic a little.

Getting back on topic, I watched the game from half-way back on level 4 and in the pocket closest to the city. While I don't chose to sit there normally, it was great to get a different perspective.

I felt that the Swans game massively vindicated Neeld's gameplan. Time after time, the Swans kicked down the line but they seemed to overdo it at times: the majority of clearances from defence at the city end seemed to go to the boundary in front of the player's race, even if was a two-on-two, and the breakdown of clearances from the back flank felt like it was evenly split between the Swans, Hawthorn and a boundary throw in. There was at least one Hawthorn goal resulting from one of those clearances.

In the last quarter and even longer, both teams played a spare man in defence. LRT got a few impressive marks but he was often that spare man. It was a very defensive mindset.

Sydney's game plan seemed to depend on getting the breakaway goal, as evident from Jack's and Goodes' goals in the last quarter. This defensive game might not be pretty but it obviously can win you a GF.

The points about Watts versus Nic Nat are a bit different. If you go back to November 2008, I strongly suspect that BP and Bails went for the prospect they expected would become a gun FF rather than a potentially mercurial ruckman. In the passage of time, I would say that Jack will become a very good player with great skills who is great in traffic but I think that the forward line is his least likely destination. If Nic can pick up his disposal efficiency, he will become one of the top 3 players of this decade, comparable to Ablett and Judd. It is what it is and Jackie is still one of the favourites in our house.

Wrong. Franklin lifted the entire team spirit and got the Hawks back into the game in the 3rd quarter. You did see this right?

Guys like Roughead and Gunston who let the team down at crucial moments are responsible, not Franklin. Clinton Young and Suckling also contributed little.

Cyril Rioli anyone?

Are people here seriously trying to say Watts is better than Franklin? Or did I just misread this whole thread? Think I'm going to have to give Demonland a wide berth for a few weeks so my brain doesn't turn stupid.

re-read mate, it's the old Watts v NikNat stuff AGAIN...

No one should take any credit away from the Swans, Richards took a couple of crucial marks against Buddy in the last quarter, albeit on one leg and Smith's blanket on Rioli (7 touches) was a beauty.

It tells us that Neeld knows that MFC has a sheet list and you cant change that overnight

Money alone wont get champions to a club like MFC,so he plans to develop a team that plays within its ability with ruthless commitment...like the Swans.

If he can do it then you'd say he's on the right track and the Swans victory shows its possible.