18 minutes ago, Jaded said:

If it's Nichols you might as well admit defeat.

Hopefully since he umpired the Saturday game, he won't get the Friday as it is a shorter turnaround including the travel.

Fingers crossed we get the same 3 from last Friday. It was a very well umpired game. Free kicks even and fair. 

only losers think umpiring really matters in games.

I think every time we kick poorly for goal one week we kick way better the next week.

everyone thinks the hawks have rebuilt they have not, their side is still full of premiership players, it is a false dawn for them. they will really miss Stratton, sicily is over rated something bad, they put him the best he had 21 touches, but he had 8 turnovers and for a defender to have that many it is death, Omac only had 1 turnover.

1 hour ago, BigFez said:

There is a post claiming McEvoy is every bit as influential as Gawn and that Harmes and Petracca B-Grade spuds.

Bless their little hearts !! ???

12 minutes ago, ding said:

Harmes is rapidly approaching "A" grade status. His second half of the year has been a big factor in our improvement.

Trac, however,is not better than a "B" grader, and its up to him to change that. Not a spud, but certainly not a champ.

Could not agree more ding. Spot on.

I'm expecting standing room in M10 to be full of the usual moronic EPL-style chanting Hawks supporters. They have a chant for every one of their players and there's rarely dead air between chants.

A short Darren Lehmann lookalike appears to lead the chants. He spends the majority of the game with his back to the ground 'conducting' his imbecilic mates. 

I'll tell you what they're not saying at Hawthorn. - Lets get our plane and finals tickets for Perth. FFS this game still has to be played and won. Hawthorn are a very proud club, they will come out intent on atoning for last weeks defeat. They have a very crafty coach who will put a lot of time into negating the way we like to play. Last week we played the 8th ranked team in the finals, they played the 1st ranked team. They smashed us in round 4. If we don't show them the right amount of respect we will be in big trouble.

32 minutes ago, ding said:

Harmes is rapidly approaching "A" grade status. His second half of the year has been a big factor in our improvement.

Trac, however,is not better than a "B" grader, and its up to him to change that. Not a spud, but certainly not a champ.

At this point you would be pretty disappointed if you picked Trac at pick 1 over Brawshaw.  Will have to wait and see what the fullness of time brings though as Trac still has huge up side.  It would be well within Trac's capacity and personality to turn it on big time in a big final and blow the game apart with a burst of brilliance, though in saying that I think he is actually tempering his instincts a bit at the moment to 'play his role' and do the team things - that pass to T Mac in the first quarter being case in point.

The thing I'm looking forward to and hopefully comes to fruition is some of the guys we have with this huge upside like Hunt, Trac, Hogan, Viney, Smith, Lever and Kent having a good preseason and really turning it on next year... but let's see what we can make of this year first.

19 minutes ago, loges said:

I'll tell you what they're not saying at Hawthorn. - Lets get our plane and finals tickets for Perth. FFS this game still has to be played and won. Hawthorn are a very proud club, they will come out intent on atoning for last weeks defeat. They have a very crafty coach who will put a lot of time into negating the way we like to play. Last week we played the 8th ranked team in the finals, they played the 1st ranked team. They smashed us in round 4. If we don't show them the right amount of respect we will be in big trouble.

Absolutely. This game is a step up from Geelong

25 minutes ago, loges said:

I'll tell you what they're not saying at Hawthorn. - Lets get our plane and finals tickets for Perth. FFS this game still has to be played and won. Hawthorn are a very proud club, they will come out intent on atoning for last weeks defeat. They have a very crafty coach who will put a lot of time into negating the way we like to play. Last week we played the 8th ranked team in the finals, they played the 1st ranked team. They smashed us in round 4. If we don't show them the right amount of respect we will be in big trouble.

The Perth trip does require a little planning so I don't think it's inappropriate to discuss the logistics now.

On form we should dispose of the Hawks but we all have  a healthy dose of MFCSS which ties us very securely to mother earth.

And of course we could not play as badly as round 4 which really was a disgrace.

The problem with the Hawk supporters is that they are delusional although feel insecure with themselves are believing in a miracle to happen and win this game.  Well buckle up and see a real team full of midfielders with brute force and power that will blow them like a rabble headed by Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw,  Harmes, Jones and the best ruckman going around in Max. Why shouldn't we be confident. The Boys are on a mission and will take it a game at a time and let the Hawks stew. Yes we are on a roll suck it in.

 

2 hours ago, loges said:

I'll tell you what they're not saying at Hawthorn. - Lets get our plane and finals tickets for Perth. FFS this game still has to be played and won. Hawthorn are a very proud club, they will come out intent on atoning for last weeks defeat. They have a very crafty coach who will put a lot of time into negating the way we like to play. Last week we played the 8th ranked team in the finals, they played the 1st ranked team. They smashed us in round 4. If we don't show them the right amount of respect we will be in big trouble.

I really don't think that @Jaded thinking about planning ahead and maybe saving some money is going to affect the team's preparation.  Sounds like she's going if we make it and good for her.  She's probably not in the 22 though. FFS.

2 hours ago, don't make me angry said:

only losers think umpiring really matters in games.

While I understand your point, sadly umpiring can make a huge difference, our game against Port being a great example.

8 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

While I understand your point, sadly umpiring can make a huge difference, our game against Port being a great example.

No it did not, we lost because we could not kick a winning score from 69 to 31 inside 50's, that is the real reason.

3 hours ago, don't make me angry said:

only losers think umpiring really matters in games.

 

3 minutes ago, don't make me angry said:

No it did not, we lost because we could not kick a winning score from 69 to 31 inside 50's, that is the real reason.

Whilst that is true, please understand if I would prefer we don't have Nichols umpiring.

I just don't think he's very good at it...

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

The Perth trip does require a little planning so I don't think it's inappropriate to discuss the logistics now.

On form we should dispose of the Hawks but we all have  a healthy dose of MFCSS which ties us very securely to mother earth.

And of course we could not play as badly as round 4 which really was a disgrace.

I’ve broached the “potential” for a trip to Perth with Mrs Cards... our 3yr olds birthday on the Sunday.. not looking likely BUT Mrs Cards did say she will sell her ballet tickets for Grand Final day if we make it so she can look after the little Cards x2 so I can go. 

29 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

I really don't think that @Jaded thinking about planning ahead and maybe saving some money is going to affect the team's preparation.  Sounds like she's going if we make it and good for her.  She's probably not in the 22 though. FFS.

I would be a marvellous FF. Stuffed knee, stuffed back, 0 aerobic capacity!

As someone else said, it's a pretty big effort to go to Perth. It requires a lot of planning and a crapload of money as it turns out. I definitely haven't bought anything, I was just looking into it this morning when I had some time to kill. At least now I know that IF we happen to win on Friday, it will cost about $2000 all up to get up there and watch the prelim. 

Call me crazy, but I reckon we’ll beat them by 8 goals. We’ll be better in front of the big sticks this time and I think their younger players will crumble again. 

I hope they use the round 4 game as their barometer. We played nothing like our brand that day, had terrible defensive set ups (and not using wings) plus it was a wet game (Friday will be dry).

 

At least the Hawk fans can spell and use appropriate grammar, unlike Geelong supporters

Why anybody would bring round 4 up as a reason they will win is beyond me.

We have 7 players that played that game not playing this weekend.  It's a completely different game

50 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

I really don't think that @Jaded thinking about planning ahead and maybe saving some money is going to affect the team's preparation.  Sounds like she's going if we make it and good for her.  She's probably not in the 22 though. FFS.

Haven't even read Jaded's post so I'm not responding to her.

3 hours ago, Jones said:

Absolutely. This game is a step up from Geelong

We're getting good at killing Giants

Reckon we have reason to believe.

36 minutes ago, Jaded said:

I would be a marvellous FF. Stuffed knee, stuffed back, 0 aerobic capacity!

As someone else said, it's a pretty big effort to go to Perth. It requires a lot of planning and a crapload of money as it turns out. I definitely haven't bought anything, I was just looking into it this morning when I had some time to kill. At least now I know that IF we happen to win on Friday, it will cost about $2000 all up to get up there and watch the prelim. 

Mrs Hood barracks for Hawthorn so we were thinking of booking early for West Coast as one of our teams will be playing but the airline ticket prices have gone through the roof. Price gouging! 

30 minutes ago, loges said:

Haven't even read Jaded's post so I'm not responding to her.

@Fifty-5‘s point still stands generally, in that supporters looking two weeks ahead makes no difference to anything at all. Unless you have some (as yet unspecified) reason to believe the players are getting ahead of themselves, but that’s not what you made it sound like.

1 hour ago, Earl Hood said:

Mrs Hood barracks for Hawthorn so we were thinking of booking early for West Coast as one of our teams will be playing but the airline ticket prices have gone through the roof. Price gouging! 

That's pretty lucky!

My Dad wants to book some cheap deal he found today. He says we'll regret it if we don't. I told him only when we are 10 goals up at half time, will I let him book it.

I'm a big believer in not jinxing it. If we book early, we'll lose. It is our destiny to win, and then spend a bloody fortune to travel to Perth, on the red eye, and sleep in a dirty motel. I can feel it!

Edited September 10, 20186 yr by Jaded

Malaysian airlines have a couple of A380's that have been sitting mainly unused for the last few years. They tried to sell them but no takers as well as trying to lease them out. They are now used for the Haj pilgrimage once a year until the lease runs out.

Perhaps we could get them over for the finals week and seriously move a few people around. The airfares asked by Qantas etc are ridiculous .. you can fly return to London for the price they ask.

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

At least the Hawk fans can spell and use appropriate grammar, unlike Geelong supporters

That's a point in their favour .... but they're still Hawk supporters.

 

5 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Malaysian airlines have a couple of A380's that have been sitting mainly unused for the last few years. They tried to sell them but no takers as well as trying to lease them out. They are now used for the Haj pilgrimage once a year until the lease runs out.

Perhaps we could get them over for the finals week and seriously move a few people around.

It's a noble cause and I expect they will offer their use for free. Haj .... Demon flag ... not hard to pick the more vital cause for world peace and harmony ...