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

Clarkson is so afraid of bottoming out that he has left too many players past it on their list. Paul popo is a shadow of himself from 3 years ago, thought they should have delisted him in 2018, Stratton should be retired, his only on the list because they're made him captain, and are devoid of any leaders. Burgoyne should do the right thing and retire. noticed how Frost was very reluctant to kick,bet he's been told," just don't kick it".    Scully is a good player, when he's surrounded by lots of talented players like he was at GWS, Tommy Mitchell has get 40 + just for them to win.

Last year we could not even  beat side's like that,if you can beat most of the teams in the bottom 10 you're a long way to playing finals.  Opposite to what  most people think, our game plan wasn't that bad last year we just didn't have the legs to run out games, and no fit forwards to take advantage of all the inside 50s.

 

 

On 3/7/2020 at 3:51 PM, george_on_the_outer said:

The precipice stands right in front of the Hawks ATM.  Burgoyne unsighted, McEvoy ( 1st game back from injury), no impact. 

Patten grossly unfit, was completely shot by quarter time. 

Scully run off his feet firstly by Langdon, then Tomlinson. 

Smith forced to play on Langdon and then did nothing during the game.

Puopolo should be retired as he had as much impact as McEvoy. 

No forward line apart from Patten..........

Common factor....30ish years of age!

Oh how wonderful this is.....Now for Geelong!

 

Spot on.

Asides from the Hawks and Cats, I think the other sides with extremely lob sided age profiles for their sides best players would be Collingwood and West Coast.  This is where I see a real oppertunity for the MFC to win flags in the next 3 or 4 years as the best of the current teams start to fall away and the age of our list profile comes into it's prime.

What's also pleasing with respects to Hawthorn is that some of the youngish players they paid premiums on like Jager O'Mera and Wingard aren't really producing the rewards proportional to what they gave up for them with respects to draft picks either.

On another point, yes our win against Hawthorn is only against what may well pan out to be a middle ranked side, but it's also worth noting that many of the so-called experts predict them to be in the 8 ahead of us (well before this weekend at least) and I agree with Mr.Short Temper that beating middle ranked sides consistently goes along way to making finals, although I'd contend that we also now need to get into the habit of beating the best teams as well and finish top 4.  

Personally, I'm quite happy for Hawthorn to never completely bottom out and spend a decade or more finishing in positions 7 to 12 - never good enough to genuinely compete and never low enough to get first crack at the cream of the crop at the draft.  They should also find it harder to attract free agents from this position as well after a few years and everyone works out that they are not really a genuine premiership contender or have buckets of money left over after they pay Mitchel, O'Mera, Wingard, $culley & Co.  In a similar vein, while 2019 really was not a fun year to support the MFC, perhaps we will look back on it as the hickup we had to have, particularly if Jackson, Picket and Rivers all deliver for us in the comming years.

Edited March 8, 20205 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

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

Clarkson would have to win 2 spoons in a row before he got sacked

I can see Clackson walking away himself, if after a few years if things are going further south.

The Hawks game was built on their kicking.

Who was sick of the eulogising of the great recruitment of left footers, magic kicks who consistently hit their targets?

They don't have those players any longer.

If you take a good look at their list they are now a very average kicking team, particularly out of defence.

Burgoyne is probably their best kick and he's at the end, Bruest, Smith, Gunston.

Sicily & Cousins of the younger group are ok but they're not a patch on the Premiership teams.

So coming out of defence you get Frawley, Frost, McEvoy (can't see that lasting), it's why Gunston had to go back there last year.

In the mids, Mitchell doesn't hurt and Worpel can't hit the side of a barn...

It's why Clarkson is trying to change their game plan to quicker movement out of defence.

Give him marks for trying but I can't see it going anywhere.

Time for a rebuild at the Hawks..

At least their supporters know what success feels like.

Easy for us to get all high and mighty, but its all a bit hollow until we win something.

Keeping my power dry until we snag a premiership, then i will feed it to all those bastards who gave me [censored] about MFC over the years.

Now is still too early.

56 minutes ago, ding said:

At least their supporters know what success feels like.

Easy for us to get all high and mighty, but its all a bit hollow until we win something.

Keeping my power dry until we snag a premiership, then i will feed it to all those bastards who gave me [censored] about MFC over the years.

Now is still too early.

I wish to see Whorethorn down until i am long dead. 
i saw them win the 1971 Cup live. A very violent game. The 2nd Semi was even more violent. 
Since then Whorethorn have been there, or thereabouts every year. 50 years

That’s what the MFC must aspire to be. 
We were that way, and then the Mojo was lost....

On 3/7/2020 at 4:33 PM, FarNorthernD said:

I was concerned about Patton before the game. The bloke doesn’t have to have many shots on goal to hurt you.
What I didn’t realise is how useless he is once the ball hits the ground. Zero defensive pressure. He is a well built statue. 

Defenders are going to run off him all year and Jon will be directly costing the Hawks goals down the other end. You gotta be happy about that! 

Good observation well described. Sadly, we have one in the backline, also fitting that bill.

40 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Good observation well described. Sadly, we have one in the backline, also fitting that bill.

Having one in the backline is more of a liability than one in the forward line. 

Reckon similar types of things were being said about the Hawks in 2018. They ended up top 4.

Write them off at your own peril.

 

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Reckon similar types of things were being said about the Hawks in 2018. They ended up top 4.

Write them off at your own peril.

 

That 4th pos and the 4th in 2016 was more a measure of a few other clubs incompetences in dropping games they shouldnt have, leaving the door open for an opportunistic swoop.

Even having the Isaac Smiss after the siren shot was a measure of Geelongs 4th qtr choke. What people are pointing to in this thread and over on their forum, is that they've been a middling team that cannot realistically threaten, for the past 4 years. I cant see that changing with the list theyve got.

Edited March 9, 20205 yr by John Demonic

7 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

That 4th pos and the 4th in 2016 was more a measure of a few other clubs incompetences in dropping games they shouldnt have. Even the Isaac Smiss after the siren shot was a measure of Geelongs choke. ewhat people are pointing to in this thread, is that they've been a middling team that doesnt realistically threaten, now for the past 4 years.

Never said they were going to win the flag, but there's lots of comments here implying they're finished before a ball has even been bounced. They have the best coach in the league, have deliberately recruited and have changed their game plan this year. Staggers me that supporters of a club like ours would start bagging them out after a meaningless preseason game.

I think they're a brilliantly coached team who have won a premiership on average every 3 years over the last dozen, something we could only dream of and should remember before labeling them the Bradbury's of the AFL.

Edited March 9, 20205 yr by Lord Nev

This thread has the potential to come back and bite us in the behind.

Some of the evaluations of the Hawks after 0 rounds are staggering.

On 3/7/2020 at 4:36 PM, Josh said:

Patton is a sook, every little touch he carried on. I reckon you could get in his head so easy

Something someone like May would be able to do well I would think

On 3/7/2020 at 4:36 PM, Josh said:

Patton is a sook, every little touch he carried on. I reckon you could get in his head so easy

Very Hogan-like.

29 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Very Hogan-like.

oooohhhh *grabs popcorn

On 3/9/2020 at 6:19 PM, Lord Nev said:

Reckon similar types of things were being said about the Hawks in 2018. They ended up top 4.

Write them off at your own peril.

 

this is different this time, in 2018 they still had a list full of premiership players, it was their last hurrah, it's not the same team you can't judge from 2018