Earl Hood

If we rotate Tracc, Melksham and Salem through the middle we potentially get better breakaway pace and ball use out of the middle. The reverse of this is we need to develop more versatile roles for the current insiders. Oliver can play forward and Harmes can play wing/half forward. Brayshaw needs to develop another string to his bow. I still think a great midfield coach could get a lot more out of having a dominant ruckman and Oliver with the quickest hands in the competition. The great Hawthorn midfields always seemed to have time and space to gain possession with clean hands, then flick it around to someone in the clear and moving forward. Mitchell, Lewis and co didn’t have great pace but could move the ball quickly to Smith or Hill on the outside.

Rumour only as you say. But I think the jury should still be out. Can he get back to full fitness again to when he could will himself to contest after contest that I remember from several years ago. At his best he played a similar contested role to that of Selwood or Hodge, but OK without their offensive capabilities.

My first reaction is don’t go there unless Viney precipitated it. The playing group and the club has enough issues to deal with this preseason without an action like this that could negatively impact on team morale.

Hey I fell asleep after half time does anyone know where I can find a replay of last nights game? Apparently it was a nail bitter finish!

This is not doing a lot for me I am afraid. All happening in slow motion. Amazing what age does to former athletes!

I don’t think KK is going to make it back and unless we can draft in several winger types I wouldn’t be unloading Stretch or JKH too quickly. Stretch has a high DE percentage when he is fit and playing amongst a midfield that regularly butcher the ball going forward.

Gee I thought he did play CHF for us at times? And I thought he left us after being blamed in part for our 91 finals loss to the Weagles and cracking it. Didn’t we unload just about everyone over 6’4 except Jimmy and Garry that preseason?

Make it happen, we need some HFC IP input into next years game plan.

Yep Ricky knows more than me that’s for sure, here I was advocating we draft in a Buddy Franklin key forward type and an outside runner similar to Robbie Flower. Sheesh what would I know.

Yes noted those skilful players in the Jeffy highlights package! Traded out Watts and Kent for more grunt oh well. Gee we could use a 2015 Jeffy now with his speed and goal sense. But as I have said in the past did our game plan of 2017/18 kill him? High forward press, congested forward line, multiple forward entries but no space to run. Looking at his highlights package he worked best when he had space and was one on one.

I know he has talent and skill set we need but Has he ever put together a run of good games? He gets injured a bit too I think, not having followed him in particular.

Can the new fitness guy resurrect AVB and JSmith? We can only hope as Hawthorn’s medicos specialise in reinvigorating injured hacks from other clubs, think Burgoyne, Scull#@ and O’Meara for starters.

For heaven’s sake history and the odds are overwhelmingly with us. Don’t panic please. But gee I am getting rather concerned now that I look at the runs needed and wickets in hand! ?

You mean in the 5 games this season where we were leading at 3/4 time? Anyway there is 5 games lost through poor goal kicking and there were a few others where we kicked horribly in the first half and lost so even though we haven’t played well at all this season some accuraacy in front of goal might have seen us on 10 or 11 wins for the season and maybe more as winning builds confidence and form.

Observers keep saying Stretch is not up to it! Do these stats mean anything? 21 disposals this week at 95% effciency, yet he is said to be non AFL standard amongst a squad of players who routinely butcher the ball when they get it.

Hi Dieter, been cruising around Jurien Bay, Geraldton area looking at the wild flowers for a few days then headed south today to Perth to watch the Weagles vs Hawks game. My wife is a mad Hawks fan and yes yet again the Hawks win. Everytime I go to these interstate Hawks matches, they win, I think that is 4 in a row. Everytime I drag her to an interstate Dees game we lose!

Yep watching live tonight the Hawks took them to the cleaners and this loss has most likely cost the Weagles another flag. The Hawks are so well drilled, and have skills and they have a system that works. They always show up to play to the game plan and tactically they play smart to negate their opponents strengths. Next year they get Mitchell back, Wingard, Scully will be better, they might pull Cogniglio as well. They have picked the eyes out of the free agent system and the disgruntled or chronically injured A graders from other clubs. As well they keep developing second round picks into likely future champions, Worpel, Sicily, Mitch Lewis, etc. Yes the Hawks will give it a shack next year, us well who knows!

Yes I am at Optus watching this and my thoughts exactly if only we had those skills in our forward line! The Eagles ball movement in the last 10 minutes is extraordinary! Hard to defend against that although the Hawks are playing well.free kick to Darling was laughable

I am driving in WA only heard the result and looked at stats. How did Stretch go, 21 disposals at 95% efficiency looks OK?

Buck I suspect Brendan McCartney picked up on it early. He said as much to me while I was watching training a day before it the coaching revamp after the bye. As I relayed in a training report he said to me (unsolicited which surprised me) after a training drill that the kids have to learn to not take short cuts, how you train is how you play but they will learn. My take at the time was that they weren’t putting in 100% at training. The next day Macca was shafted in the coaching reshuffle and rumours from DLand were he had clashed with some senior players. We know now he is gone at years end after telling me at the time he wanted another 2 years to get that elusive flag! Lewis’s comments align with Macca’s I think. Yes we have had injuries but the intensity of 2018 has been missing all year and now the group’s confidence is absolutely shot.

You are right height wise but Bradke is miles off AFL standard! A call up could destroy the kid at this stage.

Assuming Gawn is going to get up! If he doesn’t there is only Keilty available to play forward or Frost I suppose. We are almost bereft of players over 192 cm on the fit list.

I would offer Daisy a one year option for several reasons. He is playing good footy, has kicking skills and I like that he is a quirky extrovert type of player that is not carrying the psychological baggage that our list and coaching group is at the moment! Listening to interviews with Lever, Melk and even Goodwin, they seem bewildered at what has happened, basically we are in a dark place not unlike what Roos walked into. We probably need a turnover of 10 or so players, a mix of experience and youth to reset the group’s confidence in themselves.

Goffy that isn’t noughts and crosses, that’s this weeks game plan up on the board! If the Kangeroos get hold of that we are stuffed!

I somehow suspect Lewis may tell him to not bother with MFC as it is a basket case!