Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

[Mantis]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Watching some highlights and that Stringer snap goal still gives me goosebumps. What a moment.

Just before half time when we were making our run he kicked one out on the full from the 50m line.. If he kicked that, the place would have erupted.

[comrade]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Great moment. Loved that he gave the handball early in that play - then got inside 50 to receive another handball. The audacious off-balance finish...only Stringer could do it.

And the look away celebration as soon as he kicked the ball. Was like a Steph Curry walk away three pointer. Freak.

[The Doctor]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Just a magnificent night, best experience I've had with footy - superb, glorious and all the rest. The combination of joy and stress at the end of the third quarter was amazing. The horrible thought that the Hawks would still come back haunted most of the final quarter, but oh my, we smashed them so beautifully, and I've never sung the song so many times (and to be at the game with The Underdog, my two young'uns at their first night game let along final, plus my converted partner, was marvellous).

A few thoughts on the game:

* The hawks seemed to know that they needed to put us away early. Even when they were double our score, it still felt like we were in it up to our eyeballs, because when they scored their reaction was of relief, and there was already some fear in their faces and play;

* Roughead has developed wonderfully - loved him crashing into the opposing ruck, he was important when the ball hit the deck, channeling a little bit of the beard, and that mark and goal was one of the exclamation points, just like last week. Hope that he can dominate Mumford around the ground;

* Our hands in tight are incredible. Reminds me of the Sydney team of 2005, who won the flag that year (according to me) based on their ability to shoot it around in close until they found the space to move forward with a kick that retained possession. Libba, the Bont, and Macrea is a glorious handballing trio, with many others not far behind;

* Suckling's hands, however, are not why he is in the team, either with handballing or marking, but I thought we were able to use him as a weapon better than we have since his injury against the Blues. He's a fascinating player, from a more objective sense, because you can see how we target him as a weapon, and the opposition try and make him into a weakness - I think we got the points this week, in part because he's very good at moving to the right place both defensively as well as offensively, but I get why he becomes an easy scapegoat as well because his weaknesses are clear;

* Matty Boyd obviously didn't play as well as he did against the Weagles (I had him as bog there), but I liked the way he kept on trying to attack the game, and even when he stuffed up against Rioli (and he shouldn't have!), he was trying to find an attacking pass which is what we needed if we were going to win it;

* In terms of game plan, I think that part of the issue with the first quarter was that we weren't taking as many early risks as we did against the Eagles, which allowed the Hawks to pressure us more than before, and to win the ball back when we kicked it down the line or bombed it into our fifty. That said, the replay showed that we did attack more than I realised, just not as much as we needed to. You could see that we did it more in the 2nd quarter, and started to cut through the Hawks, though they maintained the pressure for a long time (102 tackles is immense!), we were just too good;

* Dunkley is a gem and had a huge game, but he still has a lot to learn, and had some infuriating moments - it's not as obvious on the replay I think, but there were at least 3 times when he refused to give the first option (which should never happen in our game plan unless you see a clearly better option at the same time), to go with a couple of wild kicks to no one in the 50, and a moment or two when he should have tapped to the free player rather than grab the ball and be unable to release it in the subsequent tackle. That all said, he did many great things, continued to play hard when things didn't go his way, and also showed he can learn by lowering his eyes to hit up Tom Boyd with a beautiful pass in the 2nd quarter when it would have been easier to bomb away;

* I would have selected Webb, so was glad that McLean proved me wrong - his work in tight was what impressed me the most, just as I think Stringer's smothers helped set up the rest of his game. That said, both Stringer and McLean are likely to dominate important games much more than they did on Friday in the hopefully not-too-distant future;

* I hope that Hamling takes his confident contested grab in the last quarter into his future games. He won his place in the team on the back of his increasingly impressive play, but I think he's got another level or two that he can reach, again hopefully soon - huge game for him against GWS;

* Clay Smith has turned me into a believer - that vision and skill in regaining balance and then kicking across his body to find Stringer was one of the turning points in the game, as was his first goal (and then second) in the 2nd. At the moment he's playing like the perfect defensive forward who can spend important time in the middle, and he's still clearly developing as a player as well. I love the way he can find the ball (or rip it away from others), and be damaging with it, to complement his pressure skills;

* We played a fantastic game, but I think the spread of talent across the team is shown by who could impact games much more than they did this one, such as JJ, Biggs, Wood, Libba, and M Boyd among others. Last week it was the Bont among others, and the beauty of what Beveridge does is that each player just needs to play their role, and if everyone does that we're going to be super-competitive regardless of who we play.

fantastic post

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Rewatching this, 22-3 with 5 minutes left in the first, The dream looks over…

[Twodogs]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Rewatching this, 22-3 with 5 minutes left in the first, The dream looks over…

I can't remember any of the first quarter live. Except for Zayne Cordy's tackle and goal.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

I can't remember any of the first quarter live. Except for Zayne Cordy's tackle and goal.

Dominated the first 5 minutes and Dicko missed two sitters before Hawks put the foot down, we were 86% in the forward half early, we will rue these wasted opportunities. Woody Got a goal back a Maclean had one disallowed. Not looking good. I've taken the dog down the beach before q2 starts..

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Stringer from no where then Bont gently persuades Hodge to sit down, big moment in the young mans career. Back in it!

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Hawks 23 up from here, a mate says its all over and with this hawks side i can weakly try to argue for optimism..

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

1 point down at half time, Tim Cahill loving his heroes and theres an all in biff!

[jeemak]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

We were on the *!*!*!*!ed highway without brakes until Breust missed that shot.

After that it was happy days. The Hawks gave us an inch and we took a mile. It makes me so happy we did that to them, because normally it's us giving the inch.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

We were on the *!*!*!*!ed highway without brakes until Breust missed that shot.

After that it was happy days. The Hawks gave us an inch and we took a mile. It makes me so happy we did that to them, because normally it's us giving the inch.

It took Bont 5 final qtrs but he really stood up in the second and forced the issue, weve been asking for that kind of player for a long time. He is a match winner and he has some good mates.

[Twodogs]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Dominated the first 5 minutes and Dicko missed two sitters before Hawks put the foot down, we were 86% in the forward half early, we will rue these wasted opportunities. Woody Got a goal back a Maclean had one disallowed. Not looking good. I've taken the dog down the beach before q2 starts..

Sorry Marcov I was off with the fairies and was talking about the Grand Final. I like talking about the Grand Final. It was the day we won the game and became premiers.


But even in this final as is tradional Hawthirn won the start. The difference was they fluffed a line and we made them pay.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

Sorry Marcov I was off with the fairies and was talking about the Grand Final. I like talking about the Grand Final. It was the day we won the game and became premiers.


But even in this final as is tradional Hawthirn won the start. The difference was they fluffed a line and we made them pay.

No apologies needed Teedee. I was at the GF and rewatched it twice. This is my first rerun of the semi. We are looking good in the last

[Twodogs]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

No apologies needed Teedee. I was at the GF and rewatched it twice. This is my first rerun of the semi. We are looking good in the last

When the Bont slaps the ball out of Good Bloke Luke Hodge's old and slower to react hands and then sets Dickson up with a goal is one of the most sublime moments I have experienced in football.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Game Day AFL Finals Week 2 Semi Final - Hawthorn V Western Bulldogs

When the Bont slaps the ball out of Good Bloke Luke Hodge's old and slower to react hands and then sets Dickson up with a goal is one of the most sublime moments I have experienced in football.

Ominous call By the commentator 'changing of the gaurd'.
Is there anything he can't do? He's so young, we are in for some treats, you can go back to the goal he kicked against a demon host in his first year, sublime is a good word.