Please explain....

[KT31]

Re: Please explain....

It just goes to show, Anybody can really win on the day.

What really peeves me it now makes Hawthorn the first team to win a flag in each decade I have been alive.
While the Dogs have not managed to play in a flag for five decades (and we lost that to Hawthorn)

Cut the excuses Dogs and make the tough dessisions and Win a bloody Flag !

[mjp]

Re: Please explain....

...how Geelong lost that GF and the Hawks won?
I suppose I'm a bit jealous as Hawthorn were in a similar position to us a few years back.
I don't rate Hawthorn or maybe more some of the players at Hawthorn.
Dew is way overweight, I don't rate Guerra and Bateman. Young, Birchall, Ladson, Ellis, Gilham all young and skinny. Their rucks are nothing to write home about either.

I know Geelong kicked themselves out of it but man for man Geelong is better and if played 100 times I believe Geelong would win it 99 times.

Because Hawthorn came prepared to play and Geelong came prepared to win. When things weren't going the Hawks way early, they didn't panic - they stuck to their plans (a bad plan is better than no plan) and took advantage of Geelongs mistakes. When the tide turned - as it always does - Geelong started to guess a bit. Further, with Harley off and Scarlett rendered impotent by having to play on Franklin, they really lacked rebound from half-back, with two ordinary decision makers (Hunt and Mackie) and past his prime half-back (Milburn) being forced to pick up the slack...they couldn't, and we started to see pressure generated turnovers by Geelong.

I thought Hawthorn were the ones who kept their nerve - it must have been tempting to move Hodge forward and Lewis into the middle with Mitchell struggling so much early and Bateman clearly injured - but they didn't, they put the weight on their lesser lights and came through...

Like your Hawthorn list ES, Geelong have some very ordinary players in their line-up - add Rooke, Stokes, Lonergan and Taylor to those mentioned earlier - and it doesn't matter how many stoppages Corey, Ablett and Selwood win, if the support isn't there....

[MrMahatma]

Re: Please explain....

The Hawks are a good team. I thought they could win. I agree that the Cats are a better team though, but it showed one thing today...

...the better forward line beat the better midfield...

interesting.

[Topdog]

Re: Please explain....

The Hawks are a good team. I thought they could win. I agree that the Cats are a better team though, but it showed one thing today...

...the better forward line beat the better midfield...

interesting.

Did it really? The Hawks forward line scored 5 or 6 goals for the match.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Please explain....

Although the missed opportunities killed Geelong, IMO a few of them became a little too relaxed in the way they were playing. Johnson kept trying to create something from nothing with his kicks - it wasn't working. Ablett did the same a couple of times. The creative passes simply weren't there, Hawthorn cut off their space and played man on man football. They basically carried out the same game plan we had, separating their defenders, but their execution was much better than ours and thus they won the game.

Young was impressive, as was Rioli - both really gave Hawthorn a lot as did Dew for that 5-10 minute spell.

Geelong were foolish playing Stoakes, Varcoe AND Chapman. The reality is that either Varcoe or Stoakes had to be dropped. Wojcinski would have been far better running through the midfield or giving them drive off half back with his pace. Must say, odd move by Geelong.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Please explain....

I think we're reading more into than there is.

Geelong simply missed shots they would normally kick in their sleep.

[Mantis]

Re: Please explain....

You don't win matches when the Inside 50's count is 43-62, well you shouldn't.

Geelong should have been 4 or 5 goals in front at half time. They weren't and after Hawthorn played well for 5 minutes in the 3rd qtr the game was over.

Just hope when we make the GF our's is as easy to win.

[gohardorgohome]

Re: Please explain....

...how Geelong lost that GF and the Hawks won?
I suppose I'm a bit jealous as Hawthorn were in a similar position to us a few years back.
I don't rate Hawthorn or maybe more some of the players at Hawthorn.
Dew is way overweight, I don't rate Guerra and Bateman. Young, Birchall, Ladson, Ellis, Gilham all young and skinny. Their rucks are nothing to write home about either.

I know Geelong kicked themselves out of it but man for man Geelong is better and if played 100 times I believe Geelong would win it 99 times.

Just shows how important it is to be a Footballer first and an athelete next. I dont want to sound overly disparaging but Farren Ray was great at the beep tests, but struggled with the kicking. Also funny to hear on SEN this morning that one club downrated Cyril Rioli after his interview at the draft camp.

I feel that we dont have a leader at the club like Luke Hodge or Michael Voss.

Maybe they could skip a generation and appoint Higgins to the leadership group to take over from Johnno if he has an injury free year next year.

[Bornadog]

Re: Please explain....

Maybe they could skip a generation and appoint Higgins to the leadership group to take over from Johnno if he has an injury free year next year.

That is a big call, and it won't happen.

We have guys like Cross, Gia, Murphy all waiting in the wings to be Captain. Cooney and Griffo are probably next in line, way before a Higgins.

[Happy Days]

Re: Please explain....

I think we're reading more into than there is.

Geelong simply missed shots they would normally kick in their sleep.

Geelong lost the game, Hawthorn didn't win it.

But it wasn't because they missed their shots, it was because they played selfish, and at some junctions, undiciplined footy. Sure, Ottens should have kicked that goal, but he didn't, and he did have Lonergan open in the square for the handball. And he wasn't alone in that department...Stevie J (particularly surprising given the great emphasis he put on goal asists this year), Stokes et al. all had moments where a handball over the top or something of that nature was on, but they went themselves and it didnt pay off.

It is correct to say that Geelong should have won, but its a cop-out to say they simply just "missed their shots".

[Bornadog]

Re: Please explain....

Amazing thing about the GF was that none of the big forwards for both sides did anything, although Mooney was disgraceful with the shots he missed. Buddy, Roughead, did nothing, Lonegran proved he is a dud.

The other observation is that Scarlett was stuck with following Buddy around, Harley was injured, so the backline had no drive and attack, which is the usual way Geelong mount most of their scoring shots. I think they should have had Wojinski in the team, he would have been better than Stokes and given them something out of the backline.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

Amazing thing about the GF was that none of the big forwards for both sides did anything, although Mooney was disgraceful with the shots he missed. Buddy, Roughead, did nothing, Lonegran proved he is a dud.

The other observation is that Scarlett was stuck with following Buddy around, Harley was injured, so the backline had no drive and attack, which is the usual way Geelong mount most of their scoring shots. I think they should have had Wojinski in the team, he would have been better than Stokes and given them something out of the backline.

I agree except Stokes deserved to be in the side. What was Varcoe doing in there? He had one good game for the year. Hawkins and Lonergan will be swapped over next year as well

Harley i thought was a bit of a girl, he looked fine walking back at half time.

[MrMahatma]

Re: Please explain....

Amazing thing about the GF was that none of the big forwards for both sides did anything, although Mooney was disgraceful with the shots he missed. Buddy, Roughead, did nothing, Lonegran proved he is a dud.

The other observation is that Scarlett was stuck with following Buddy around, Harley was injured, so the backline had no drive and attack, which is the usual way Geelong mount most of their scoring shots. I think they should have had Wojinski in the team, he would have been better than Stokes and given them something out of the backline.

Prob harsh on Buddy to be honest. Take him out of the game and Scarlett gets 30 touches and sets up a handful of goals, and buddy kicked 2 and set another one or two up himself. (also should've had another shot if it weren't for the poor umpiring).

He may not have kicked 6 goals, but he was a pretty important player in the context of the game IMO.

Roughead played the majority of the game down back after Croad broke his foot (how good was his bump though when walking off with a broken foot! Love that!)

[LostDoggy]

Re: Please explain....

How did not one Hawthorn player get suspended?
Croad was dirty and so was Mitchell more than once.
Its just BS.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Please explain....

How did not one Hawthorn players get suspended?
Croad was dirty and was Mitchell more than once.
Its just BS.

You have to assasinate someone to get suspended in a grand final.

All the media is about the winners and the AFL sits quietly in the corner hoping everyone forgets about the MRP.

By contrast, in the prelim every journo in the country is trying to beat up a story about nothing so any little love tap is going to make front page news - only if you win of course, if you lose no-one cares.