Match-day thread : Semi-Final 2 versus Hawthorn

[dimelb]

Disagree Cappy. Our forwards struggled because we chipped around outside 50 in the first half rather than get it in quickly to our forwards. The more we chipped it and over possessed, the more we turned it over and succumbed to pressure. Brought about our own downfall.

I think both views are right. We either overused the ball and starved the forwards or we bombed it long in hope to little effect.

[ScottH]

Bahhhh,

At least on a positive note we don't have to face the ferals next week..

Gibson.
Long bombs into an undermanned forward line.
No pressure on the ball carrier.
Mcveigh getting tackled in the goal square.
McVeigh walking the ball over the boundary at least 3-4 times.
Kennelly's one brain fart per game.
Goodes and Sam HTB early in the 4th Qtr.
Jude's HTB, that should've been ITB.

Bahhhhhh.

[ScottH]

Jesse Whites half hearted marking efforts.

[Hartijon]

Got harassed by some mates today .They asked me a simple question."What the hell was your game plan against the Hawks?"
Can anyone help with the answer? I don't have a clue!

[Nich]

Got harassed by some mates today .They asked me a simple question."What the hell was your game plan against the Hawks?"
Can anyone help with the answer? I don't have a clue!

Trademark Footy for 4 Quarters

[Gary]

Unfortunately White is half hearted & lacking instinct in every facet of his game...no more please.

[Primmy]

You have a point Gary. Jesse just doesn't have an instinct for the game. He can be so good, but its the instinctive aspect of the game that appears to be missing. I think you have put your finger on. No matter how hard you try, how much you want it, how good y ou are at training, its the instinct of a footballer that makes a difference. damn.

[Mr Magoo]

I think both views are right. We either overused the ball and starved the forwards or we bombed it long in hope to little effect.

My first ever game at the MCG. I must say that while it is a collesseum of a ground , I wasnt as impressed as I felt I should have been, if ANZ had the crowds every time that the MCG gets it would be just as impressive a venue and it doesnt get all those bloody seagulls that make the field look so crowded at ground level. So much so that I was wondering if it affected our game. Maybe the dissapointing game by our guys and being pitched in with a whole heap of feral hawthorn fans didnt help.

As for fans from Melbourne teams consistent line about Sydney fans not knowing the rules of the game - please spare me. All I heard all night was the call of ball the moment one of our players even thought of being tackled and how no free ever called against Hawthorn was ever fair. Maybe AFL fans in Melbourne need to brush up on the rules of the game themselves.

Anyway rant over about that, the reason we lost the first half was simply illustrated in the half time disposal count which had nine out of the top ten disposals being credited to Hawks players. The only swans midfielder was kennedy. That is simply diabolical. We were second the ball for the entire first half. We didnt chip it around , we simply didnt have it. Hawthorn were harder at it from the backs , thourgh the midfield to the forwards.

The guy I was at the game with (who is a geelong fan) said to me at half time - "Hawthorn cant handle pressure, of all the teams who would be able to do that , I thought it would be the swans". We were simply awful in the first half , particularly in the midfield. The only way the ball came into the forward line was slowly and to packs of players which normally invovled two or even three hawks players up against one swan. They couldnt be blamed for the low score as you simply cant score if thats the way it is presented to you. To make matters worse I reckon that about four or five of their goals came from schoolboy errors by our guys.

In the third quarter we finally did what we should have done from the start, we were first to the footy, we were quicker with our ball movement and Hawthorn started to melt under the pressure as a result. If we had been only one or two goals down at three quarter time, we almost could have run over the top of them but we couldnt sink the slipper and hawthorn got their confidence back to run away at the end.

I dont think Hawthorn have a chance of beating collingwood next week if that is their best.

[AnnieH]

"Trademark" footy??

What's that??

Turn up for one quarter only???

Still not happy.

[Kanga]

Jesse Whites half hearted marking efforts.

I didn't see Jesse's 'trademark' motorcycle rev up Friday night - must have meant he didn't kick a goal...

[Nico]

I sat down and watched the replay this afternoon. Yes the first half was ordinary but in the first quarter Hawthorn didn't get their second goal until 2.09 minutes left on the clock. They then got one straight out of the guts for a goal. Even though we kicked 4 in the second quarter, it was as bad if not worse than the first quarter.

My observations of what we got wrong.
Failed to stick tackles
Kicked across the ground rather than get it in quickly
4 of their first 5 goals were from turnovers. Hanners back kick that Osbourne pounced on was our worst turnover for the year. Hanners, Jack, Bird and Kennedy were the main culprits by foot.
In Hawthorn's forward line there was no one front and centre for the spill and indeed behind. We seemed to be side on to everything. Hale for goodness sake kicked a soda off the pack.
One of those days when we got the flukey ball bounces that even went over Goodesy's head on one occasion.
For the previous 4 weeks we pounced on the opposition when they got the footy. This week we were metres off the play.
Hanners was very tentative particularly after the early whack to the ribs. Rohan had little dash.
Jack was very outside the whole game. Injured perhaps. Not happy to go into close battle.

Umpires:
I am not normally on about umpires on RWO but.....
There was Ryan and Nicholls and the other bloke (?)
In the first half the other bloke was incredibly inconsistent and appeared to give most of the frees against us.
ROK front on over Hale on the ground in the first quarter was deemed high. This decision was paid 3 times to Hawthorn yet that circumstance happened numerous times in the game and we didn't get a free for it.
!st Q; Hawthorn caught HTB 5 times and allowed play to go on. All prior opportunity.
2nd Q: Murphy tackled by Rohan put the ball on the ground. Incorrect disposal, play on. Commentators were bemused, said a clear free.
Head high contact on us rarely paid. Commentators remarked a number of times on these missed frees.
Mumford constantly held by Bailey at throw ins.
Bailey tunnel ball throw in first quarter right in front of other bloke umpire.
Goodes handballed out in front of himself and was clearly held at least twice. The umpire was running beside the play. How could he miss it?
Reid cannoned into 3 times in first quarter. Disguised by the third man up punching away, but Reid's opponent just knocked him away. Almost rabbiting by taking the waist out. Clearly a shove action, not bumping. Reid was hit front on in a contest, no free, yet Shaw was similar up the other end copped a free against. This happened most of the game. I think we all saw the glaring one right in front, one out, where he was clearly held by the arm. Commentators said a clear free.
Hodge goal from boundary should have been head high free to White at the throw in.
Franklin had a fistfull of Teddy's jumper then pushed off to take the mark. Ted protested. Ump was pretty close to that one.
The points I make about the umpiring are that if some of these were paid then Hawthorn would not have had the momentum they were allowed. They didn't miss too many for Hawthorn.
Sure our turnovers were diabolical but so was the umpiring. Inconsistency in spades.

Jessie White. Lazy footballer. Can't read the ball coming in.
Johnson is a very, very good footballer.

[Chilcott]

I will be very disspointed if Jesse White is not traded during the off season.

He gives you hope with the odd glimpse of good football, but for the majority of the time he is lazy and gives you nothing.

And I couldn't care less how many tackles he makes. That's only part of the job. He is their to take marks or at least bring the ball to ground. He can't even take an overhead mark when unoppossed.

[Scottee]

Jessie White. Lazy footballer. Can't read the ball coming in.
Johnson is a very, very good footballer.

Yes, Johnson is a gem. Seems to have the ability to read the play that guys like Scarlet have. Superb backman who will only get bigger, stronger and more skilled.

I am really starting to wonder whether there is not some health issue with White. If you watch his eyes during a game often they are sunken and half closed and he seems to have difficulty concentrating (early in his career there was more of a spark in his eyes). Could it be that he has Chronic Fatigue or Glandular Fever? Perhaps he just can't sleep before a game? I don't want to go into the other alternatives but before we write him off I think that we need to be sure everything is OK on the health front.

[aardvark]

I am really starting to wonder whether there is not some health issue with White. If you watch his eyes during a game often they are sunken and half closed and he seems to have difficulty concentrating (early in his career there was more of a spark in his eyes). Could it be that he has Chronic Fatigue or Glandular Fever? Perhaps he just can't sleep before a game? I don't want to go into the other alternatives but before we write him off I think that we need to be sure everything is OK on the health front.

Interesting. I have often wondered if he has sight problems, that would explain a lot really. Maybe we need to send him to OPSM with Ray.

[Dosser]

Yes, Johnson is a gem. Seems to have the ability to read the play that guys like Scarlet have. Superb backman who will only get bigger, stronger and more skilled.

I am really starting to wonder whether there is not some health issue with White. If you watch his eyes during a game often they are sunken and half closed and he seems to have difficulty concentrating (early in his career there was more of a spark in his eyes). Could it be that he has Chronic Fatigue or Glandular Fever? Perhaps he just can't sleep before a game? I don't want to go into the other alternatives but before we write him off I think that we need to be sure everything is OK on the health front.

I want your TV!