Round 5 - Hawthorn

[Melbourne_Blood]

I have no idea. This is the test. Pre-season i would have said no chance. 4 rounds in its difficult to tell how well we are going as we havent been tested by a side like this yet. Its difficult to tell how Hawthorn are going as they've played some good footy but lost 2 close games they probably should have won but couldnt hang on. I look forward to seeing how it pans out. I'll go with my heart and say swans by 2..

[Rod_]

We normally get beaten by teams above us on the ladder, so we will be right this week.

PS a good ploy to be close to the top of the ladder.. shouldn't get beaten that often this year with this plan..

Rod_

[Far Reach]

We're batting a bit deeper now in the midfield and players seem very familiar with their roles. Hawks have gone the other way though may have some good ins this round. Confidence may just get us there this week.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

It'd help if Buddy kicks 1.6 and gives away seven frees as he did against the Eagles.

Trust Eagles to get that luck. He'll kick 5-7 goals against us now.

[Big Al]

We only need to win by a point! Of course I hope we smash em but otherwise one point win will do me.

My cardiologist would disagree.

[sok]

Guys most people didn't give us a chance against the kangas but we smashed them even without our two super stars.

Eagles have shown us that the hawks can be beaten and that's what we gonna do. Swans by 8

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[rojo]

After the first two games of the year we were mostly disappointed in what we saw as we had such high expectations of better skills etc after the much publicised concentration on improving them over summer, however I thought in the game last Sunday we got a glimpse of what the team is capable of and that was without 3/4 key players and Reid being well held.

If we continue with the same intensity all over the ground and belief and can continue to improve consistency over 4 quarters we are going to be a formidable team. Last year most of the time there was just Goodes and Sam Reid generating excitement. Now we have Jets and Parks and Kennedy setting the world on fire and Mal and Kizza back in form.

I am so hoping that this Sunday is going to be a continuation of the steady build up, that we will stop the Hawks and have a great win - not only for Goodsey but because we play great footy. Not to mention the fact that I will be there watching.

PS if Everitt could do a bit of tackling last Sunday to make up for Gary going down, let's hope he keeps that thought for the rest of the year!

[Yuri H]

One of our 3rd-quarter naps and we're doomed. But after actually playing four entire quarters so well, with so many mainstays out injured/sick/suspended this past weekend, the team has me nervously optimistic. If we can just keep up that level of play again and get the Hawks frustrated, we have a chance. Shut down their star players like Shaw did with Harvey last weekend and we have a good chance.

[ernie koala]

I was at the semi last year with a friend and we still talk about the kicking skill of the Harks in the warm-ups that day. Their kicking skills were so far above us that we needed binoculars to see them. In addition, they spread from contests so much better than us and I am not sure we have this right yet. We are a better team than last year but have yet to address the spread on a bigger ground than the SCG. I think it will be Hawks by 17, but the Swans to show the world that we are on our way!

Yeah, I pretty much agree.
Also get the feeling Buddy will get a bag.
But bugger it.....Swans by 9

[Melbourne_Blood]

It was pleasantly surprising to look through the stats in the paper and see quite a few of our players over 70% efficient with their disposals last week. Despite the wet. I think Kennedy was under 70 and he looked quite clean so it must have been a few long kicks to know one that brought his down. Nick Mal and Jetta were both around 90 IIRC. Hopefully that can continue as it will help our chances this week.

[Wardy]

My cardiologist would disagree.

for a man that allegedly has his own harum ( according to another poster on this sight) just ask one of them to give you heart massage should it get close;-)

[nicko18]

re: their precise kicking, just remember in 2012 so far 59.59 plays 61.46

but other than that we'll get our arses handed to us, and to rub the salt in the spruce moose will probably be calling the game (Jetta v Rioli)


This will be the first week i'll be tipping against us.

[grarmy]

I would love to see the Swans contest all day. Hawthorn is the side to beat this year. How we go on the weekend will provide an insight into how we will go this year. Over the past four weeks we have shown that we are a better side than last year. To the winning team of last week we have to find room for Goodes, Mummy, LRT, Smith, Spangher, and Armstrong when fit, maybe Cunningham, maybe TDL. So now matter how we go next weekend, we are going to improve over the season.

[Nich]

We need someone crashing packs hard with the Jetts and Ben hanging about.

If Smooch is out Cyril might tear us a new one. Rhyce may get him but that will allow Lewis/Mitchell/Sewell to cause even more trouble.

Not expecting a win if the Hawks are on but we can win - if that makes any sense.

[wolftone57]

The Hawks enjoy playing at Aurora (York Park for us old Launcestonians as in from Launceston not an ex student of Grammar High) and will frankly slaughter us with their precise kicking. Sorry

I have watched both sides this year closely. Swanies live and on telly and Hawks on telly. Hawks are not unbeatable and the Hawks v Eagles game was a battle of the defences. The goal kicking was atrocious and Eagles proved if you hassle them and don't let them get easy ball their precise kicking starts to break down. With their style you need to have an option to kick to and if you shut down their options they start to get sloppy. It also forces them to kick long which is not their plan. We win a lot of ball at ground level and they are going to be without Cyril most likely which will impact their ground work in the forward line.

With Buddy, you don't play one player on him, you play two. One to take him forward and the other when he goes onto the ball. Roughead is playing a Ruck/Forward role at the moment which is not what Hawks really want but need to do because of Bailey being injured. We can also expose them in the back half if we deliver well and don't just pop it up to Reid like last time. If we give our forwards a chance Gibson won't be able to do the same as last time.

We are a far better side than last year do not underestimate our blokes!