Round 5 - Hawthorn

[Cheer Squad]

The team is playing well at the moment and Sunday's effort against North Melbourne was very good, especially considering the absence of Goodes, Mumford, Nick Smith, and the tragic injury to Gary Rohan.

Now we're going to have our first real test of the season this week against the Hawks in Launceston.

We've played them at Aurora Stadium once before in a pre-season game back in 2008. That was the game in which Malceski did his knee, and it was also where Hawthorn broke a hoodoo against us that had stretched back several years.

This is a milestone game for Goodes who will become the club record holder for most number of games played in red and white. It's ironic because the last time we played Hawthorn was another milestone game for him, his 300th.

We were not competitve in that game, a semi-final at the MCG, so it's fair to ask where the improvement will come from if we're to beat them. Jetta has certainly come on a bit, and that might help, but to be honest, it's hard to see how much has changed in the last six months.

We will soon find out. It should be a cracker. Wish I was going.

Swans by 1 point.

[Big Al]

We'll win!!

[erica]

Yep. We can do this.

[satchmopugdog]

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

[aardvark]

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

Wow. I hope you're wrong.

[Hartijon]

We can exert enough pressure to upset the accurate kicking Hawks. My concerns are three,Buddy Buddy and Buddy. We gotta drop a man back to block his run at the ball and the midfield must chase and harass the kicker to prevent accurate delivery. Do this and we can win this one!

[Jewels]

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 always feel like I jinx us if I comment or tip us so I try hard to avoid it, but I just felt the need to say that the Eagles and Cats very much enjoy playing their home grounds and are very superior there also, but we managed to contain them last year.
I'm not saying we will do the same with the Hawks, I'm just saying that we've done it at other fortresses so we are at least a chance to do it at Aurora.

[msb]

I was at the semi last year and the hawks were just all over us. Different game and season, but I just cant see how we have improved that much in 7 months to be able to knock them off. It wont be a walk in the park for them though, but I think they'll win by around 20 - 30 points.

[Triple B]

I was at the semi last year and the hawks were just all over us. Different game and season, but I just cant see how we have improved that much in 7 months to be able to knock them off. It wont be a walk in the park for them though, but I think they'll win by around 20 - 30 points.

We were well beaten, but simply because they just killed us in the clearances and double teamed Sam, allowing Gibson to come over the top and we had no Plan B.

I think our midfield is much better equipped this year. Birdy is now a bona fide stopper and can play a role, Kizza struggled to regain form after his ankle last year and is now back to near his best, Parks has gone from strength to strength, Hanners should not have played following the shoulder against the Saints. The only improvement we cant expect from our group is Joey who played a blinder, winning most BOG's in a well beaten side.

As for Sam, we seem to be finding a few different avenues and ploys up forward this year.

And let's not forget we have Jets in scintillating form.

All that said, I'm not at all confident we can win, but last years semi is all but irrelevant in picking a line thru this game, imo.

[swansrule100]

I think we can win, our mids are going well at the moment and if mumford is back or even seaby plays ruck we should control the middle.

I think the hawks will be a bit zapped from the eagles game also.

[longmile]

I was at the semi last year and the hawks were just all over us. Different game and season, but I just cant see how we have improved that much in 7 months to be able to knock them off. It wont be a walk in the park for them though, but I think they'll win by around 20 - 30 points.

I agree completely

[GongSwan]

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

The same way Norf destroyed us with their precious (precise) handball game? Granted teh Hawks are a better team than Kanga's, but down in Tassie, the weather can often be a factor too. Nice if there was a gale blowing accross the ground. Really I don't care about their game, if we put enough pressure on, they'll fall apart like everyone else

[Dosser]

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!

[Wardy]

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

[ShockOfHair]

We won comfortably against North because we sustained our intensity for four quarters. If we do that we're a big chance, but the combination of the unfamiliar ground, the Hawks coming off a defeat and the sheer quality of their players makes them favourites.

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