The Monday Expert - Round 14 Hawthorn vs. West Coast Eagles
Hawthorn 4.8 10.8 11.15 18.18 (126)
West Coast 0.4 4.8 7.11 9.15 (69)
Not sure if you’re in trouble when you are beaten by 50+ points for the 5th time this year, or if because a 57 point loss is considered an “improvement”. Probably the latter.
Sadly, my DVR spat it and I didn’t get to watch this game at all, so I’ve got nothing more to say.
My question for you is - overall how did you play? can you see any signs of improvement? any glimmer of hope on the horizon?
And what on earth is going on with Kerr and Priddis getting 85 (!!!) disposals between them??
(btw - Priddis’ 45 was just 3 off Steve Malaxos’ club record 48, also vs. the Hawks IIRC)
Would love to hear your comments guys.
Jun 30th 2008
Didn’t watch the game but a Hawks supporter I know was actually disappointed with their performance. Can’t imagine why considering the margin. Perhaps she wants to put the Hawks in the same league as Geelong and a 57 point win just won’t cut it.
Jun 30th 2008
Think the best thing is that we played two quarters this weekend which while is an improvement from not turning up last weekend. However the best news imo is that Nisbett has read the riot act and put the clubs players on notice.
Expect Staker, Seaby, Rosa and Graham to be offered on the trade table. However while I agree that besides Rosa has been free loaders I do not expect any club to pick them up.
btw this was on the Sunday Times paper yesterday…
Jul 2nd 2008
I think trading for draft picks would be the best bet as I doubt any of the possible trades (listed above) could demand much in a ‘better’ player.
Jul 3rd 2008
No need to over-react guys. Even with zero changes to the playing list, with a bit of luck (ie nothing like the past season and a half) I reckon this time next year we’ll probably be in the 8, or at least pushing hard for it. Experience counts for a lot, and we’ve had so many rookies gaining experience this year (eg Masten, Ebert, Kennedy, McKinley, Houlihan, McNamara, Schofield, Wilkes, Spangher). These players look to me like they will supply the quality required, but have been thrown in at the deep end and floundered a bit this season. There has also been less on-field leadership from the senior players than is required and expected - poor form, suspensions and injuries have all played their part.
Of the 4 players K2K mentioned - sure, if we can get *good* deals for them then look at trades, but in the current environment I doubt that. Otherwise we’d be nuts to offload them for the sake of it - keep them as depth if nothing else. None are stars, but Staker, Rosa and Seaby have been serviceable (though inconsistent) over their shortish careers, and shown flashes of excellence. Graham is really the only one of the four that I feel is definitely not up to AFL - seems too slow for a defender, too small for a ruckman and behind several others on our list as a tall forward (which is saying something).
Jul 7th 2008
True, it’s been our worst-ever season (so far) in terms of wins and losses, but without going through the stats, I reckon it could possibly be our least experienced season ever (ie average games played for the players on the park), or close to it. I don’t agree that “being passive” (in terms of list management at least) is what has got us to this low point. It’s a combination of Cousins, Judd, poor form and suspensions from senior players, injuries etc etc but I for one think that the recruiting has been pretty reasonable, and that the list as it stands has the potential to develop into a very good team, especially with a couple of additions from this year’s draft.
Obviously I don’t want to see my club flounder either, and I don’t think it’s OK to develop a losing habit. However, I do think it’s sometimes necessary to go through a hard patch like we are now. If I can see positives (like forced development and testing of rookies, and maybe a high draft pick or two) coming out of these losses, it’s nowhere near as bad or frustrating as having a list that has played a lot of games together and is underperforming. Let’s face it, if more of the senior players had stood up in the first part of the season and provided the support required to keep the rookies from floundering, things could be very different right now.
I just don’t believe that wholesale changes to the list will be beneficial - the club should be selective in its trading (as it just about always has been), and not swap potential for potential, unless there is a definite advantage in doing so. As I mentioned before, in the current trading environment I think this is generally unlikely to happen. By all means, if it’s a good gain or for a specific list requirement, trade away, but don’t just trade for the sake of trading, or for “freshening” the list.