Season 2017 - Hawthorn

Football Discussion Non Essendon Stuff
1

Hawthorn

Coach – Alistair Clarkson

2016 –
Points For – 6th
Points Against –7th

Top 5 Best and Fairest

  1. Sam Mitchell
  2. Jordan Lewis
  3. Shaun Burgoyne
  4. Grant Birchall
  5. Cyril Rioli

2016 Rising Star Noms

James Sicily (Round 13)

Ins – Jaeger O’Meara, Tyrone Vickery, Tom Mitchell, Harry Morrison, Mitchell Lewis, Oliver Hanrahan, James Cousins, Ricky Henderson

Outs – Angus Litherland, Matt Spangher, Zac Webster, Lachlan Langford, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Alex Woodward, Shem-Kalvin Tatapu, Brad Hill, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis

My Prediction

Finishing third last year was flattering for Hawthorn, they found a way to win the close games. They would have easily been 7th or 8th and that is probably where they actually rated on performance.

The backline is a definite area of concern, Frawley needs a big year for them to improve. I thought Gibson showed worrying signs in the second half of last year where teams started to exploit him. They have a couple of young KP defenders who will have to find their footing this year for there to be any real improvement. They have brought in Henderson but I think for now they are ok for half backs. Birchall, Burgoyne, Stratton and Duryea give them enough depth for that area. It will be interesting to see how they structure, if the backline fails (and it could) they are in trouble.

The midfield has been bolstered but Jaeger and Mitchell. Mitchell will have an impact straight away whereas clearly O’Meara is gong to have to build to it. It is an interesting point as to whether they have had a net win with losing Sam Mitchell, Hill and Lewis to gain Tom Mitchell and O’Meara. They need it to be a net win next year whilst they still have Hodge, Burgoyne and Gibson. It will also be interesting to see the impact on the likes of Smith, Hartung and Shiels to lift. For mine the midfield is weaker than last year. Certainly a concern.

Ceglar and McEvoy are a good pairing and they have Vickery now which will give them some extra flexibility.

Great for the Hawks to have Roughead back, they need him and their forward line is an area that will improve on last year. Roughead, Gunston and Vickery gives them three marking options. Vickery should be more reliable just for getting the third defender each week. The only real concern is that all three players are a little similar but think they will be able to find a way. They are good for small forwards with Puopolo, Cyril and Bruest all capable of kicking a bag on any given day. They have Siciliy for depth and I imagine may play a little as a swingman this year. The forward line should be more dangerous than last year.

So by my reckoning, they are stronger up forward and in the ruck but the midfield is potentially weaker and the backline has the potential to be a liability. I dont see them improving this year. I think they will slide back slightly. They are still a top 8 team but will miss Mitchell a lot, he was the one who could turn the game especially in the close ones. I think this year they will be 7th or 8th.

2

Ceglar is out for the year with a Knee injury right?

3

Missed that… thought he would be back. Shouldnt change too much unless McEvoy goes down as well

4

I agree with your analysis that they were a bottom half of the 8 team but outperformed last year.

I think they will slip a little this year and if they don’t win more than their fair share of the close ones they could well miss the 8.

I hope Roughy comes back as good as before but I fear they may need to content themselves with just seeing him back in the team this year. His body has been through hell in the past year and it’s a hard, long road back from that.

5
Missed that.. thought he would be back. Shouldnt change too much unless McEvoy goes down as well

I couldnt see all 3 of McEvoy, Seglar and Vickery playing anyway.
Their forward line should commonly be comprised of

  • Roughead
  • Gunston
  • one of Vickery, McEvoy or Seglar
  • one of Schoenmakers, Sicily or O’Brien(?)
  • 2 of Rioli, Poppy, Breust
6

Been Waiting a while for this Hawks Best 22

B Birchall Frawley Gibson
HB Burgoyne Stratton Hodge
C Smith Shiels Hartung
HF Puopolo Vickery Rioli
F Breust Roughead Gunston
R: McEvoy O’Meara Mitchell
Int: Whitecross Duryea Sicily, Burton

Emg: Lovell, Brand, Schoenmakers,

Defence would give them 8/10
Midfield 6/10 If O’meara gets on the park they might be able to match last year.
Forwardline 8/10 - looks better with Roughy back, Vickery may help
Ruck - in trouble if McEvoy gets injured.

Prediction 8th range (6-12th)

they will be looking for Development from - Lovell, Burton, Sicily, O’Rourke.

They are a bit like Essendon in 2004 a few stars left but they are old - Hird, Fletcher, Lucas Lloyd (Roughead, Rioli, Hodge, Burgoyne, Gibson)

Make or break years for Langford and Hartung they both turn the ball over too much for Clarkos liking.

7

I just do t see it with the Hawks.

At some point Burgoyne, Hodge and Gibson will start to fail. Roughead is a massive ? Mark. You can’t question the bombers players coming back after a year off doing nothing and then think a guy who went through cancer treatment is going to rock back in and captain straight away.

Rioli is going to have to spend more time in the midfield.

Vickery is a spud

Mitchell is a good workhorse but he certainly can’t replace Mitchell or Lewis, he is not at that level yet.

OMeara is a risk, and even if he does come back R1 he will take his time to build. Especially if he doesn’t have the athletic tools he once had because of the injury.

After that you looking at a team of second tier players. All of which are going to find it tough as soon as the heats is on.

8 - 10th for me

8

8th

9

Yeah 8th is about right I reckon. Can’t see them missing the eight no matter how you look at it.

10
8th

I think this is a typo

11

As much as i want them to fail, i think they will still be a good/ pretty good side.

I think they are locks for top 6.

Their forward line is still very dangerous. Midfield and backline is still good.

Even if they are struggling the umps will help them out with a few freebies in front of goal

12

I sincerely hope SMJ is on the money with this shower of mongrels!

13

I sense that they are looking a bit vulnerable. Big question marks over the return of Roughie and O’Meara. Vickery is not a total spud, and will benefit from better delivery of quality ball to him, but is not a match winner.
The defence is solid but a lot depends on their older players once more shouldering the bulk of the workload. The loss of Mitchel and Lewis and the way they were dumped will reverberate throughout the team this season. Other teams are circling, and they smell the vulnerability, a few clubs will be thinking this is the chance for a little payback and will ramp up the pressure. The feeling that the Dawks were all but invincible no longer fills the air. Good enough to make the finals still, but they are on the slide.

14

Season over after round one. Bookmark it.

1 Like
15

Hawks mates reckons afl will let them get dusty as a free agent next year so they dont fall, with retirements from hodge and burgoyne.

16

Risky nominating Roughie as captain. Once you’ve been to stage 4 you can never consider melanoma to be “cured”.

17

Sadly, it might be the reason he is captain. Hope his health stays good, but that we flog them.

18
Hawks mates reckons afl will let them get dusty as a free agent next year so they dont fall, with retirements from hodge and burgoyne.

Why would the AFL want this?

19
Hawks mates reckons afl will let them get dusty as a free agent next year so they dont fall, with retirements from hodge and burgoyne.

Why would the AFL want this?

Same reason as Free Kick Hawthorn?

20
Hawks mates reckons afl will let them get dusty as a free agent next year so they dont fall, with retirements from hodge and burgoyne.

What’s it got to do with the AFL? Either Dusty nominates them or he doesn’t. If he does, how could the AFL stop it?