2015 AFL Season Discussion

Matty76 · May 7, 2015

Lazlow said:
Well Kennedy has been named in the 25 man squad, and I'm not surprised the source of this story that he's destined for the knife is Kim Hagdorn, the biggest waste of space and time in all of football reporting.

In retrospect I may have gone off in the holster a touch too early (if you'll pardon the expression!) - glad to see Josh Kennedy in the team this week. Do you think it is a "suck it and see" approach @Lazlow eg if he struggles this week then it's in for surgery?

Shaunao1983 · May 9, 2015

Complete Arrogance & Rubbish from the Hawks tonight. Twice in 2 years we have displayed nothing but CRAP against this team. Absolute shithouse from a premiership team.

BLOWN8 · May 9, 2015

Am embarrassed to say I am a Hawthorn supporter tonight. Such an un-Hawthorn like performance. Not going to make any excuses though, we had 22 and they had 22. Last year we played really good footy without our best 22 on the field, this year I think if we are to cause any damage we need our absolute best 22. I actually thought we had good depth in our team, now I'm not so sure.

hawkstarcards15 · May 9, 2015

Absouletely @Shaunao1983 & @BLOWN8 We didn't really look like or deserve to win tonight. The inconsistency week to week is so frustrating and disappointing (W L W L W L)
The same players are standing up and trying their guts out week to week : Mitchell, Gunston, Burgoyne, Birchall, AND obviously Lewis and Hodge suspended. we missed their Clearance ability and leadership tonight. Schonemakers! Don't even get me started, at times i feel for the bloke because it looks like he really tries however his Decision making and 'Footy Brain' isn't League Standard. Langford playing pretty ordinary this year. Need a few new faces in for their first run for 2015: Litherland, Simpkin etc.

Thoughts?

Matty76 · May 9, 2015

My fellow Hawks, a sense of perspective - it's not how you start a season, it's how you finish it. I batted barely an eyelid at the result today. 60+ point wins over Geelong, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne is the real Hawthorn. I'd be happy to reach the halfway mark at 6/5 or 7/4 - put Hodge, Lewis and Frawley back in and it is a different team.

Don't panic guys....we always have 2013/2014 to fall back on anyway if things do go downhill from here!

Shaunao1983 · May 9, 2015

Don't get me wrong Matty76, Im no where near panicking. I love our boys to death but tonight was just Crap. I can take a loss but not when you show lack of wanting to play I get very frustrated. Very few of our lads wanted to play tonight.
Give Heartherley a game FFS!

Matty76 · May 10, 2015

Even last year our boys were dodgy interstate - there were losses to Sydney (ANZ Stadium), Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium) and Fremantle (Domayne Stadium) and a very narrow win over a struggling Crows side.

On a more serious note, this is pretty bloody sad - http://www.standard.net.au/story/3067853/man-dies-at-heywood-football-game/

Matty76 · May 10, 2015

Rightio - so Geelong beat Collingwood by seven goals, St Kilda come back from a 55 point defecit to beat the Western Bulldogs, GWS beat Hawthorn, Brisbane beat Carlton in Melbourne and West Coast win at Adelaide Oval......WHAAAAAT!????

This is why I only tip (mostly unsuccessfully) on the Friday night game!!

Lazlow · May 10, 2015

- Don't know why people are calling Geelong over Collingwood an upset. West Coast get called flat track bullies, but who have Collingwood beaten? I had Geelong winning it, not by that much, but I've got them higher up the pecking order than Collingwood. Especially when the Pies are relying on two of the biggest spuds up forward. Cloke's better off just sitting on the arc, while White plays the square with Elliot at his feet.

- Great win by West Coast, and its two weeks where they've given maximum effort as a team. Hoping this is the beginnings of Adam Simpson's reign, and this is how he's going to get them to play. Despite the injury list, despite the press, he's got them believing and taking the game on. It's great to see. That said, I still haven't forgotten that first quarter against Freo, and there was some wayward kicking tonight from guys who tend to be more reliable.

- GWS were always going to come. They've brought up a young group together - more so than Gold Coast, who seemed to rely more on experienced heads like Ablett, Brown, Harbrow, Rischitelli, and Bock (who never got going) - and made some great fortuitous pick ups along the way. Hawthorn are a team that have always appeared to have the deepest list, no matter the outs, they always turned up. Missing Lewis and Hodge, is no excuse. GWS can only play the team that's put in front of them and they were simply better.

- Find it hard to see Mick coaching Carlton beyond this year. He couldn't get them up for his milestone game and now they get touched up by a team that has been historically bad. Carlton talks rebuild, and that's gotta start from the top down with a young group, maybe it's time Brendan Bolton gets a gig?

- St Kilda got some key ins, while there was potential for the Dogs to suffer a big win hangover. Still the Dogs had them pasted yet Saints found something and got up. Gotta give their supporters hope they are on the right track.

Lazlow · May 13, 2015

Kane Cornes set to retire after round 8 when he plays his 300th game

Matty76 · May 13, 2015

Lazlow said:
Kane Cornes set to retire after round 8 when he plays his 300th game

...and in other SA news, Brent Reilly has announced his immediate retirement. He of course received that very nasty head injury in the pre-season.

driventostir · May 16, 2015

Fell asleep in 2nd quarter last night. I could already see North would start dominating. Happy to see Dons put up a great fight like in the win against Saints, espec. with the WADA business now over their heads.

Hawks won't win this year. Nigh on impossible to 3-peat. Whats happened to Rioli? He doesn't seem as good these days

I have Magpies to stitch up cats. They've been clinical against dons, blues and expect a 3-4 goal win of course I could be way off.

Adelaide are my smokey for the premiership. Love the way Tex, Rory, Paddy and that play.

What else? Eagles looking the goods. Is Kennedy gonna play on the rest of the season despite the elbow issue?

Lazlow · May 16, 2015

driventostir said:
Fell asleep in 2nd quarter last night. I could already see North would start dominating. Happy to see Dons put up a great fight like in the win against Saints, espec. with the WADA business now over their heads.

I really hope next person to tackle Thomas really clubs him. Might not drop into a tackle in future, even if his coach has no problem with with it.

Hawks won't win this year. Nigh on impossible to 3-peat. Whats happened to Rioli? He doesn't seem as good these days

Cut down by dodgy calf muscles. When they talk about having to change your running style to avoid further problems, you know something is fundamentally wrong.

I have Magpies to stitch up cats. They've been clinical against dons, blues and expect a 3-4 goal win of course I could be way off.

You mean Tigers? I've got Pies simply a better side than the Tigs, but when it comes to kicking in front of the big sticks, Tigs can always pinch it.

Adelaide are my smokey for the premiership. Love the way Tex, Rory, Paddy and that play.

Have to disagree. Tex started the season great, but he's been poor for the last couple now. Paddy's attack at the pill is phenomenal but his usage has been poor. And Rory's out now for 6-8 with a broken cheekbone. They got a more difficult draw this season, so while they might make the 8, I don't see them making top 4.

What else? Eagles looking the goods. Is Kennedy gonna play on the rest of the season despite the elbow issue?

If they can manage it, I think he will, but the way its strapped it'd probably only take one bad knock or a heavy landing to make matters worse. That said people had written off the season after Mackenzie went down, more so when they lost Brown, but despite this they've found a way to stop teams scoring. So if JK has to sit out I feel confident they could still put up a fight with LeCras and Hill still being very capable, and Darling coming back.

The win against Port was a fantastic marker and I really wish they were playing someone better than Gold Coast just so I could see if that effort can be backed up. If they drop their bundle against the Suns, then I'll know for sure where they are at!

driventostir · May 17, 2015

Yeah, Lazlow. I think I meant a combo of Swans stitching up Cats and Pies stitching up Tiges. I'd like the tiges to win but I think it unlikely.

Yeah to be honest I just put that out there bout the Crows, I really don't follow all games closely they're just my fave colours in AFL besides bombers.

Freo look ominous against Doggies. 5.0 30 to 0.0 .00 sheesh.

Those Eagles SPANKED the Suns of course and its a race to the bottom btwn the Blues and the Suns.

Matty76 · May 17, 2015

Well, what a strange weekend of footy, with plenty of talking points - most notably, Nat Fyfe's report during today's game against the Bulldogs. My view is that it was more clumsy than outright malicious, although it is not a nice thing to do in the first place (for those who didn't see it, Fyfe was reported for tripping Koby Stevens by foot).

Steve Johnson will again come under MRP focus for striking Jarrad McVeigh in the "nether regions".

Carlton will be the predictable talking point, but not far behind will be Melboune (have they regressed?) and Port Adelaide (who just lost to Brisbane!).

Lazlow · May 17, 2015

Port losing to Brisbane, Richmond beating Collingwod.

I don't know football anymore!

Scotty_WCE · May 17, 2015

This was my predicted ladder, based on my pre-season previews:

1. Sydney
2. Port Adelaide
3. Hawthorn
4. Gold Coast
5. North Melbourne
6. Geelong
7. West Coast Eagles
8. Fremantle
-------------------
9. Adelaide
10. Richmond
11. Brisbane
12. Greater Western Sydney
13. Western Bulldogs
14. Carlton
15. Essendon
16. Collingwood
17. Melbourne
18. St Kilda

Interesting to reflect on this after 7 rounds. Here's how my predictions are looking so far.

Very under-rated: Fremantle, Western Bulldogs.
Under-rated: Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney, Essendon, Collingwood.
About right: Hawthorn, North Melbourne, West Coast Eagles, Melbourne, St Kilda.
Over-rated: Sydney, Geelong, Richmond, Brisbane, Carlton.
Very over-rated: Port Adelaide, Gold Coast.

Nice spread there, with some real surprise packets and some extremely disappointing performances. Who do you guys things have been really impressive/disappointing?

Matty76 · May 17, 2015

Adelaide, Collingwood, Fremantle, GWS, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs have really surprised me as far as ladder position and competitiveness is concerned. The Dockers of course went out in straight sets last season in what some thought was Ross Lyon's last genuine chance for a premiership. St Kilda weren't expected to win a game by some experts, although that was always highly unlikely.

Carlton are about where I thought they'd be, as are Brisbane and Richmond. I can't see Gold Coast being better than "Ablett or bust" in the next few years - if the game isn't played on their terms, the interest doesn't seem to be there.

Melbourne have regressed I reckon, as have the once-dominant Geelong. The Demons at one stage conceeded something like 23 of 27 goals scored against Hawthorn, having kicked the first two inside a couple of minutes. The Cats are doing the right thing by injecting youth into the team and it wouldn't surprise me to see them in the top four again in the next couple of years.

That's my brief summary anyway!

Lazlow · May 17, 2015

Only teams that have jumped out at me are the Bulldogs and GWS, and Gold Coast for the opposite reason.

GWS finished last year with only 6 wins, right now they have 5, so they could go far this year. Gold Coast on the other hand just got smashed by last year's 9th placed West Coast, which only begins a horror run to their draw with their next games against Collingwood, Hawthorn, Sydney and Fremantle. They are staring at being 1-10 by round 13 (though they've seemed to pinch games against the Pies at Metricon)

Everyone else I need to see more from given that we're only a third into the season and some teams (Adelaide, West Coast) have had softer starts compared to others (Geelong)

I think Melbourne have improved, albeit marginally. They're showing greater competitiveness in games, and are putting more points on the board. They finished last year with 4 wins. Right now they have 2, and I can see them winning another 3-4.

I don't think Geelong have dropped off that badly, and if anything are tracking the same as the Hawks. Geelong's start has been tougher, having already faced Sydney and Freo. Hawks actually face Sydney next while, the Cats get Carlton, and if the results fall as expected they could be both sitting on 4-4.

Richmond, Collingwood, Essendon and North Melbourne are still too inconsistent to gauge.

St Kilda have found something the last few weeks, and while they didn't always get wins, they were competitive and might just lift themselves out of the bottom four.

EDIT: I'll add the Freo are doing better than I expected, but its all riding on guys staying fit. Their midfield is loaded by their 50s seem to ride on Pav and McPharlin staying fit. Neale and Clarke have come along nicely for them.

Matty76 · May 19, 2015

This is what I predicted back in October @Scotty_WCE. A touch off, at this point! As a dear friend would say: "He knows as much about footy tipping as I do about flying spaceships!".
1. Port Adelaide
2. Sydney
3. Geelong
4. Hawthorn
5. Fremantle
6. North Melbourne
7. West Coast
8. Essendon
9. Richmond
10. Adelaide
11. Collingwood
12. Gold Coast
13. Carlton
14. Brisbane
15. GWS
16. Western Bulldogs
17. Melbourne
18. St Kilda

2015 AFL Season Discussion

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