Australian Football League - Season 2014

Not sure who I'd prefer to play - Fremantle or Port Adelaide... Either way I think we are good enough to knock either side off, especially with the extra week's break in between.

I think the script has been written for a Buddy v Hawthorn showdown... I just hope to high heaven that he's in tears come the end of the day. Hodge to lay him out nice and early!

As for this week's games:

I think North have a great chance to knock off Geelong, but I daresay even a Stevie J-less Geelong will prove to me too experienced and strong for North. Though if North play like they did in the second half against Essendon (which was my favourite game of the year BTW... What a brilliant game - fluke/ridiculous goals, score changes, etc. it had it all) then I can see them running Geelong off their feet.

Their (Geelong's) pressure was simply not good enough for a finals contest against the Hawks last week. I wonder if they will come out burning from that game. Meanwhile Selwood will do what he does and dominate as per usual.
 
Archie Leach said:
So, resident Australian Cafites, thoughts for the finals? I can't see anything but a Hawthorn-Sydney final. Hoping for Richmond to carry on their form and upset someone.
Click to expand...

Loving life as a Hawthorn supporter - the list is looking healthy ATM, bar the magical Rioli who needs to come back in the side.

I think if we play our best we will be able to beat any side, especially at the MCG.

On a side note - how farqing good is Sam Mitchell? He's such a brilliant player it's unreal.
 
cesc's_mullet said:
Loving life as a Hawthorn supporter - the list is looking healthy ATM, bar the magical Rioli who needs to come back in the side.

I think if we play our best we will be able to beat any side, especially at the MCG.

On a side note - how farqing good is Sam Mitchell? He's such a brilliant player it's unreal.
Click to expand...

Yeah it'd be good to do the back to back 25 years on from the last one. We're looking good but I'm worried about Sydney. We beat them narrowly a couple of months ago but Buddy was misfiring that day, if he's on target we don't have the size up back to handle him and Tippett. That said we can outscore anyone.

Sam Mitchell is the Greg Williams of this era, far too under appreciated. He dictates games like no other player.
 
Archie Leach said:
Yeah it'd be good to do the back to back 25 years on from the last one. We're looking good but I'm worried about Sydney. We beat them narrowly a couple of months ago but Buddy was misfiring that day, if he's on target we don't have the size up back to handle him and Tippett. That said we can outscore anyone.

Sam Mitchell is the Greg Williams of this era, far too under appreciated. He dictates games like no other player.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I think we will always put up a good enough score to win - it's just a matter of whether we are able to restrict the opposition from scoring.

If it comes to it - I think Tippet will be handled by Lake, and if he Lake plays like he has in Finals for us so far then he should at least nullify Tippet. But Buddy is obviously the big threat, no one can match up on him when he's firing and whilst Gibson had his measure back in his North days, he's been torched against him this time around. Besides, we need him to peel off his man and affect other contests (namely the long-bombs to Tippet). I just really hope a Spangher or someone irons Franklin out early and puts him off his game.

I don't want to see him boo'd (and haven't/wouldn't do it myself) as I have no gripe with Franklin leaving us for such a ridiculous contract, but if it puts him off his game then I want the crowd to get into him BIG time. He's the type to react one way or another.

Edit: It's their big-bodied midfield that has me worried the most. Kennedy (curse him leaving), Jack, Parker, Hannebery and McVeigh make up an elite core midfield who all seem to either get their hands free when tackled (Kennedy especially) or have that little bit of time on the ball (McVeigh/Jack). Our game-plan has stood up under immense pressure before, winning games despite being soundly beaten in the middle, but you just can't allow it to happen in a GF. I think we will have to do something akin to last years' GF where Mitchell kept dragging Crowley into Fyfe/Barlow and Mundy's space.

The fact Mitchell has only 2 AA's to his name is an absolute indictment on the game. He should also be awarded Watson's Brownlow Medal, not that he'd accept it under those circumstances you'd think... But he deserves some sort of personal recognition - hopefully a Normie will do the trick!
 
I agree, but really Hodge is the supreme leader in the AFL.

Never seen a player direct traffic and organise the side like Hodge does. I think Mitchell is more of a lead by the example he sets on the ground and off the field, with his training and preparation. But if you're looking for an on-field leader then Hodge is the man, every day of the week. Only Selwood is comparable for mine.
 
Agree on Mitchell being under-appreciated. Ridiculous. Is just as good as Watson, Heppel, Barlow, Mundy, Kennedy etc etc but never gets their kudos. Not really sure who I'd rather play in the prelim. Just hoping Port/Freo play a really tough and hard game. Sydney will account for Geelong or North comfortably I think. If North do get up it would be nice if Scott Thompson made Buddy do something stupid in a prelim and he got reported. I was confident we'd win it last year but with Sydney looking strong and Buddy playing well it will be tough.

Agree on the Hodge comment too. Best captain in the AFL. Best player in the league when the ball isn't in his hands. Just directs everyone so well.
 
ZDwyr said:
Agree on Mitchell being under-appreciated. Ridiculous. Is just as good as Watson, Heppel, Barlow, Mundy, Kennedy etc etc but never gets their kudos. Not really sure who I'd rather play in the prelim. Just hoping Port/Freo play a really tough and hard game. Sydney will account for Geelong or North comfortably I think. If North do get up it would be nice if Scott Thompson made Buddy do something stupid in a prelim and he got reported. I was confident we'd win it last year but with Sydney looking strong and Buddy playing well it will be tough.

Agree on the Hodge comment too. Best captain in the AFL. Best player in the league when the ball isn't in his hands. Just directs everyone so well.
Click to expand...

Agreed on Hodge. He was duly voted best Captain by his peers the other night too, which is a great recognition.

I think Mitchell will be one of those players who will be over-appreciated once he retires, not that I have anything against that but I don't want him to be a forgotten champion like say Scott West. He needs to be put up there with Deisel Williams as one of the premier midfielders of our time.

Watson, Heppel, Mundy, etc aren't fit to lace his boots as yet.
 
Archie Leach said:
The umpires know how good he is. He's racked up more Brownlow votes than any of our other players,
Click to expand...

I think he's had double figure votes in the last 8 seasons or something like that, which is a great effort.
 
'Three time' before the names Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell would be well fitting.
 
Archie Leach said:
I have a lot of love for Jordan Lewis too. Also underrated.
Click to expand...

He's had a great year. I read somewhere that Mitchell has polled more total Brownlow votes than Adam Goodes despite playing less games. He's about 14th or 15th on the all-time list i think. Could easily finish top 10 or 5 and not actually win one, which is a shame. the umpires do definitely acknowledge him though.
 
Archie Leach said:
I have a lot of love for Jordan Lewis too. Also underrated.
Click to expand...

He's had a tremendous season, two more games for him to keep that standard up and it will go a long way towards ultimate success. Geelong tried to tag him last week and left Mitchell to go about his business (probably thought there isn't much point trying to tag him as he does what he pleases anyway?), but at least now we have two genuine midfielder's that teams will need to put someone on, and no one sets up with two taggers any more so they have to take their pick.
 
ZDwyr said:
He's had a great year. I read somewhere that Mitchell has polled more total Brownlow votes than Adam Goodes despite playing less games. He's about 14th or 15th on the all-time list i think. Could easily finish top 10 or 5 and not actually win one, which is a shame. the umpires do definitely acknowledge him though.
Click to expand...

Leigh Matthews and Wayne Carey never won Brownlows. That's better company than Shane Woewodin and Adam Cooney.
 
True, and they're both two of the best three players to ever grace the game. Also, doesn't Leigh Matthews have the most brownlow votes ever?
 
First time in history that two top four sides have gone out in straight sets?

Well done to North Melbourne and Port Adelaide.

As a Hawthorn supporter I was hoping Fremantle would win, as they're simply not dangerous enough to beat us - but Port Adelaide are capable of anything with their run-and-gun style.
 
feck'n hell. Well done Hawks. Belter of a game though.

Can admire the strides Port have taken as a team since 2012. Hopefully Adelaide can find some of that hunger next year.

Still doesn't make their supporters any less unbearable.
 
Pretty abysmal last 10 minutes. Just stopped playing while Port ran it out to the end. Huge respect for Port, they have come a really long way. Can see them winning a premiership in the next few seasons. Not feeling confident about next week. Going in as the underdog might be a good thing though. Winning last year will make a loss this year less painful anyway.
 
I don't think I've ever run my hand through my hair as many times as I did last night. I was shitting myself.

Feel good about next week, still think we have too much for the Swans and we'll be better than last night. I couldn't swallow losing to them twice in three years.
 
Hawks do love ensuring the fans have heart attacks during the prelims.

Going to be a good game next Saturday.
 
Flying Fox said:
feck'n hell. Well done Hawks. Belter of a game though.

Can admire the strides Port have taken as a team since 2012. Hopefully Adelaide can find some of that hunger next year.

Still doesn't make their supporters any less unbearable.
Click to expand...

Port are my new favourite team outside of Hawthorn.

What an exciting bunch of young quality players they have throughout the side, and an even more exciting brand of Football they play. They remind me of Geelong of '07, with Gary Ablett Jrn light in Robbie Gray (hope he wins the Brownlow).

... Boak, Gray, Hartlett, Wingard, Wines, Polec... They make the mouth water.

I thought Gray was Ablett Jnr light a few seasons ago prior to his knee injury, and this season he has well and truly elevated himself into the top tier of players in the league.
 
Archie Leach said:
I don't think I've ever run my hand through my hair as many times as I did last night. I was shitting myself.

Feel good about next week, still think we have too much for the Swans and we'll be better than last night. I couldn't swallow losing to them twice in three years.
Click to expand...

So many reasons for us to get up for this game.

Hodge's 250th.
Gibson's 100th for the club.
Back to back and a chance to cement our side as one of the all-time greats.
Revenge for '12.
Buddy factor revenge.
All the injuries and even losing our coach for some weeks through illness during the season - yet we still finished equal 1st.

Hodge to have a blinder and deliver us as he does when it matters.
 
Tips for the Brownlow tonight?

I hope Ablett wins, but he has missed too many games - otherwise he'd have walked it, and I hope Fyfe doesn't lead the poll due to his ineligibility as it would be heartbreaking for him.

I think Selwood will take it out, but would love a tie involving Robbie Gray and Ablett somehow.
 
I would like Lewis obviously, but I think Selwood will win. Hopefully Ablett can hang on though. If gray/Boak get up and win then that would be good to see too.
 
Obviously not the best player but I am happy for him. Clearly a very humble guy and has worked extremely hard to get there.
 
Well done to Priddis who did have an exceptional season. He is very underrated and seems to cop a disproportionate amount of vitriol from West Coast supporters... He always does the hard stuff and is always dominating the clearances and getting several tackles a game.

He interviewed extremely well too, and even when he was winning was supporting Selwood! He seemed embarrassed!

Having said that I was disappointed that Ablett couldn't hold on - you just know he would have been 10 votes clear if he had played the whole season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.