Pre Match: COLLINGWOOD v Hawks - all comments here...

[MargOZ]

Thought we might as well get talking about the next round nice and early! It should be an easy win for us, especially if Tazz is raring to go BUT who knows...................!!!

Pies by 68 points

GO PIES!
Marg

[Lone Ranger]

Fire up and beat the Dawks by 200 points to get our percentage over 100

[Cannibal]

[Joel]

Johnson#26 has completed the weekly match preview.

http://nick.magpies.net/match/match.php ... om=&ucat=4&

Collingwood vs Hawthorn: Match Preview - Johnson#26
Match Report
29 Jun 2004

B: Clement, Prestigiacomo, Wakelin.
HB: Johnson, J.Cloke, Cole.
C: Lonie, Buckley, Woewodin.
HF: Lockyer, Rocca, C.Cloke.
F: Fraser, Tarrant, Holland.
R: Richards, Burns, Licuria.
INTER: Swan, Shackleton, Maxwell, McGough.
EMERG: Didak, R.Shaw, B.Shaw.
IN: Tarrant, Maxwell, Shackleton, Swan.
OUT: Davis, Lokan, R.Shaw, Didak.

After its season ending loss last week against Sydney, Collingood will be out to regain some pride with a win against the lowly Hawthorn on Saturday. The Hawks have been dismal all season and Saturday should be no different. With Tarrant and Rocca staring, nothing the Hawks through at the Pies will be able to stop them.

Follow the link for the full article.

[JLC]

To me this has danger game written all over it. Hawthorn have been our bogey team for a very long time now. No matter where they are on the ladderi think they will trouble us and i think both teams know that.

Last year our effort against them was nothing short of disgraceful. Nick Holland gave Presti a bath and took more marks that day than he has all year. Joel Smith took care of Tarrant and the rest is history. Barlow normally also plays his better games against us.

This week will be a great test for Guy Richards who is coming up against the best tap ruckman in the game at present in Everitt.

Shackleton will be unleashed this week and hopefully he can show some promise

Will be interesting to see the other moves at the selection table...

jlc

[Joel]

I agree JLC. By no means is this a walk up win.

[Daks]

I was challenged in the Sydney post-match thread to name names, so here's one (and I stress just one) possible selection permutation for next week:

B: Clement, Prestigiacomo, Cole
HB: Swan, J.Cloke, Maxwell
C: Lonie, Johnson, R Shaw
HF: C Cloke, Tarrant, Buckley
F: Didak, Rocca, Lokan
Foll: Richards, Shackleton, Burns
I/C: Fraser, Woewodin, Licuria, Lockyer
Emerg: Rowe, H Shaw, Walker
IN: Maxwell, Tarrant, Shackleton, Swan
OUT: Davis, Holland, McGough, Wakelin

Why would you drop Dutchy after a great game on Williams? and even Wakes, you wouldn't drop him would you?.. apart from those two, i completely agree with you.

[spoljar]

A real danger game for us. Hawthorn seems to match up quite well against us. Their tall forwards have caused us the most headaches over the years as they save their one good game for the year against us.

As a result, Cannibal, I cant understand why you would drop Wakelin. You need all the best defenders you can get out there.

Also Tarrant has really struggled against the Hawks. Smith and Hay seem to be able to retrict his influence.

[Cannibal]

I did ask you to read my full reasoning in the thread in which I posted it, as it was too long to repeat in this thread!

Basically, I suggested dropping Wakes and Dutch to return Maxwell and Swan to gain more run out of the backline, as part of a greater attacking strategy. Wakes looks to me as if he is out of form and/or lacking confidence. He was beaten by Neitz but fortunately Presti was there to cover for him and played well, so Neitz wasn't as big a danger as he looked early in the first quarter, and Hall beat him on Saturday night. He's not playing as well as he did the last couple of years and I just think Maxwell and Swan would be better there right now.

However, I also said that I expect only two changes: Taz back and Davis out, Shacks in for his debut and McGough out. MM won't be making any radical changes this week.

[Joel]

Holland has been kicking goals. I don't think dropping him would be a good idea.

[favourites 2008]

Collingwood will win by 90 points. Watched hawks play the saints they were dismal!!

[Birdy]

Wakes won't be dropped for this game, he struggled on Hall but theres plenty of good match ups for our defenders this week. I thought Clement should have had the job on Hall as he's our strongest defender. Either Wakes or Presti will probably get the job on Thompson who has been their most dangerous forward lately. The only concern I can see in this area is when Spider goes forward, so if Richards goes with him he might have his hands full. I don't think Holland should be dropped either but I would prefer to see him in the forward line.

[Two_Pies]

Last 5 outings against the Hawks have not been a happy hunting ground for us. Last year about the same time went along to see what I thought would be a nice little win...not !! We need to crush them showing no mercy. They are depleted and demoralised and we should put up a score that shows just that anything less that an 8-10 goal flogging will be unacceptable. This year we have kicked a ton only once !! Time to rock the G !!

GO PIES

Last Five Meetings Pies v Hawks

15 Jun 2003 Rd 12 MCG
Collingwood 2.8 3.10 5.12 6.15 (51)
Hawthorn 2.2 6.5 10.10 12.12 (84) Haw by 33

09 Aug 2002 Rd 19 MCG
Collingwood 3.3 9.5 10.9 14.13 (97)
Hawthorn 1.4 7.9 12.12 15.15 (105) Haw by 8

20 Apr 2002 Rd 4 MCG
Collingwood 5.2 8.6 12.13 15.14 (104)
Hawthorn 0.3 4.6 7.6 9.9 (63) Coll by 41

21 Jul 2001 Rd 16 MCG
Collingwood 6.3 9.4 10.4 14.5 (89)
Hawthorn 3.1 9.8 18.13 21.18 (144) Haw by 55

31 Mar 2001 Rd 1 MCG
Collingwood 4.3 6.8 8.15 11.15 (81)
Hawthorn 3.1 8.3 12.5 13.7 (85) Haw by 4

[HAL]

. . . . . Really. . . . . . . . . the last one?

[Cannibal]

Hmm, I'm intrigued. There's been strong criticism (often refuted by others) of certain players throughout the year, even though there wasn't the depth to replace them, so we had to persevere with what experienced players we had. However, MM played some inexperienced kids and such gambles have generally paid off. Now that we have pretty much a full list to choose from, some key players out of form and kids at Willi in terrific form who have earned a chance to show their worth, positive suggestions for change are seemingly not wanted!

People, sticking with what you are familiar is defeatist, sometimes you have to take risks to win. Let me offer the following thoughts for you:

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory or defeat.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

If you would agree with me that Maxwell deserves to return to the seniors, and to play in the backline to strengthen it, then someone in the backline has to go to create the vacancy. Just as I think Leon Davis should go to make room for Taz to strengthen the forward line, so do I think Wakes is out of form and that Maxwell would be a better option in the backline.

In Presti (193cm/95kg) and Jason Cloke (189cm/95kg), we have two blokes to take on Nathan Thompson and Nick Holland. Despite being shorter - as is Wakes (191cm/94kg) - than these guys, they are just as strong. However, to my mind, Hawthorn's goalscorers to watch are Williams and Lekkas, who are quick. Jimmy will take one and we need Maxwell for the other. I think the risk of dropping Wakes for Maxwell is worth taking. Are you becoming so afraid of taking risks which might pay off that you will not take any risks at all?