In my preview for last night’s qualifying final between West Coast and Hawthorn, I called it the most important game of the season. After watching the game, I’m even more convinced about that.
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>> EXPERT TIPS
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>> WHO WILL WIN THE BEST & FAIRESTS?
As someone who tipped West Coast – admittedly, as a bit of a ‘gut feel’ – I wasn’t shocked, necessarily, to see the Eagles win. Rather, what was shocking about last night’s game was the manner in which they won.
Hawthorn are the best team in the AFL. Or, at least, they were before 6:20pm last night. They’d won their last six finals and the last two flags.
The Eagles made them look like an absolute basket case.
From the moment the ball bounced you could sense the Eagles were on. The Hawks, on the other hand, just didn’t seem to have their minds fully focused on the task at hand.
From early in the game we worryingly saw that trend that has popped up on and off in Hawks games all year, that sense they are trying to be a bit too ‘cute’ on the field. Trying to play special footy, instead of smart footy.
The Eagles were quick to jump on this and gave the Hawks, themselves renowned for their pressure, a real lesson in physicality. They harassed them at the ball at every opportunity. In the words of many a sports fan, they wanted it more.
The result? A 32-point win that could easily have been a much larger margin if the Eagles hadn’t taken their foot off the pedal in the last quarter. They led by 50 at the last change.
We haven’t seen Hawthorn get dismantled like that in a big game since… well, I can hardly remember seeing it happen.
Now the Hawks need to win a semi-final next week, over the Bulldogs or the Crows, before travelling interstate, either back to Perth or up to Sydney, and win a prelim there just to get themselves to the Grand Final.
It’s a very big ask, and it seems to put the dream of a third consecutive premiership almost beyond their reach. After being the unanimous favourites to win the flag among betting companies during the week, they’ve now dropped to third behind West Coast and Fremantle.
In fact, a derby grand final between the two West Australian sides now seems the most likely result. And won’t that be something to behold?
It’s been a glorious, glorious era for the Hawks. They snatched a flag against the odds in 2008, they copped bitter disappointment in 2011 and 2012, then they matured and came good on years of development with back to back wins in 2013 and 2014.
But is it now at an end?
Well, we all know it’s too soon to say so with any certainty. This loss could be just the kick in the pants they need to get their heads together and there’s no doubt in my mind that if they get everything ticking over smoothly they’re still a massive chance in the premiership race.
But if this loss does prove to be the end of Hawthorn’s premiership ambitions for 2015 – or the precursor to it at least – you have to wonder if they will be able to step back up in 2016, or if they will start a gradual decline.
A number of their most important players are nearing the ends of their careers. Premiership captains Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge will only be around so much longer, Josh Gibson and Shaun Burgoyne are no spring chickens either, and Brian Lake might be playing his last month of AFL football.
Of course, the Hawks have plenty of proven talent in the mid-age range that will continue to make them a competitive side for years to come, and the likes of Will Langford, Jed Anderson and Jonathan O’Rourke are all exciting prospects going forward.
Still, you get the feeling the Hawks might be about to settle into the sort of position that Sydney occupied for the period between 2005 and 2012, and that Geelong have just fallen out of now – always thereabouts, never quite at the top. Respectable, but not seriously threatening.
Maybe the ride is over. Maybe it’s not. All I can say for Hawks fans is, if this is the end of an era, it was a bloody good one while it lasted.
Josh
Expert
Answer: nope.
Ian Bennett
Guest
The player they got with the draft pick was Chris Masten...Carlton football dept was and still is a joke....
Gerry
Guest
You better check all the teams that beat Hawks this year and the Eagles have three flags and I think Sydney have a few. Port Adelaide and Richmond bounced you guys pretty well I can remember. Yep Hawks are a good team but coach and players have got a bit too arrogant. Time to bring you back down to earth.
Gerry
Guest
Keep dreaming it will be tough for Hawthorn from here as good a team as they are. Personally do not want any Vic side in the finals so hope Delaide beat them and Sydney do North that will make me a happy man amidst the Vics crying into their beers.
dan ced
Guest
I hope so. I said that the winner of Bulldogs and Crows would make the grand final (and probably lose). I still stand by that. Hawthorn seem to have run out of tricks. Freo will be tough in Perth but they have only just done enough all year, I don't think their defensive game plan will hold up to the pressure of a preliminary final.. but you never know. Being a biased Crows supporter, I think it's going to be a Crows v West Coast grand final. I think the Crows might be too cooked to win it though even if we know how to beat West Coast now.
Max
Guest
Hahaha as soon as the premiership proposition is put to Don Freo, he instantly hides. Hahahhaha
Max
Guest
Everyone please ignore Don Freo as his comments are designed to antagonise and frustrate the rest of the readers with mindless and bias comments supporting his 'highly successful' freo side!
mick
Guest
Hey Don Freo. I agree Hawks were sheit on Friday. However write them off at your peril mate. We could be coming for you in a fortnights time... How delicious eh? Hawks era not over, we've been top team since 2008 and there's tons of new talent coming thru reserves.
jax
Guest
Under promise and over deliver is one of Simmo's favourite mottos. He's been involved in 14 finals campaigns as a player or assistant coach. He knows the drill better then most and he's leading WC magnificently.
TW
Guest
In Clarksons presser he repeated several times -" We have backed this group several times and they have delivered" Some would say that is how he should speak. Can they keep delivering - we will find out Both Hodge and Mitchell worked their rear ends off to keep the Hawks in the game but the Eagles pressure was huge. Simpson said the Eagles were very hungry and he spent a lot of time at the Hawks so he should know bout teams being hungry. Simmo has done great job to get them up about 12 months before the Club planned and his best quality is he is unassuming.
Si Chewy
Guest
When was the last AFL premiership for Fremantle? I keep forgetting. I love biased opinions based on not a lot of research and over-inflated egos
jax
Guest
I agree that they weren't as impressive 5 weeks ago Michael but Nic didn't play and they still did a number on them in that first half anyway. We learned a lot of lessons from that game and we took them into this final and that's why this was a more powerful performance. We also got very match hardened with a lot of tough games at the end of the season. Next time we meet the Hawks we will be better again but that might be at the G in 3 weeks time which would be challenging but very possible.
Don Freo
Guest
There is unlimited evidence that Hawthorn is a threat to no one.
Brian
Guest
Yet somehow the mediocre performance of Freo for over 3 months is just a rouse. Everything we've seen this weekend suggests there's 2 potential premiers this year and hawthorn are still one of them unlike the Dockers. You should check out where they play the Grand Final.
Michael Huston
Guest
Just so you know, I'm not a Hawthorn supporter. So West Coast didn't do anything to me five weeks ago. And they certainly weren't as impressive that night as they were last night. But my point is, there still isn't enough evidence to build a case for any team being able to bring about Hawthorn's downfall unless Sydney get their form back and Geelong mysteriously bring back all those retired veterans from that champion team.
Don Freo
Guest
The point escaped you? Embarrassing for you.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Kind of the compounding problem there isn't it; when they don't perform they don't win so they can't take a rest can they. Not that I'm expecting logic out of you.
Don Freo
Guest
No Jax...the Hawks were not off. That is as good as they are.
bryan
Guest
Every time we turn around,we have been hit with "Hawthorn are the best team in the AFL". Even though the Dockers & Eagles were 1 & 2 on the ladder,it was always "Nudge,nudge"--------just wait till the Finals,& the Hawks will run all over those pretenders---"they're the best team in the AFL,you know!" Well,the Finals are here,& the Hawks got done by the Eagles. Maybe they believed their own publicity!
Brad
Guest
Spot on. As someone who travels regularly to the Eastern states for work, winding the clock forward is much more difficult to adjust to.