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Joined April 2013
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@jvonstieglitz (Twitter) @MightyHawksBlog
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The mood among the Australian football public is sombre. The joy of World Cup qualification has been replaced by the realisation we now have…
Hawthorn boasts a playing list that is the envy of most other clubs in the AFL, and smart drafting and trading has brought together…
Andre Villas-Boas' performance this season with Tottenham has been lauded after his dismal introduction to the English Premier League last season with Chelsea. Two…
I am always surprised at the short-term thinking and seemingly panicked decision making that becomes acceptable in the management of professional sporting teams. The…
The first two rounds of Hawthorn’s season have already given us insight of where they are likely to both succeed and struggle in 2013.…
I agree that Hawthorn will be hard to beat again this year. Busy will be missed, but not that much. Agree that McEvoy is one of the pick ups of the season. Gunston will also benefit from being the genuine number 2 tall forward.
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Season preview: Hawthorn Hawks
I think the return of Shoenmakers this season will bode well for Hawthorn. He was really developing as a key defender before his injury last year and he looks to have put on a lot of bulk. The question is, where does he slot into the side given that Stratton has also emerged into a really promising player and effective third defensive tall?
I think Stratton is one of the Hawks’ best contested marks so maybe he could get some time in the forward line? Shoenmakers also played as forward in his earlier years. Also don’t forget that McEvoy is also going to be much more dangerous than Bailey as a forward marking option.
Final piece of the puzzle is that Gunston will benefit from more frequent service now that Buddy is no longer around – I think this will increase his scoring output considerably.
Overall verdict from me is that the Hawks won’t suffer much at all from Buddy’s departure.
Hawthorn the premiership favourites, but can they move on without Buddy?
I think that this situation has been dealt with in an appropriate manner by the St Kilda Football Club and AFL.
It is obviously a very complicated situation and I have no doubt that it was appropriate for Milne to be stood down from playing as the news of his charges became known. He will obviously have a lot to deal with and playing football would only make that more difficult. Not to mention the fact that by playing he would be put in a position to no doubt receive inappropriate abuse from opposition fans.
There is also the alleged victim to consider – standing down Milne for a period of time gives acknowledgment to what she is going through which I am sure is an extremely difficult time.
I like the fact that St Kilda have managed this situation in a way that has paid appropriate deference to the seriousness of the situation but also gives them the ability to bring Milne back into the game once it is deemed appropriate – he is innocent until proven guilty after all.
Milne happy with Saints' stance: Dal Santo
I agree – I think we need to be thankful and celebrate the fact that we have made it to Brazil. There is nothing to be gained from setting our expectations too high. We have to be realistic about where our team stands.
That being said – the great thing about football is that you always have a chance. If we get the right draw and avoid a tough opening game (like last time against Germany), then we might get the momentum and belief to get past the group stages.
Either way – I can’t wait!
Soccerwhos: Cannon-fodder at the World Cup?
Despite the high expectations of the Australian football public, I think Osieck has done a great job with the squad that he has available to him, not to mention the circumstances of many of the matches he has had to prepare for (i.e. limited preparation time an long flights for most players).
I think we sometimes forget that he can only work with what Australia has to offer, and that the “next generation” of Socceroos have really only surfaced in the last three weeks.
Like most fans, I have loved watching the recent emergence of Kruse, Oar and Rogic and credit to Osieck for giving them the chance. My sense is that in a year’s time there might be a few surprises in the squad for Brazil.
In defence of Holger Osieck
I liked Goddard’s reaction after the match and I think the Saints fans should too. It proves that it wasn’t an easy decision for him to leave and that he still cares a lot for the club. After all the service that he showed them over the years, I think that Saints fans should be pretty happy – him leaving is not the reason that they are no longer Premiership hopefuls, that boat was already sailing…
Brendon Goddard's reaction not that hard to understand
The wide expanses of Aurora Stadium will be better suited to Freo than the MCG, but that hasn’t helped them in the past. Pavlich hasn’t contributed a lot this season so might not be missed that much in any case. I think that the Hawks forward line will be the key to the game. If the Dockers can starve them of space then they will be a chance, but it’s easier said than done…
Fremantle can still win without Pav
I think that Levy will certainly have to take a lot of the blame (or credit) for the final outcome of Spurs’ season this year. AVB did come in quite late and probably didn’t get as much input to the pre-season transfer dealings as he would have liked. This year will be different (provided he sticks around), so the incoming transfers might be somewhat more suited to AVBs vision for the team.
A new striker is a must – Moving Adebayor on would be a good move, assuming that they can find a buyer for him.
Andre Villas-Boas facing the biggest test of his career
I have to say that I haven’t found Tottenham’s football to be that attractive this year. They have looked good on the break with the pace of Bale and Lennon but I think that their possession game has lacked an edge in the final third. I hope for Tottenham’s sake that Bale doesn’t go in the summer – he seems to have a good relationship with AVB, which might count for something?
I agree that a 40m signing would not be the answer – if they don’t make the CL, then it probably becomes academic as no 40m player would likely want to sign with them.
Depth is definitely the key – there is not a lot of quality backing for key positions (with the exception of GK and centre half). I bet AVB is envious when he sees the depth at Manchester United where Ferguson can keep the likes of Rooney and Van Persie fresh by rotating them through the bench.
Andre Villas-Boas facing the biggest test of his career
I agree. I think that Whitecross has a lot of potential and if he can recover from his injury and get fully fit for the second half of the season, then we could see a big improvement from him.
The rebounds against Geelong were a worry. I would actually like to see Bruest play a bit more in the midfield this year as he has pace and is an excellent ball-user. Perhaps he can give the Hawks a bit more backbone on the rebound?
Can the Hawks take the next step in 2013?
The big question mark over Lake is his form. Hawthorn have looked exposed in the past against big forwards like Cloke, etc. Shoenmakers keeps improving and has looked much better this year which will put some good competition for places in the back six.
Interesting that Lake wasn’t picked in the Hawthorn team this week despite playing for Box Hill on the weekend – might be that they want to give him another week to run about or it might be that they are happy with the backline as it currently stands.
If he can capture something like his best form, there is no doubt that he will improve the Hawks defensively – it will be interesting to see how he goes at Box Hill again this week to get a gauge on how he is travelling…
Can the Hawks take the next step in 2013?
I tend to agree – there doesn’t seem to be any point in Hird stepping down at this point. The club is flying and Hird is pretty experienced in dealing with media attention. I have to admit that I feel strangely sympathetic for Stephen Dank – he is the ultimate villain in this scandal, and yet nothing has been proven.
For him to now be head-to-head with one of the games great “golden childs”, it will only serve to vilify him further… or perhaps he deserves it…
Hird should not stand down at Essendon
Despite some luck and the occasional poor performance, the fact is that those teams ARE in the final four and plenty of other teams aren’t. The best teams always seem to have a habit of sneaking through. Manchester United have made a science out of picking up late points in the league – over time these kind of results come down to more than luck.
I think the final four in the UCL deserve to be there. Especially the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich – they have been dominant in their domestic leagues this year and I think that even though at some stages they have had to do it the “hard way”, that is would you expect in the worlds toughest club competition.
Barcelona, Bayern and Madrid don’t deserve to be in the final four
I agree with your point about the toughest draw. Having to play all of last years’s preliminary finalists twice and playing not a single one of the “rebuilding” teams twice doesn’t seem fair. I know there has to be a balance between the fairness of the draw and the blockbuster games that generate revenue, but after the horror draw that Hawthorn was given in 2013, it is a shame that there have been no favours again given to the Hawks in 2014.
Hawthorn fighting against history in 2014