Well, stuff you David Hale. Missed out on a YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!!!!!

I find our primary issue last night is our predictability from centre clearances. Too many times our ordinary users of the ball in Robbo and Carrots got first use of the pill, and predictably bombed it long and high to no-one in particular. It was almost as if at times, Hawthorn were prepared to sacrifice first use of the pill, provided Judd or Murphy didn't get it, as their better users of the ball off half back were lining up to take uncontested marks.

Watch the big four clubs and how they set up at the centre clearances, Judd aside, we have no-one naturally inclined to run with the ball, which generally stems from our ongoing problem of failure to support the ball carrier, or spread quickly enough. Issues that haven't been rectified in four years, but generally get hidden by how good the individuals are in our midfield. For all the justifiable cracks at our forward set up, it's magnified when our midfield make poor decisions and aren't prepared to back each other in.

Disappointed in Garlett again. Not a lot of alternatives (Ellard full time in the pocket, and bring back Curnow/McLean? or Kerr?) and too late in the year to do anything. It needs to be said that he can't just continue to get by on the cheap things, and off the back of others' hard work.

If Juddy ever decides to give up the captaincy, it should be Simmo's every day of the week. The most underrated on-field leader in the league by a long way.

For all the flack Warnock gets for his set shots, I don't think there's one I feel less confident in than Gibbs. He misses shots that are his contemporaries' bread and butter.

Hendo should be the Harry Taylor to Jamison's Scarlett. Didn't drop his bundle after Franklin got a few Matthew Lloyd specials early on. Full credit to him.

For mine, too many questions over our best 22 at the wrong time of year, and too many of the wrong questions, i.e. whether they deserve to be in the 22, rather than a 50/50 call on a similiar player. Haven't used the selection table with enough of a long term view to ensure we've done our due dilligence. Bringing in Setanta, Lucas or Kerr in at this point would be silly.

At the start of the season i asked the question.............who id going to kick the goals ? yes,i know,Eddie,Jeff,and Walks have done well.But you need a CHF .Until we get one we will come a gutzer in the big games..............every time we come to the high hurdle we baulk,and that is a fail as far as im concerned..We are becoming the new North,brave fight,but pull up short..............our bottom six try hard but expose us in high pressure matches.We just have to juggle them around till we get the right combo..................get that combo right and we will still give a yelp in the finals.

He was that good that he got dropped this week.

Did anyone notice our some of our midfielders ignore the first option/opportunity to handball it off from a stoppage? They'll try to run the ball and take on the tackler, shrug them off, but will get themselves into trouble. I noticed this happened to Murphy a few times and probably a few others as well.

Carlton were getting the basics or keeping possession through handballs and kicks wrong. Kept trying to do fancy stuff like flying for marks, trying to take on the tackler all the time instead of handballing to a free teammate.

Hawthorn were getting all the basics spot on, spreading well, always handballing off to a teammate to advantage. No fancy stuff.

This was all in the first half.

Bigger bodies, prepared to blanket and crunch around the packs set the tone for the Hawks tonight. We lacked decisive ball win, which cut our spread, which cut our run.

We also lacked good connection with our half back line and midfield which enables good forward thrusts.

We lacked a big forward with a lead and a big forward that can stand under the ball.

The Ellard / Armfield combination probably netted us around 12 disposals of which about half were effective.

Judd was down tonight. Thought Henderson did well despite Buddy getting some good delivery and the latter getting a goal after a minimum 20 metre run without bouncing.

We have too many on our list that are not regular and reliable with their disposal. There is a consistent number (too many) that are very erratic and lack skill under pressure ... and yes Gibbs is ione of them.

Fifth is probably where we stand and there is nothing wrong with that because it means we have gained from last season and the season before and so on. It is making ground from 5th to 1st that concerns me because it will not happen whilst our skill base is so far below the top sides. We have some talls that can't mark and some smalls that can't kick. Both Collingwood and Geelong have a number of brilliant ball users and strong overhead.

If there was ever any doubt on Thornton that should be erased now, he was simply terrible. One touch to half time. Falls over at maybe the most crucial time. Punches out of bounds when he was under no pressure and should have marked.
Poor players get exposed in big games. Armfield some horrible turnovers, skills just not good enough under finals like pressure.

Blues once again fail on the big stage against a top gteam, did nothing but prove again we are sandpit bullies.

Assuming Eagles finish fourth, in 2011 we would have lost to all top 4 teams, Pies twice. You can make all the excuses you want. Waite injured. But hey Hwaks have 2 proven fwds, one goes down the other still stands.

Lack of a quality fwd (the only one we have is brittle at best) and rucks who are incapable of taking a mark is our structural flaw.

Only good thing to come out of 2011 in terms of KPP is Hendo developing down back.

Ratten says he knows where the list is at, I suspect what he is saying is we need to find a KPP fwd. Media talk about how CFC have best conversion inside fwd 50 but reality is a midget fwdline aint going to win you finals. You need a big strong fwd who will provide a target, doesn't need to mark it every time, hell doesn't even have to kick bags every week but needs to provide a contest.


This is what you need for finals footy !!

Just why we hardly ever kicked to Kruezer last night baffles me. We just kept going to small fwds or undersized Walker.

Ratten, you need to develop a fwdline and structure that will win finals footy or your ass might be on the line if we lose our first final bec we keep kicking to midgets.

Just re your previous post Figer....you say Shitihad doesn't suit us and that at the G we would have beaten the Dawks....but then you say we lost because we were timid and overwhelmed....how does the ground you play on do this to you???....

What I meant was early days we were like a shy kid joining a new group of friends, timid, not exactly sure what to do & how to fit in, but once we realized we belonged, that we were just like these other guys, we responded & came into our own element! The belief came that u are just like these guys if not better!

To me, this was the perfect dress rehearsal, we now know what to expect & what it feels like, but also know, that in 1 &1/2 quarters we nearly blew them away!
Rest assured we will be well prepared if the opportunity comes around again! The G is where we want to be & our boys will lift in front of 50,000 deprived Carlton maniacs craving for finals success!

I have the faith.....I was there in 99!

Hawks 7.10
Blues 1.8

Hawks 3.8
Blues 7.10