Game Day. Pies v. Hawks. Late changes, comments.

[Donny]

Today. MCG. 4.35

Collingwood v. Hawthorn.

Team.

IN: Ash Johnson, Bobby Hill.

OUT: Mason Cox (Omitted), Oleg Markov (Omitted), Will Hoskin-Elliott (Sub).

EMERGENCIES: Billy Frampton, Jack Ginnivan, Oleg Markov, Mason Cox.

Let's hear ya !!

[Piesnchess]

Pleased with the changes, sharpen up the attack no end now. Be good to squeeze in Jack Ginni, Frampton somehow. The Dawks are not a shadow of the team of few seasons back, that gave us hell, Hodge. Mitchell, Rioli, Burgoyne, Roughead etc, this Dawk team bit inexperienced. Only two players concern me that erratic Sicily, and Luke Bruest, who is a really damn fine goal kicker, can boot 4 goals in one qtr, has been knows too. Both of them must be closely monitored. I reckon they will have a go for bout 2 and a bit qtrs, then we will put the pedal to the floor, and roll over them, as the Saints did last week. We had our loss we had to have last week, the wake up call, now we have woken up good and proper. Woods by 37+ points.

[warburton lad]

This is a critical match for the Magpies.

Four rounds out from finals, it is a really good chance to redeem our scoring patterns from earlier in 2023.

Our forward line looks more potent with Johnson and Hill returning.

I will be interested to see how Cameron goes, one-out, in the ruck.

If I were McRae, I would play Nick Daicos off half back this week; give the lad a break from the tag and run a Lipinski/Adams/Mitchell type more time in the middle.

The hardest roles today are the Sicily opponent and the Breust opponent as outlined above.

I would certainly play Mihocek on Sicily and get him to engage physically 100% of the time. I am not fussed if Mihocek doesn't kick a bag as long as he quells the output of the brilliant Hawk.

I think Quaynor gets first dibs on Breust. Quaynor has taken his game to a new level in 2023 and I trust him to contain Breust.

The Hawks have some very good mids, but I trust our guys (De Goey, Pendles, Sidebottom, Mitchell, Adams, Josh Daicos, Lipinski, Hill, Crisp, ) to get the job done on the inside today.

A win today essentially secures a top two gig and a home final, week One of finals.

After that, let us hope we earn a Home prelim- from that point, it will be in our hands to close out what has been an incredible ride in 2023.

It all begins at 4-35 today.

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

And another great match time for the leading team in the comp....4:35, what a shocker

4 points and no injuries will satisfy me

[daics aka the ruckman]

I'm very interested in our forwards today.
Ash, Checkers and Mcstay are three tall forwards with different styles and strengths. Jamie and Bobby good small forwards.
Add in a resting Adams and overall we should kick plenty.

[RudeBoy]

We have done incredibly well so far, largely on the back of our defensive brilliance, particularly in the first half of the season when Naicos was running off half back. To my mind, the only part of our line-up that has somewhat struggled to perform consistently well, has been our forward line. A month out from the finals we still seem a bit unsettled there. I like the inclusions of Johnson and Hill, and I've come to appreciate why we were so keen to recruit McStay. Hopefully, they fire against the Dorks and begin to gel as a forward set up over the next few weeks.

Pies by 42 pts.

[piffdog]

[mudlark]

[lazzadesilva]

[dalyc]

[Damien]

Sicily is our biggest issue. We can’t afford to allow him to do to us, what our intercept machine (Moore, Murphy, Howe & Quaynor) does to other teams. Delivery into the forward 50 will be key. We have so many marking forward options in Mihocek, McStay, Elliott and Hill, one or more of them will need to be making dummy leads at different times. Whoever Sicily is on is we’re we CAN’T kick the ball to. Kicking to grass will be a better option than kicking to the Sicily match up.

[Pies2016]

^^^
Last week the Saints kept Sicily out of the contest by blocking him any access to the marking contest. Sharman was instructed to play in front of him ( still with touch ) and sacrifice his game by not allowing Sicily a run at the ball. We may do that or we may simply back ourselves to kick around Sicily on the way in. You can have all the tactics you want but none of them stand for much if you are getting beaten in the midfield or aren’t applying at least as much pressure as the opposition.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Same just want a clinical easy win today.

Lead at all changes.

Kick goals and kick more goals.

I want a comprehesive win. Say around 41 points.

And of course no injuries.

Bank the 4 points and the win and move onto the cats next friday night.

[derkd]

Will Day is a emerging talent for the Hawks too. Need to clamp his influence. Also people on here seem to only be talking about Bruest. Young bloke named Mitchell Lewis who tends to kick plenty against us.


Pies should win, but we have to rock up and play four decent quaters.

[rosspies]

I really hope we start to improve our kickin efficiency. For most of the year we always kick long past the 50m mark and put us under pressure early. I know Fly wants quick football, but occasionally a short kick to someone free other than a 50/50 might be a good alternative.

A stress free win is a must as well.