Phew, we dodged a bullet!

[lockyno1]

So you watch every game going for the opposition?

Not at all. But I'd rather ensure future success. If that means tanking then fine.

 

[CyberKev]

It hasn't filled me with joy to see the Hawk heirarchy "pulling a Schwabby" and continually playing Hodge with injury this season, but one big positive to flow out of this in recent weeks has been the strong midfield form of Brad Sewell.

Sewell has played strongly all season in defence and has played just as well running tirelessly in the midfield in recent weeks. He will almost certainly finish third behind Mitchell & Hodge in the club B&F.

At the last trade week, Hawthorn came within a poofteenth of trading him for young Melbourne defender Matthew Ferguson. At the 11th hour, Ferguson baulked at the trade, and it fell through.

Thank bloody Christ for that!

 

[CyberKev]

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner...

At the last trade week, Carlton were very keen to offload Brendan Fevola and Richmond were exceedingly keen to take him off their hands.

The deal fell through, however, when the Tigers couldn't offload Ray Hall & Greg Tivendale to create room for Fev under their salary cap.

Suffice to say that the Blues are too grateful for words that this one didn't get up!

 

[CyberKev]

Locky is under the same deluded belief that Hawthorn supporters are in that going through a St Kilda like bottoming out period will ensure future success.

Nothing in football can ever be ensured.

It's achieved nothing for St Kilda so far, and their prelim chokes may in fact have something to do with the loser mentality in the club.

Losing the past two preliminary finals to the eventual champions is hardly choking, especially considering the injury toll they were carrying at the death knell last season.

At any rate, only the truly naive conflate the notion of success with the winning of premierships. They're exceedingly hard to win, you need luck running your way even when everything else is, and despite several sides being good enough to win every year, only one ever will.

Success in the current game is about staying strong off the field AND putting yourself in a position where you may win a premiership if the planets align for you. St Kilda have been a successful club in recent years because of their approach.

Hawthorn, at the least to their credit have taken a slightly modified road to the true 'bottoming out' style in that they have also combined it with trading away old hacks and average players from the spine, to pick up early draft picks. Like Richmond, they have almost cut all of the dead wood from their list over the last 3 years.

In line with this, and in keeping with my comments in the Spida thread, don't be surprised to see Hawthorn limit its drafting this season and push hard for players like Michael & Gardiner.

You have to cut the hacks, target the right youngsters (focussing on individual skills and keeping an eye of team balance), actually play the youngsters regularly to get them past the fifty game mark, then fill gaps in your side with capable experienced types.

And then you have to cross your fingers and toes...