Injuries mean its time to step up

[Hawka]

2 injuries on sunday
1 is terrible
1 isnt that bad

Gilham is our best kpp defender along with gibson and is not easy replaced
the only real replacements are shoemakers and maybe milne..and to a lesser extent lisle

however hales absents wont hurt us i dont think..if renouf was fit this wk hale would not of played imo roughy and renouf are our best 2 rucks i reckon..so we could bring in renouf for hale and then we have another running player like young or ellis..a hale replacemnt could b lisle or bailey

and i liked our forward line yesterday were we had 1 tall and many smalls and it worked quite well after hale went down forcing roughy outa there

[RiOtChEsS]

dont mind Shoenmakers rekn he could be solid defender...

[Hawka]

dont mind Shoenmakers rekn he could be solid defender...

but i dont c gilham and him the same type of defender i c gibson and shoey as the same type

[RiOtChEsS]

dont mind Shoenmakers rekn he could be solid defender...

but i dont c gilham and him the same type of defender i c gibson and shoey as the same type

agreed

[Hawka]

Specualtion paul johnson is gona b elevated

[hawk_88]

Schoenmakers has the body type to play on key forward and could replace Gilham if he has found form.

Time to step up for the big bloke!

[Hawka]

Schoenmakers has the body type to play on key forward and could replace Gilham if he has found form.

Time to step up for the big bloke!

wat do u reckon bout paul johnson hawk?

[hawk_88]

As a defender? It could work as he does have a bigger body that Schoenmakers. Whether he has the fitness after his injury (very little pre-season work) and the defence nous is another question.

[Cruiseon]

Through adversity comes opportunity.

With Presti struggling last year & limited key defenders, Collingwood unearthed Reid & N Brown who were both strong performers in a Premiership campaign.

Brown probably played 14 VFL games last year before getting his chance. Schoenmakers couldn't have hoped in his wildest dreams for a better opportunity being desperated wanted in the Hawks senior team.

 

[hawk_88]

You would hope that is the attitude he takes.

[McRooster]

You would hope that is the attitude he takes.

'If you embrace Hawthorn, Hawthorn will embrace you'

I was out tonight at my golf club for another sports night and the guest speaker was Dipper. Fantastic bloke, great stories and he spoke of the above statement. Its above the archway as you enter Glenferrie and it's in the elevator at Waverley where I believe there is a Hawks museum? He spoke of the younger current day players playing for the pay cheque and not for the club. He did not name names but you sensed he wasn't entirely happy with current attitudes.

[hawk_88]

Dipper is great to listen to!

Are you sure he isn't talking about AFL in general? I have heard him talk about the current situation with the Suns and Giants and how it discourages loyalty toward clubs.

To be honest, loyalty between person and a non person entity, like a corporation, business or sports club isn't real. It is always a fallacy in life, and I don't want to get too deep, but more often "loyalty" is a social contract that perpetuates a one way relationship, with the given party being looked down on when they stop, despite the lack of reciprocity.

Think about footy these days. A player is expected to give it all to a club. Give their time, effort, potentially their health for a club. Then when their presence is deemed to be of little benefit to a club, they are expected to show their loyalty for the club and walk away for the good of a club. Yes they get a pay-cheque, but you don't buy loyalty. It is a one way street, which is fine, that is an employer employee relationship.

Dipper played in a time where you played at a club based on where you lived. You grew up supporting a club, then you played for a club. These days kids are drafted and move all around the country. But in Dippers day, it was more than simply supporting a club. A club was much more a community centric concept due to locality. You weren't playing for your "club" but the people within the club, which were consistent because of where they lived. You played for your friends, family, co-workers, your local butcher. That is where loyalty lies, between people and that was why there was true loyalty.

Fans love the concept of loyalty, which is one of the reasons why the concept perpetuated so much within football. It is part of the Australian psyche and that is used to generate support, stir up emotions in fans. However, the reasons players play will vary. Some will simply enjoy playing the game. Many will enjoy and find strength in a team unit, whatever strip that team wears. Some will enjoy the brotherhood of the team and the bond and friendships that form. Some will be competitive beings and enjoy the contest. Some may like the pay cheque or the fame.

One thing I know is that the players aren't playing for me, the fan, despite the company line they tow. When Melbourne players say they need to "make a stand for the fans", we all know there is little truth to that. The footy fan in me loves the romantic sense of loyalty. However the realist (or pessimist depending on your disposition) in me says that whatever is the driving force that motives these players to play footy, as long as they go out onto the field and try as hard as they can, I can maintain the illusion that is loyalty to a club.

[hawk_88]

Wow.... I shouldn't browse the net when drunk. That is a depressing rant.