A Declaration Of War

[bunyip]

OK. Time to lay our cards on the table. We all know who the "enemy" is. It's time to commit to the cause.
I'm here to say that Lingy and his "over the hill gang" are going to do their level best to take the trophy from "them".
They CAN do it or will die trying.
I don't want to read any more about how your team is to young, or in a re-buiding phase, or anything.
I don't want to read about why you can't win the premiership, I want to read about why you think you may be a contender this year.
Why are you better than Collingwood this season?
You have the floor.

[hawk_88]

Three words: Hodge, Cyril, Buddy
Three more words: Mitchell, Roughy, Young
Three more words: Burgoyne, Sewell, Bruce
Three more words: Lewis, Birchall, Stratton

Need I go on?

[Junktimer]

WE can beat Collingwood because we have the best midfield in the competition.

Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson, Scotland, Carrazzo, McLean to return from injury this year, Lucas is a jet, and Aaron Joseph for tagging.

A bolstered defence.  New recruits in Laidler, Watson, McCarthy, McInnes and mature defender, Nicholas Duigan.  With solid players in Bower, Russell and Jamison etc. our defence will not be a pushover in 2011.

Our forward line can be anything.  Henderson and Waite our KPFs.  New recruit Collins as our medium forward, and the brothers Betts, Garlett and Yarran. 

Great ruck department in Kreuzer, Warnock and Hampson.

We are still the seventh youngest list in the comp.

Expect Gibbs to join the elite this season.  And Murphy to show why he was the best out of the 2005 draft.  (Better than Thomas, Pendlebury).  Murph had a great year despite having osteitis pubis, an injury which I can tell you is very hard to deal with.  (I was diagnosed with it this year). 

And Judd, well he's gonna win four Brownlows.

I'll leave you with the wise words of esteemed assistant coach Alan Richardson, who would have got the Essendon job had it not have been for Hirdy.

"The best of Judd is yet to come."

[Hawka]

Three words: Hodge, Cyril, Buddy
Three more words: Mitchell, Roughy, Young
Three more words: Burgoyne, Sewell, Bruce
Three more words: Lewis, Birchall, Stratton

Need I go on?

Very true
But also we have filled our gaps on last yr and our young kpp have had great pre season and a player like bruce is our dew of 2008

[bunyip]

So, both of you (Hawthorn and Carlton fans) consider you can beat Collingwood this season. What we have to keep in mind is the Pies have improved their team to, (albeit slightly) so they will be moderately harder to beat this season.
What I noticed last season was when the ball was in dispute, it was almost always Collingwood that got the ball out of a scrum and to a player waiting nearby. They did it all the time, and initiated a lot of attacks that way. They seemed to be the best team at winning turn overs. Anyone agree.

[hawk_88]

WE can beat Collingwood because we have the best midfield in the competition.

The Brownlow votes would suggest otherwise. A good midfield shares the responsibility and Judd was the only player in double figures. I can think of at least 3 midfields that are better in terms of talent and a few more that have better structures that perform better that Carlton's despite having less talent.

Also, Carlton forward and defensive structures are disastrous. You lack any consistent KPPs except for Waite and move him around from defence to attack because you have no other options. Relying on 18 year old KPP recruits is unwise. Young big blokes take time, at least a couple of years most often more.

I want the enemy to be beaten, I just don't think this is the team to do it.

[hawk_88]

So, both of you (Hawthorn and Carlton fans) consider you can beat Collingwood this season. What we have to keep in mind is the Pies have improved their team to, (albeit slightly) so they will be moderately harder to beat this season.

True, however you must consider that Hawthorn in fact beat Collingwood late last season and have generally been Collingwood's bogey side for a few years running now.

The Hawks have rarely struggled against the best sides, we have a few weaknesses, which steps have been taken to rectify with mature recruiting and new coaches. Our major issue has been consistency against lesser sides - something that should be easy to fix.

What I noticed last season was when the ball was in dispute, it was almost always Collingwood that got the ball out of a scrum and to a player waiting nearby. They did it all the time, and initiated a lot of attacks that way. They seemed to be the best team at winning turn overs. Anyone agree.

They played smart footy. They don't have the best midfield in the comp by a stretch, but they play smart. I suppose the good thing about that is that tactics change as people find ways around them whilst talent is much harder to change.

[Junktimer]

WE can beat Collingwood because we have the best midfield in the competition.

The Brownlow votes would suggest otherwise. A good midfield shares the responsibility and Judd was the only player in double figures. I can think of at least 3 midfields that are better in terms of talent and a few more that have better structures that perform better that Carlton's despite having less talent.

Also, Carlton forward and defensive structures are disastrous. You lack any consistent KPPs except for Waite and move him around from defence to attack because you have no other options. Relying on 18 year old KPP recruits is unwise. Young big blokes take time, at least a couple of years most often more.

I want the enemy to be beaten, I just don't think this is the team to do it.

New Inclusions in Laidler and Duigan make our backline much more solid.  If Bower can hold off injury and Jamison can get back into form, our backline can get much better.  Our backline is sure as hell better than the trainwreck down back that Hawthorn have.

Our forward line really isn't that bad, Henderson will keep improving, we already won on the Fevola trade.  Waite is a gun.  Medium forwards in Walker and Collins, along with Betts, Garlett and Yarran freak show.

Our midfield will show this year why it is the best.

[ossie85]

Collingwood's midfield is better than Carlton


Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson, Scotland, Carrazzo, McLean, Lucas, Joseph

v

Swan, Pendlebury, Didak, Thomas, Ball, Sidebottom, Beams, Wellingham, Johnson, Blair

By my count, that's 4 All-Australians against 1.


With Ablett gone, the Pies midfield is better than the Cats also.

The Saints best midfielders are elite, but the Pies depth is better IMO.

[Hawka]

Hawks dont have a train wreck backline
Gilham has improved alot
Murphy was the most improved player at the club last yr
Gibson Performed reasonbly well agianst players like cloke and browny
Shoenmakers has had a ripper pre season
Stratton will improve
and birchall and guerra have been great for sometime and bruce will also add alot to the defence

[BoredSaint]

i think st kildas midfield is better than carltons jt..

Dal santo, Montagna, Hayes, Goddard, Jones, Ray, Schneider, McQualter, Spud Peake

[Hawka]

Collingwood's midfield is better than Carlton


Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Simpson, Scotland, Carrazzo, McLean, Lucas, Joseph

v

Swan, Pendlebury, Didak, Thomas, Ball, Sidebottom, Beams, Wellingham, Johnson, Blair

By my count, that's 4 All-Australians against 1.


With Ablett gone, the Pies midfield is better than the Cats also.

The Saints best midfielders are elite, but the Pies depth is better IMO.

saints first 4 midies are beta then ur first 4 but true u do have alot beta depth

[hawk_88]

St Kilda
Geelong
Collingwood
Hawthorn
Western Bulldogs
Carlton

Would my ordering of midfield performances. In terms of talent I would go:

Geelong
Hawthorn
St Kilda
Carlton
Collingwood
Western Bulldogs

[bunyip]

Hmmmmm. It's easy to get carried away with your mids.
Collingwood don't have a better line in there team than anyone else, (I'm talking about all over, not just the mids) but they jell together well and work hard.
If our teams are to beat the Pies, we have to be better than them at the one percenters. Constant pressure all over the ground. Lets face it, usually you only have possession of the ball half the time, so if our teams get to be as good as Collingwood at forcing turnovers and initiating attacking moves from them, then we are well on the way. But this has to occur all over the ground.
I think Max Rook was a devastating loss for us last season, he was our best  forward defensive player.
Every team needs one or two Max's.
Key positions are a problem for most of us. KPP's don't grow on trees.

[pyronerd]

i think st kildas midfield is better than carltons jt..

Dal santo, Montagna, Hayes, Goddard, Jones, Ray, Schneider, McQualter, Spud Peake

first 7 are all we need  8)