01-06-2018, 05:37 AM
(01-05-2018, 08:56 PM)Gointocarlton link Wrote:NM having another close look, I wouldnt rate Hawthorn so lo nor CheatsFC so hight. That is, I cant see Hawthorn falling away that much and I cant see CheatsFC rising much more than they did this year. I agree, they have managed to pick up a few good ones courtesy of there cheating ways. I dont think Saad (HB flanker), Stringer (front runner) and Smith (overrated and injury prone) will make a huge difference.
I would guess Hawthorn will be in the 8 purely because of the wiiley old fox Clarkson. Missing the finals this year would have stung him like mad and will have been stewing over it all summer come round round 1. He and his fellow coaches would have devised a plan to rectify that wrong make no mistake. Time will tell.
Yeah I definitely have my reservations about Essendon, but I can’t deny tha they have some very good players in important positions. Daniher becoming one of the better forwards in the comp is a massive plus for them, Hurley was exceptional last year down back. They have some great kids coming through as well as icing on the cake players like Tippa and Fantasia. Like with a few of these teams, it’ll come down to how a few things fall; if Stringer gets back to his 2015 form and even pushes into the middle, and if a couple more of their high end kids come on, they’re in with a chance.
As for Hawthorn, Burton aside, I don’t see any of their kids really becoming elite. They’ve lost or are losing most of their genuine A Grade talent and don’t have the same quality to replace it. I don’t think that they’ll rebound quicker than most due to the genius of Clarkson. I mean he started the process before others even recognised its need by moving on the likes of Mitchell and Lewis.