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I have my doubts about the dockers, which is hard to believe considering they finished top. But maybe we are getting side swiped by this Hawthorn aura. The Hawks have shown they have flaws, but we know they can turn it on. To be honest I have absolutely no idea which way this game will go. If it was at the MCG Id put my house on a Hawks win. But being in Perth I think Freo are a huge chance, and with the week off the freshen up. I think they really needed that week off. But is it enough?

I will tip the Dockers by a goal, but if Hawthorn won by 30 I wouldn't be surprised either.

Hopefully they bash each other up before they play North Melbourne in the Grand Final

I'm a Freo supporter but think the Hawks will win. Freo's defence will restrict Hawthorn's scoring to below 100 points but think they'll still kick more than Freo. We're lacking a hit-up key forward to give the Pav a chop out. For Freo to win the mids have to start hitting the scoreboard a lot more as well and that might mean sending Fyfe and Mundy forward more often.

The key is the last 12 players in the teams. Hawks are deeper in this group & that's what will win it for them. Hawks over all TOO Good. About 5 goals TOO good

Leather Stops wrote: The key is the last 12 players in the teams. Hawks are deeper in this group & that's what will win it for them. Hawks over all TOO Good. About 5 goals TOO good

Prob this is the diff, though think its the last say 5 rather than 12.

Magunzu Duffield Sutcliffe Pearce ( still ot sold under real pressure) Crozier are ones that come to mind for me. Then a hot or cold mayne and ballentyne dont help.

Will be interesting to see how both teams start the game. Freo may try and get a fast start to put some scoreboard pressure on the Hawks. The key will be the Dockers ability to deny Hawthorn time and space to dispose of the ball. We saw the Hawks get so many uncontested possessions last week and as a result they crucified Adelaide with their elite kicking skills. The previous week, West Coast managed to shut them down with extreme pressure, thus they coughed the ball up regularly.

Dockers will need to score 90- 100 points to win I reckon even with the defence and midfield firing. Hawthorn are just a team that score heavily but their defence could also be a bit slow and vulnerable with quick ball movement. Walters and Ballantyne are crucial cogs in this plan and I think Lyon would bring in Taberner as another big body to create contests and spillage in the forward line and also provide support to Pavlich. Mcpharlin is a huge loss but this may be offset somewhat if Gunston doesn't get up. I think that playing Crowley would be too big a risk in a final

Freo will never have a better opportunity to beat Hawthorn than Friday night. They are playing on their own patch having had a two week break and their opponents have had to trek across the continent twice in a couple of weeks. The Eagles have done Freo a massive favour by beating the Hawks in the qualifying final because the Dockers won't have to play them on the MCG now and if they win they will more than likely play the Eagles on a ground which would be a totally neutral venue.

My feeling is that is going to be an arm wrestle right to the end with the Dockers just prevailing thanks to their less taxing finals series.

If Hawthorn manage to win this game, I really can't see anybody stopping them on Grand Final day, sorry Eagles fans. They will just have so much motivation to put themselves on the same level as the great Brisbane team of the early 2000's.

Duffield isn't in our best 22 now and Mazungu probably the same. If you are referring to Clancy Pearce, I think he is good under pressure. De Boar is average, Ballantyne is good. Friday night will reveal all, Freo will be hard to toss make no mistake.

mikeh wrote: Will be interesting to see how both teams start the game. Freo may try and get a fast start to put some scoreboard pressure on the Hawks. The key will be the Dockers ability to deny Hawthorn time and space to dispose of the ball. We saw the Hawks get so many uncontested possessions last week and as a result they crucified Adelaide with their elite kicking skills. The previous week, West Coast managed to shut them down with extreme pressure, thus they coughed the ball up regularly.

Dockers will need to score 90- 100 points to win I reckon even with the defence and midfield firing. Hawthorn are just a team that score heavily but their defence could also be a bit slow and vulnerable with quick ball movement. Walters and Ballantyne are crucial cogs in this plan and I think Lyon would bring in Taberner as another big body to create contests and spillage in the forward line and also provide support to Pavlich. Mcpharlin is a huge loss but this may be offset somewhat if Gunston doesn't get up. I think that playing Crowley would be too big a risk in a final

Freo will never have a better opportunity to beat Hawthorn than Friday night. They are playing on their own patch having had a two week break and their opponents have had to trek across the continent twice in a couple of weeks. The Eagles have done Freo a massive favour by beating the Hawks in the qualifying final because the Dockers won't have to play them on the MCG now and if they win they will more than likely play the Eagles on a ground which would be a totally neutral venue.

My feeling is that is going to be an arm wrestle right to the end with the Dockers just prevailing thanks to their less taxing finals series.

If Hawthorn manage to win this game, I really can't see anybody stopping them on Grand Final day, sorry Eagles fans. They will just have so much motivation to put themselves on the same level as the great Brisbane team of the early 2000's.

I've never been able to understand where a team will "try to get a fast start". Isn't that the idea of the game? Surely no team says, let's start slowly, then we'll catch them later on. I do agree however, if Hawks win this, then they're a huge chance to take the flag.

JB wrote: Duffield isn't in our best 22 now and Mazungu probably the same. If you are referring to Clancy Pearce, I think he is good under pressure. De Boar is average, Ballantyne is good. Friday night will reveal all, Freo will be hard to toss make no mistake.

Nah agree Clancy Pearce fine, Daryl pearce was the one i meant. Ballentyne fom memory has had a poor season ( i stand corrected)

58shark wrote:

mikeh wrote: Will be interesting to see how both teams start the game. Freo may try and get a fast start to put some scoreboard pressure on the Hawks. The key will be the Dockers ability to deny Hawthorn time and space to dispose of the ball. We saw the Hawks get so many uncontested possessions last week and as a result they crucified Adelaide with their elite kicking skills. The previous week, West Coast managed to shut them down with extreme pressure, thus they coughed the ball up regularly.

Dockers will need to score 90- 100 points to win I reckon even with the defence and midfield firing. Hawthorn are just a team that score heavily but their defence could also be a bit slow and vulnerable with quick ball movement. Walters and Ballantyne are crucial cogs in this plan and I think Lyon would bring in Taberner as another big body to create contests and spillage in the forward line and also provide support to Pavlich. Mcpharlin is a huge loss but this may be offset somewhat if Gunston doesn't get up. I think that playing Crowley would be too big a risk in a final

Freo will never have a better opportunity to beat Hawthorn than Friday night. They are playing on their own patch having had a two week break and their opponents have had to trek across the continent twice in a couple of weeks. The Eagles have done Freo a massive favour by beating the Hawks in the qualifying final because the Dockers won't have to play them on the MCG now and if they win they will more than likely play the Eagles on a ground which would be a totally neutral venue.

My feeling is that is going to be an arm wrestle right to the end with the Dockers just prevailing thanks to their less taxing finals series.

If Hawthorn manage to win this game, I really can't see anybody stopping them on Grand Final day, sorry Eagles fans. They will just have so much motivation to put themselves on the same level as the great Brisbane team of the early 2000's.

I've never been able to understand where a team will "try to get a fast start". Isn't that the idea of the game? Surely no team says, let's start slowly, then we'll catch them later on. I do agree however, if Hawks win this, then they're a huge chance to take the flag.

Yeah see what you mean. What I was trying to say was that ideally the Dockers would like a 3 goal lead at quarter time to force the Hawks to play catch up footy.

Think Dockers need to kick 90 points or 14 goals to win, don't think they can