Game day. Magpies v. Hawks - Changes, comments

[Breadcrawl]

I should be sanding the ceiling today.

I really should be.

Instead I am about to climb aboard my iron horse and try really hard to obey the speed limits all the way to the G.

It looks like I am gonna get wet.

It will be worth it though.

I can't provide logical reasons for it but I have a strong feeling in my waters and by the sounds of the comments of many others I am not alone.

We can do this people

[Dave The Man]

I'm predicting a gritty, fighting win. Pies always play at their best with their backs against the wall after a loss.

Not predicting this, but I am hoping that, for the first time in his career, Blair will turn on a beauty against a seriously tough opponent. Most of his good games have been against weak clubs. Blair has been very good this year at his best .... and worse than ever at his worst, which is two games out of three. After his worst game of the season last week, this is decision day for Blair. Either he is among our best against the Hawks, or else he has proved himself not good enough to stay in the side as a regular and can go and play with Marty in the seconds as nothing more than depth.

Agree - We not often lose 2 in a row as well.

As long as we take it up to the Hawks and show that they are not much better then we are.

We are missing quite a few from out Best 22

[Dave The Man]

[Jezza]

I hate losing to this mob so I really hope we can finally break the drought and beat them for the first time since 2011 in that memorable preliminary final where we were three point winners.

I do worry that Hawthorn's inclusions of Gunston and Lake will really test us at both areas of the ground. Gunston has proven to be a handful for the most sides in the past so he needs to be contained and I can see Toovey playing on him and with Lake we really need to hope that Cloke is able to beat him and isolate him one out in the forward line even though Lake has had the better of Cloke in the past. One thing Cloke could do is really test Lake and play up the ground in patches to test his fitness.

For us to beat the Hawks we need to play man on man football as zoning off them will hurt us due to their elite foot skills. Playing man on man is easier said than done as it requires strong fitness to maintain it but I hope we have the ability to keep it up if we do go down that avenue today. Also tackling pressure is paramount on beating the Hawks as well.

I worry about the fact that the Hawks have had an eight day break as opposed to us with a six day break so I wonder how that may affect the outcome of today's match and what really pisses me off is that many people say Collingwood gets a good draw yet today's unfavourable in terms of the number of days break each club has had. The same could apply to last week's game against the Dogs as well where we had a six day break leading into that game in comparison to the Dogs who had an eight day break.

It wouldn't surprise me if Frost is a late withdrawal and someone like Grundy is the late inclusion as a result. Despite having a good run so far, our young defence is going to be tested today and if we can limit Hawthorn's scoring to less than 100 then we've done really well.

Thank god Beams is back in the side. We really missed him against the Dogs so he's a vital inclusion but still no Goldsack and a suspended Sidebottom will hurt us somewhat. At least Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson aren't playing as they've caused problems for us in the past and Clarko isn't coaching either.

Overall, I realistically struggle to see us win but if we're going to pull of a great upset then today is the day. Football is a strange game so who knows what may eventuate today.

Can't wait to be back at the MCG and at the footy for the first time since the St.Kilda match

GO PIES!!!

[Woods]

The last two games we have played have been "marquee" games (as the media call it) against inferior teams in Melbourne and Bulldogs.

For these teams the games were their mid-season Grand Finals.

Collingwood was seen as a scalp to be taken to restore pride amongst the opposition faithful. We lost to the Dogs and managed a good but laboured win against Melb. Fierce games both.

But today the sword is passed to Collingwood, and with it the ferocity that comes with it. This is our marquee game. Whatever happens in 2014 a defeat of Hawthorn today will be a crowning glory that will benchmark our season and write our narrative for the rest of the year.

Do not doubt that the entire Collingwood machine is fully embraced by this moment of judgement, pregnant with the realisation of what victory today will mean for the club's fortunes and its destiny in September.

Whatever the outcome, expect Collingwood to take no prisoners in today's battle.

"Cry havoc, and unleash the dogs of war!"

[think positive]

My head is saying we'll do well to get within 3 or 4 goals, my heart is saying stay home, you fool. That and "dude, what the hell was with last night,... I've just about had it with you, buddy!"

Hahaha me too, but to the G we go, it's WAR

Go Pies!

[swoop42]

If we play man on man contested football and our midfield can get on top then we're half a chance.

Going to take something special and a complete reversal of form to win.

[John Wren]

we'll win by a small amount or get pantsed. whatever happens i just want to see us play a good brand of footy to demonstrate that we do have what it takes to sit amongst the top echelon of the league.

[watt price tully]

Head says: hawks by loads

Stomach says: eat

Heart says: we can winit

Stomach says: eat & drink

Feet say: lose some weight

Stomach says: eat & drink some more

Nose says: stop fartin' & go to the loo

Stomach says: eat some more

Ears say: stop with the voices already

Stomach says: eat some more & drink some more

Brain says: its not the ears it's the brain

Stomach says: eat & drink some more

Eyes say: the eye's have it

Conscience says: clean up & walk the dog before she who must be obeyed gets home.

[Bob Sugar]

I'm predicting a gritty, fighting win. Pies always play at their best with their backs against the wall after a loss.

Not predicting this, but I am hoping that, for the first time in his career, Blair will turn on a beauty against a seriously tough opponent. Most of his good games have been against weak clubs. Blair has been very good this year at his best .... and worse than ever at his worst, which is two games out of three. After his worst game of the season last week, this is decision day for Blair. Either he is among our best against the Hawks, or else he has proved himself not good enough to stay in the side as a regular and can go and play with Marty in the seconds as nothing more than depth.

Blair's a depth player anyway, if we had a healthy list he wouldn't be playing.

[Cuthbert Collingwood]

I think we might just do it today! But I'm a terrible optimist at the worst of times. Go Pies!!!

[Bob Sugar]

Bad sign, my dogs hiding.

[swoop42]

No change!

Broomhead the sub.

[Big T]

Lake to pull a hammy in the first 5 minutes

Cloke to kick 12

Pies by plenty

[Bob Sugar]

No change!

Broomhead the sub.

some way to develop a player, I'd prefer he stayed in the VFL and got a full game under his belt, especially after being the sub last week.