heraldsun.com.au Herald Sun, Tuesday, September 4, 2007 83 + + FB123 C M Y K DHS 4-SEP-2007 PAGE 83 SECOND FOOTY 2007 SPEAK UP Should the Kangaroos be allowed to play the Good Friday game if it goes ahead? To enter, SMS the word SPORT, then either YES or NO and your response of 25 words or less to 1994 4111 (please include name and suburb). Or email [email protected] (SMS costs 55c, including GST). YESTERDAY’S QUESTION Q After yesterday’s poor performance, are the Hawks genuine finals contenders? YES 46% They can, but unless they can turn into a more physically accountable unit, it’s unlikely. Stern test for such a young group. Shaun, Sunbury They are if Alastair Clarkson pumped up his own side as much as he does the other sides. They would be a big chance. Mal, Geelong They will bounce back and be better for it. Watch out, Crows. Bullbar, Bayswater NO 54% Too young, inexperienced and fatigued. The wheels are off at Hawthorn. Go Tigers. Trav, Wantirna They have shown they are boys amongst men. Another year or two will make all the difference. They will be great. Mozza, Ringwood East Will’s a Star RICHMOND defender Will Thursfield has won the Rising Star nomination for Round 22. Tall and athletic, Thursfield has played 22 matches since his debut in Round 14, 2005. He was restricted to just one game in 2006 when a serious knee injury in Round 2 ended his season. The 21-year-old returned in Round 8 this year and played the remaining 15 games, matching up on the opposition’s best forwards. Thursfield was the first player selected in the 2005 AFL rookie draft. AAP THE ROAD TO GLORY 1st SEMI FINAL 2nd SEMI FINAL W W W W W W L L 1st PRELIMINARY FINAL 2nd PRELIMINARY FINAL FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL Hawthorn v Adelaide Saturday, 2.30pm, Telstra Dome SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL Collingwood v Sydney Saturday, 7.30pm, MCG FIRST QUALIFYING FINAL Geelong v Kangaroos Sunday, 2.45pm, MCG SECOND QUALIFYING FINAL Port Adelaide v West Coast Friday, 8.20pm, AAMI Stadium Young Hawk in line for recall Daryl Timms and Gareth Trickey Fitness test: Chance Bateman HAWTHORN selectors could turn to youngster Travis Tuck for Saturday’s elimination final against Adelaide at Telstra Dome. A hamstring injury to Chance Bateman and Michael Osborne’s potential suspension have added to the Hawks’ selection woes. Xavier Ellis and Tuck, who has played just one game, are in line to be recalled. A scan of Bateman’s hamstring revealed a low-grade injury. The Hawks hope Bateman will be available, but the six-day break does not help. Defender Trent Croad, who suffered concussion against Sydney at the SCG on Sunday, will have tests later this week. But the Hawks also hope he will play. The Hawks were expected to promote Osborne to the senior side for the team’s first final. But he has fallen foul of the umpires in a VFL game for the second time in a month. Osborne was reported in the Box Hill Hawks’ reserve side elimination final against Williamstown on Sunday. He has been charged on video evidence with ‘‘bumping or making forceful contact to an opponent from front on while that player has his head over the ball’’. Osborne was booked three minutes into the final term for making contact to Williamstown’s Daniel Nicholls, who left the field but later returned to play out the game. It follows Osborne’s report in Box Hill’s Round 19 game against Frankston when he accepted an automatic one-game ban for striking Frankston’s Justin Berry. HAWTHORN defender Campbell Brown says the Hawks lacked inten- sity in their 12-goal loss to Sydney on Sunday. The tough defender predicted the Crows would be just as physical as the Swans when the Hawks meet them in the elimination final. ‘‘We’ll get together this week and work out why we didn’t go so well against Sydney because we’re going to get a pretty similar game against Adelaide,’’ Brown said yesterday. ‘‘Adelaide are an extremely disciplined group as well. They’ve got some great players, (Andrew) McLeod’s in great form, Mark Ricciuto is back kicking some goals. ‘‘We’ll just have to sit down, the match committee and the players, and have a bit of a chat about how we can go about beating them.’’ Brown said a breakdown in the midfield and ineffectiveness around the stoppages also contributed to the Hawk’s 72-point drubbing at the hands of the Swans. ‘‘We need 22 contributors out there and we need to get the ball to the forwards like Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead to give them a chance,’’ Brown said. ‘‘Because on the weekend they might not as well have been playing because we just didn’t get the ball in there.’’ Money for hot Crows Adam Hamilton PUNTERS have already written off Hawthorn this season. Betting agencies around Australia reported a flood of money for the Crows when markets opened yester- day on the first elimination final between the Hawks and Adelaide. ‘‘The Crows were $1.80 into $1.70 with us in the blink of an eye,’’ Sportingbet Australia’s Stephen Fletcher said. Lasseters Sports’ Gerard Daffy said $25,000 in bets had been taken on the Crows in the first 12 hours. ‘‘We opened at $1.77 late Sunday night and took $15,000 in bets, then another $10,000 came in once we shortened the Crows to $1.70,’’ Daffy said. The Crows have shortened from $1.80 to $1.68 with TAB Sportsbet. The big money for the Crows also extends to the premiership. ‘‘The first flag bet we had this morning was $5 on the Crows at $16,’’ TAB’s Gary Davies said. Sportingbet also reported a $2000 bet at $15. ‘‘The Crows have been the big movers for the flag. They’ve been $16 into $14 with us,’’ Daffy said. ‘‘We did take a $6000 bet on the Kangaroos at $18 and have trimmed them into $16.’’ Leading Victorian bookmaker Simon Beasley dared to give Geelong $2.25 for the flag yesterday, but punters swooped quickly and the odds were trimmed to $2.10. The Cats remain $2 favourite from Port Adelaide ($5) and West Coast ($5.50). ARGENTINA v AUSTRALIA MCG 7.30pm 11th SEPT 2007 ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100 LAST TICKETS REMAINING SEE THE SUPERSTARS OF WORLD FOOTBALL CRESPO (INTER MILAN) MESSI (BARCELONA) TEVEZ (MAN UTD)