Talk about the ultimate Sliding Doors moment.Isaac Smiths miss after the siren?against Geelong two weekends ago has?shaped the entire finals series - if he kicked straight, the Hawks wouldve enjoyed a week off in preparation for a preliminary final and from there, theyre in the box seat to at least make it to the grand final.?The four-thorn dream would still be alive and well.But after being dominated by a more manic and hungry Bulldogs outfit in Friday nights?semifinal, Hawthorn have been bundled out of the finals at the earliest stage in four years.I believe the loss doesnt signal the?end of an era, but it was the end of a golden run for the Hawks. Theyve still got so much talent,?they need to just add a bit of pace through the midfield and make a few minor changes and theyll be right up there again.The Bulldogs though, are the?feelgood?story of September.?Theyve beaten the two grand finalists from last year and I?believe?theyre?a good chance to?knock over?the Giants. They need to realise theyre only four hours of football away from notching the clubs second premiership - if they attack the Giants with the same full-ground ferocity as they did the Hawks, theyll be in it right up to their eyeballs.The Swans are still alive after a brutal?semifinal?against an outclassed Adelaide outfit at the SCG. The Crows werent able to apply the?required?pressure?over four quarters, and the hardened Swans took full advantage.?Sydneys midfield was far too powerful for the visitors, and Lance Franklin played closer to goal and appeared dangerous every time he touched the footy. The downside were the injuries to Gary Rohan and?Jarrad?McVeigh, who are both extremely doubtful for the preliminary final.The big question now were down to four teams is, does a second week off in three weeks help or hinder Geelong and GWS?They will certainly be refreshed and rested, but could a lack of?gametime?in recent weeks?cause them grief?Well find out come Saturday night.HEROESAlastair Clarkson:?The loss to the Bulldogs must have been heartbreaking to everyone associated with the Hawks, but?Clarkson was all class after the game?in seeking out his counterpart Luke Beveridge in the Dogs rooms and offering his hearty congratulations. Clarko?could have?been excused for keeping?his head down and commiserating?with his group, but he chose to wish Beveridge and the Dogs well?for the rest of the finals. It was a real act of class and shows the other side of Clarkson - we all know he can be a bit of a firebrand but it shows his human side.Josh Kennedy:?This?human battering ram?is building an incredible reputation?as?an A-grade finals performer.?Hes won 41 contested possessions in the past two weeks and that was despite copping that high hit from Steve Johnson in the qualifying final.?His game is made for finals, which often require more basic, tough footy, and thats something Kennedy has in spades. Against the Crows?he controlled the stoppages, dominated contested footy, tackled ferociously and executed under pressure.?He has an?incredible?ability to pull a ball from the fire, stay composed and release a teammate into space.?The?crazy thing about?Kennedy, being such?a?big-bodied midfielder?as he is,?he barely does any leg weights or heavy lifting in the gym. Hes just one of those blokes who is naturally strong, with square shoulders.?He certainly uses it to his advantage.Liam?Picken:?His?past two weeks have been enormous - hes taken some huge contested marks around the ground and his toughness, mixed with a real energy and zest, has added so much for the Bulldogs.?He obviously squeezes every ounce of talent out of his body and hes a heart-and-soul type player who seems to energise his teammates.?Against the Hawks, he?collected 24 touches (13 contested), four clearances, four inside 50s, eight marks and booted three goals. Hes transformed himself from a dour stopper to a genuine weapon for the Bulldogs in recent years.?VILLAINSAdelaide: In all the preview meetings leading into the do-or-die semifinal, the emphasis from Don Pyke would have been to expect a response from Sydney after they had been bullied by GWS. The start?of a match?is always crucial, but the Crows were jumped in the first term at the SCG and were unable to match their opponents intensity, conceding seven goals in the first quarter.?After?such a dire start, they needed their leaders to respond but no one was able to step up until it was too late.?Adelaide had few winners through the midfield, while?the much-lauded forward line?of Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins, Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins found desperately wanting.? ?The Football Gods:?There are always hard-luck stories at this time of year, and theres no exception in 2016. The extent of the injuries to? McVeigh and Rohan wont be known until later this week, but if they miss the preliminary final against Geelong - and possibly the big dance should the Swans win through - it will be a cruel blow for those two men. Rohan has endured so many injury setbacks since being drafted at pick No. 6 in 2009, and hell be absolutely shattered to miss out again should his knee cut him down at such an important time of the season. McVeigh, the Swans co-captain, appeared to pull a calf and his experience and poise?will be a huge loss if he is grounded. Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy must have mixed feelings after the weekend - he would have so much pride for his teams efforts in the past fortnight, but it must also be a double-edged sword, knowing he wont be able to play a part as the Dogs hunt a rare piece of silverware. ?The AFLs?fixturing?department:?The AFLs decision to want to avoid a?preliminary final?at ANZ Stadium has merit- even if they drew 35,000 or 40,000?there, it feels empty and then can lack true atmosphere. But its disgraceful that so many supporters of a team that hasnt been in a grand final since 1961 will miss out on seeing?the Bulldogs?play in a?prelim. They would be so hungry for success but thousands will miss out on attending the clash against GWS on Saturday.?The Giants only have a membership of around 16,000 while the Bulldogs have about 40,000, the AFL should ensure as close to half the capacity of the stadium should go to Dogs fans.?We all know thats unlikely to happen, though. Cheap Vikings Jerseys Free Shipping .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Marcus Sherels Jersey . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. http://www.cheapvikingsjerseysonline.com/?tag=danny-isidora-jersey-online . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Paul Krause Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Wholesale Vikings Jerseys China . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams waived cornerback Troy Hill on Tuesday in the wake of his arrest last weekend following a freeway crash.Hill is fourth on the Rams roster with 38 tackles after starting four games as a surprisingly important contributor to Los Angeles solid defense.Hill was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after he rear-ended a truck in his Mercedes near Encino.I was disappointed in his choices, as they related to Friday night and Saturday morning, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after practice Tuesday.I didnt think he put the team first. I got information, and we made the decision. Because Troy was truthful with me in our conversations the last couple of days, I also said that Im not going to rule out a second opportunity. I think people deserve second chances in life. I think he learned from it, but I was just disappointed in his choices.The Rams claimed Hill off waivers from New England late last year, and the local Ventura County product eventually outplayed free-agent signee Coty Sensabaugh for a regular role on the defense this season.The Rams deactivated Hill for last weekends 114-10 loss to Miami.dddddddddddd Los Angeles (4-6) has lost five of six.Hills next court date is Dec. 14.The Rams made several additional roster moves as they began their week of preparation for a trip to New Orleans.Los Angeles waived cornerback Dwayne Gratz and placed rookie linebacker Josh Forrest on injured reserve after he hurt his knee against the Dolphins. They also promoted cornerback Michael Jordan and linebacker Nic Grigsby to the active roster, and they signed linebacker Randell Johnson to the practice squad.Michael is so excited, Fisher said of Jordan, a rookie Missouri Western State product who went undrafted and joined the Rams practice squad in September.It was really fun to talk to him today. He understands our system. Hes played really hard in practice. He was productive in the preseason games. 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