Autopsy Round 2, 2024: Hawks go to hell

[TassieGrown]

Wish Ward had gone back and attempted that set shot rather than a poor pass inside 50.

Chandler kicked one from same end from 55m out. Surely Ward needs to back himself and go back.

Same with Bruest 40 out, instead of taking the shot tries to kick to the pocket and surprise surprise it’s a turnover. We are the kings of momentum killer acts.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Disappointing start to the year, no getting around it. Midfield looks really poor and id be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a bit flat on how lacking we are in class at the moment. Obviously we have Day and Weddle and plenty of growth left in the group, but i was really hoping to see more from some of our young mids this year.

We also look really gassed early in games which is really surprising given how we’ve been hearing all off season about how fit we are. Teams are running us out of games in last quarters, and our pressure is really off. Losing the tackle count in both games the way we have is disappointing.

Still early in the season and this is clearly a development year so I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond. I’m sure we’ll get the payoff with some wins later in the season. Like last year, the difference between our best and worst is quite obvious but hopefully we continue to close that gap.

Hats off to Frosty who has been our best defender so far this year. Apart from the dropped mark, has done well in trying conditions. Great to see the Wiz getting his first goal. He knows how to get into the right spots and will be something special.

Didn’t think Reeves had a poor a game as some are making out given his opposition but he still needs to offer more.

 

[Colloquy]

Really the second and third quarters we probably matched them in general play.

That first quarter was a shocker though.

To try and play slow, kick to kick footy against Melbourne who set up as well as anyone behind the ball was a weird tactic.

When we moved the ball quicker in the 2nd and 3rd quarters we looked much more likely to score.

Sounds like we only show up once the heat is out of the game like those end of season wins that seem to always take us away from those top end kids in the draft when the heat is out of the season.

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Watching that I just feel like our gameplan of over possessing and trying not to turn over the ball in the back half was a negative one. Feel like it just makes the player scared to take the game on if the gameplan is “don’t cough the ball up in the back half”

What’s the rule change he’s referring to with the centre bounces that has seemed to impact our clearance work?

Clarko defensive nonsense all over again.

 

[Bedi]

Kicking 5 goals in perfect conditions is pretty unacceptable.

 

[TassieGrown]

If we keep playing that shite we’ll have 20,000 fewer supporters attending games towards the end of this season.

Huge pressure on the coaches to turn things around.
Having young players won’t continue to be an excuse. That’s why Weddle’s game was good yesterday. He was prepared to take the game on, others were like rabbits caught in the headlights.

1.The backs (and the coaches) have to stop being afraid to move the ball forward. Every side we play is going to have a press. Clarkson was almost sacked for reverting to that crap.

2. Drop Maginness. There’s no place for him in that side. His poor disposal and turnivers are shocking and last week and this week have directly costed us goals.

3. Bring in Hustwaite. He’s shown elite ability (which we desperately lack) and should have been playing round 1.

4. Tell Ward - Will Day comes back in round 7. We’re going to play you in the starting midfield until then. You’ve got until then to show us you can impact a game, otherwise you can run around at Box Hill for a while.

5. Tell our tall forwards - don’t let your opponents mark unopposed. We’ve recruited a bunch of small forwards, so punch the ball to the ground and let them do their work.

6. Hawkins and Cameron will murder us next week. So play Ethan Philips. It’s time to stop being afraid.

Mind boggling that HH has yet to play this season

 

[Yardie]

Van Rooyen obliterated Chol in the ruck, that was almost the most disappointing result of the day

If only we had a ruck/forward option like Hale......then we could play 2 x KPFs plus that person.....if only we had that type of player....
cough Ramsden cough

 

[Slysh]

Were you expecting us to win every game we played while we're still developing, and kids are getting a go in the middle, or are you splitting hairs because you're disappointed?

No i am just not going to accept that was anything other than a very very disappointing performance with more worries than just kicking straight. We were not beaten in the middle, we were embarrassed.

Yes we are young and yes the Dees are a good team but i think it is fair to expect better. On an individual level we had multiple really disspoint and i am more looking at some you would hope to be leaders at this point.

I am not suggest we are doomed, i am not suggesting blow it all up. But the start of the season has been really disappointing whatever way you want to cut it.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Whoever (SYL) kept making a point of highlighting that Mitchell said we got first hands on it last week, well that's clearly an opposition plan. Countless times yesterday we would get the first touch they would wait then apply pressure, the ball would spill out to three of them waiting on the outside, a few handballs and an easy lead up mark in the F50. Rinse and repeat. Bombers did the same.

Hopefully Hale has cottoned onto this....

Simon Goodwin pre-game “alright boys, what we’re going to do in the middle is wait for Hawthorn to get the first possession, then we’ll pressure them and get the ball back….I know we have the more experienced midfield and should be able to win the ball ourselves, but stay with me here…Hale will never see this coming!”

 

[Colloquy]

If only we had a ruck/forward option like Hale......then we could play 2 x KPFs plus that person.....if only we had that type of player....
cough Ramsden cough

We should be playing him if we believe that he will be a future player to get games into him even if it’s a forward and then ruck like 70/30

 

[Elhawko]

Disappointing start to the year, no getting around it. Midfield looks really poor and id be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a bit flat on how lacking we are in class at the moment. Obviously we have Day and Weddle and plenty of growth left in the group, but i was really hoping to see more from some of our young mids this year.

We also look really gassed early in games which is really surprising given how we’ve been hearing all off season about how fit we are. Teams are running us out of games in last quarters, and our pressure is really off. Losing the tackle count in both games the way we have is disappointing.

Still early in the season and this is clearly a development year so I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond. I’m sure we’ll get the payoff with some wins later in the season. Like last year, the difference between our best and worst is quite obvious but hopefully we continue to close that gap.

Hats off to Frosty who has been our best defender so far this year. Apart from the dropped mark, has done well in trying conditions. Great to see the Wiz getting his first goal. He knows how to get into the right spots and will be something special.

Didn’t think Reeves had a poor a game as some are making out given his opposition but he still needs to offer more.

I agree with pretty much all of this.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Ruptures his ACL before playing an AFL game - so missed all of 2015.

Won a Rising star nom in 2016, then won BOG (Daniher Medal) on QB 2017.

Twice selected in the 22under 2022 team (2016 & 2018)

Club Leading goal kicker in 2019.

Then he really became elite in 2020 with the first of 3 AA gongs.

He’s been a damn fine footballer ever since he debuted despite coming back from an ACL to do so .

His defensive effort to spoil Lewis in the last 5 minutes of the game shows people where he is at. Didn't really need to run flat chat for 70m do it, but he did. Was BOG already. Game well and truly won. He didn’t stop and gave 100 minutes of intensity.

He's become such a gun. He's the first player I'd pick if we were to have our choice of everyone in the league.

 

[Slysh]

On a more positive note, Weddle is still a bit raw but bloody hell when he pieces it all together he is going to be a hell of a player.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

On a more positive note, Weddle is still a bit raw but bloody hell when he pieces it all together he is going to be a hell of a player.

Yeh the fact that he can do a 21 disposal, 10 mark and 1 goal game whilst still essentially learning his craft as an AFL footballer is pretty outstanding.

He's an athletic freak pure and simple.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Mind boggling that HH has yet to play this season

It’s not mind boggling at all. We’ve only played 2 games.

Did you really think we should just turf one of our mids after 1 poor game?

 

[Judd2Sewell]

The issue with MacDonald and Hustwaite playing as CBA mids is that they are not aware defensively as yet. MacDonald had two CBA's in a row where Petracca got clean possessions and they were away, whilst MacDonald was metres off him. It seems Sam is hesitant to give them larger roles because of this.

Having said that they should be able to learn on the job.

If Newcombe and Nash aren't performing then send them forward, or to the bench, and let Mackenzie, Hustwaite, MacDonald and Ward have a crack.

 

[extractasam]

Fair enough on some of those examples - but the first one can get fkd. Bounce was so bad reeves was never a chance of getting a hand to it. Also why don’t they actually bounce the ball in the middle? Why is he slightly towards Gawns side

 

[ahhhhhh]

Simon Goodwin pre-game “alright boys, what we’re going to do in the middle is wait for Hawthorn to get the first possession, then we’ll pressure them and get the ball back….I know we have the more experienced midfield and should be able to win the ball ourselves, but stay with me here…Hale will never see this coming!”

That’s not as silly as it sounds. We play dumb football. All go in for the ball on the ground and all fly for marks.

 

[Crankyhawk]

It’s not mind boggling at all. We’ve only played 2 games.

Did you really think we should just turf one of our mids after 1 poor game?

It’s time now. Finn out HH in

 

[MadDawg]

The issue with MacDonald and Hustwaite playing as CBA mids is that they are not aware defensively as yet. MacDonald had two CBA's in a row where Petracca got clean possessions and they were away, whilst MacDonald was metres off him. It seems Sam is hesitant to give them larger roles because of this.

Having said that they should be able to learn on the job.

If Newcombe and Nash aren't performing then send them forward, or to the bench, and let Mackenzie, Hustwaite, MacDonald and Ward have a crack.

Ward and McKenzie have also struggled defensively in the centre bounce as similar aged mids.

We know that MacDonald was a very productive mid as a junior and I feel offers more strength and agility than Ward and more speed than McKenzie. He also knows where the goals are.

Not saying the other two shouldn't play there but would like to see more mid time for McDonald (and Hustwaite) going forward.

 

[Gene Simmons]

Geelong are no Melbourne.

Mate.. our defence made Petty look like Wayne Carey in his prime... Cameron/Hawkins are gonna have a field day!

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

That’s not as silly as it sounds.

No, it really is.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Mate.. our defence made Petty look like Wayne Carey in his prime... Cameron/Hawkins are gonna have a field day!

Reckon Stewart will break the all time intercept marks record?