Analysis Hawthorn rebuild: are they tanking?

[random260]

WTF. I have never seen this level of blatant tanking acceptance by a club. Sam Mitchell outright said he wanted to tank and not meddle around in the middle. Their trade period.

Are the ******* AFL going to step in and do something? AFL need to go down hard on Hawks and strip them of picks

I've never seen another club purposely and blatantly tank. It's unfair they are doing that to obtain a generational player in Harley Reid

They are completely compromising the draft!!!

 

[ep2018]

Not sure they'd finish below us even if they went the tank.

 

[Bradkli]

WTF. I have never seen this level of blatant tanking acceptance by a club. Sam Mitchell outright said he wanted to tank and not meddle around in the middle. Their trade period.

Are the ******* AFL going to step in and do something? AFL need to go down hard on Hawks and strip them of picks

I've never seen another club purposely and blatantly tank. It's unfair they are doing that to obtain a generational player in Harley Reid

They are completely compromising the draft!!!

Good on Sam. At least he’s being honest. It’s all our supporters ask for. What’s the point of false hope? He knows how long the journey will be until we are successful again.

It’s why we will win our next flag before clubs like st kilda, Essendon and port Adelaide. No point finishing 6-12 every year knowing you have no hope of winning a flag.

He’s doing what our previous master coach should have done 4-5 years ago.

 

[Heaps of fun]

I like that this thread is up the top with the Hawthorn ignore the draft thread. Which one is it?

If the Hawks are guilty of anything it's plagiarism from North's list management.

 

[HairyO]

WTF. I have never seen this level of blatant tanking acceptance by a club. Sam Mitchell outright said he wanted to tank and not meddle around in the middle. Their trade period.

Are the ******* AFL going to step in and do something? AFL need to go down hard on Hawks and strip them of picks

I've never seen another club purposely and blatantly tank. It's unfair they are doing that to obtain a generational player in Harley Reid

They are completely compromising the draft!!!

We will still finish above WCE and Roos. You lot are that bad.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Think there's a difference between rebuilding and tanking.

Making list management decisions that preference the future over the now is merely a list management strategy. This is what Hawthorn appears to have done. Not without its risks either, can sometimes take 3-5 years to discover if your horde of draftees have what it takes, and if not then another rebuild beckons.

But tanking to me is making deliberate in game/pre-game decisions that undermine trying to win that weekend's match. So long as Hawthorn try and field sides close to their possible best, however weak that best may turn out to be. Then all okay by me.

 

[allrighty]

Hawks can do whatever they like IMO TBH. The AFL can't really get involved in drafts and contracts etc, outside of normal IR regulations.

Of course there may be collateral damage in terms of good players not wanting to come to them but it is what it is.

 

[Lia]

OP that is a very poor take. Sam's philosophy on the rebuild is correct, do it once, do it properly.

 

[element]

Nope, he's doing a very logical thing. Takes a lot of balls to go hard and fully reset your squad once a realistic premiership window is closed.

Star players slowly become less effective and lose trade value. Once out of a premiership window, transfer that value into the future via trades for draft picks and good young players so that the club can refresh asap.

What that does to your culture over the long term though, remains to be seen.

 

[branedotorg]

They avoided rebuilding via the draft until they had no saleable assets that were willing to go.

It looks like tanking because they've had to renew the list, they may tank but the it's not why they did what they did imo

 

[estibador]

I've never seen another club purposely and blatantly tank. It's unfair they are doing that to obtain a generational player in Harley Reid

You weren't around when Melbourne were deliberately throwing games?

As long as Hawthorn are actually trying to win every weekend they won't be stooping anywhere near the levels of Melbourne from that era.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm sure the AFL will find a way to punish Adelaide.

 

[Shane Heard]

Good on Sam. At least he’s being honest. It’s all our supporters ask for. What’s the point of false hope? He knows how long the journey will be until we are successful again.

It’s why we will win our next flag before clubs like st kilda, Essendon and port Adelaide. No point finishing 6-12 every year knowing you have no hope of winning a flag.

He’s doing what our previous master coach should have done 4-5 years ago.

You poor deluded soul

 

[Shane Heard]

I'm sure the AFL will find a way to punish Adelaide.

And so they should

 

[NetworkNerd]

Hawks won't win a game next season. By far the worst list in the AFL and probably the worst midfield ever in the AFL era.

 

[Rob R]

We will still finish above WCE and Roos. You lot are that bad.

and GWS. they have lost talent and the club is falling apart.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[TaylorMade]

I was pretty impressed with Sam Mitchell as a coach this year. I reckon he got a lot out of a pretty average list and knows how to get the best out of his players - 8 wins including Geelong and Lions isn't a bad season for a club that weren't expected to do much.

For this reason I think the way they are going about it is a bit different to the north rebuild. They've already identified a number of players that can play a role in the team and whilst they might not be there for the next premiership they can be relied on for the next couple of years to build a team around. Whereas I think North cut the list far too deep with no real plan on who they were going to play where - bit of a hit and hope.

Always a risk cutting the list this deep but I don't think they are going to fall into North level of shambles with these cuts.

 

[Rowan18]

Nope, he's doing a very logical thing. Takes a lot of balls to go hard and fully reset your squad once a realistic premiership window is closed.

Star players slowly become less effective and lose trade value. Once out of a premiership window, transfer that value into the future via trades for draft picks and good young players so that the club can refresh asap.

What that does to your culture over the long term though, remains to be seen.

Yeah, he knows that a midfield with Mitchell and Omeara wasn't working. Now he's handed the reigns to the young kids. Either they're the right mix and grow into the role, or the have to draft a few more in to get it right.

 

[Captain_Bender]

Hawthorn won't be anywhere close to flag over the next decade, which will destroy their notoriously fair weather supporter base

 

[Bradkli]

Hawthorn won't be anywhere close to flag over the next decade, which will destroy their notoriously fair weather supporter base

We won at least 1 flag in the 60’s,70’s,80’s,90s,2000’s,2010’s..history is on our side to win one this decade

If and it’s a big if, Sam Mitchell’s rebuild goes to plan we can win a flag in 2027 imo.

 

[Captain_Bender]

We won at least 1 flag in the 60’s,70’s,80’s,90s,2000’s,2010’s..history is on our side to win one this decade

If and it’s a big if, Sam Mitchell’s rebuild goes to plan we can win a flag in 2027 imo.

And if Hawthorn don't win a flag in the 2020's I can guarantee there will be no Hawthorn supporters

 

[kaiserchief13]

Not sure they'd finish below us even if they went the tank.

And yet they'd get a better player with a worse draft pick due to go interstate threats

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The Hawks were told all year that O’meara and Tom Mitchell were no good, despite Sam already playing them off the bench or on the flanks a lot more, then he trades them out for younger players of need and people all of a sudden lose their mind that we traded away superstars and we’re tanking…

Case in point.

Then.



Now.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

OP that is a very poor take. Sam's philosophy on the rebuild is correct, do it once, do it properly.

That's what North said before and during the start of the David Noble era.

I think Hawthorn may have bitten off more than they can chew

 

[largebus]

I'd have kept at least one of the 3 vets they traded around for their leadership/mentoring. North gutted all their vets in 2016 and they've never really recovered.
Unlike North they've actually gotten something back for them, so that's something. Jury's out on whether Sicily or whoever takes over is captain material.