Autopsy Round 7, 2024 : Hawks get pecked by Swans

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Hickmont is the forwards coach right, he's doing a terrible job
Wasn’t he with the mids last year (genuine question)?

If so, why the * change it? Our midfield unit last year was a strength and it’s now a weakness.

Midfield over the last 3 years:

2022 - Terrible
2023 - Great
2024 - Terrible

I know Day has been out but * me it’s strange how bad we’ve been in this area so far.

Really hope Day can stay on the park and build some match fitness. We desperately need him back to his best ASAP.
 

Nat Edwards, Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd get stuck into the Hawks.
they are just stating the bleeding obvious ( to anyone who actually knows anything about AFL football)......
the list is crap. Probably the worst in the AFL. Maybe WCE, maybe Hawks. The WCE have a few young stars, and a captive audience, so they'll come good (yet again, as they always do).
 
The footage on TV showed Chol pushing a Swan player who crumbled & flopped to the ground, didn't seem to be much in it.

There was more contact in the netball i was watching before hand than Chols push.
Either way, when a teammate is having a shot for goal, you don't give the umpire any excuse to turn the ball over. Whether it should be penalized or not, it is a silly thing to do. I always cringe when I see a player mark within range, goes down in the contest, and some idiot teammate runs in trying to fly the flag. It is undisciplined and a coach's nightmare.
 

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Has anyone worked out what the go is with Weddle yet?

Being wasted big time hidden away down back. The guy is going to be a gun and needs to be played further up the ground.

If it’s to support the backline, put more faith in Serong or bring in Philips and let Weddle play to his strengths as an attacking player.

We set him up as the deep forward, where he proceeded to stand still for 5-6 minutes, 20m out directly in front. There's no point any player standing still on offence, let alone a target forward.

Movement creates space, creates confusion and creates opportunity. Defenders can easily hold and wrestle if you are standing still - if you're on the move that's a jumper-tug and clear visual cue to the umpire.

I miss Williams and Boyle; Gunston and Puopolo running figure 8 leading patterns, Roughy's hook turns (despite how often I complained about him running away with no eyes on the play!), and Buddy and Rioli's sheer athletic gifts.

Gunston has the smarts, but no longer the body - he could be ideal as the pivot for aggressive leading patterns - it just seems we prefer to all stand 10m apart and lead to the same spot instead.
 
5 seconds into the 2nd half. Macdonald marks the ball at 60 from a quick kick out of the middle. Instead of moving it quickly into an open forward line he waits and delays until all the Sydney mids have flooded back so he chipped it sideways to the boundary side.

Many things were annoying yesterday but straight out of half time that almost annoyed me the most
 
5 seconds into the 2nd half. Macdonald marks the ball at 60 from a quick kick out of the middle. Instead of moving it quickly into an open forward line he waits and delays until all the Sydney mids have flooded back so he chipped it sideways to the boundary side.

Many things were annoying yesterday but straight out of half time that almost annoyed me the most
Yep. Was furious watching this.
 
5 seconds into the 2nd half. Macdonald marks the ball at 60 from a quick kick out of the middle. Instead of moving it quickly into an open forward line he waits and delays until all the Sydney mids have flooded back so he chipped it sideways to the boundary side.

Many things were annoying yesterday but straight out of half time that almost annoyed me the most
Had Day streaming past also.
 
they are just stating the bleeding obvious ( to anyone who actually knows anything about AFL football)......
the list is crap. Probably the worst in the AFL. Maybe WCE, maybe Hawks. The WCE have a few young stars, and a captive audience, so they'll come good (yet again, as they always do).

Don't agree. The list is young. I don't believe it's crap. Far from it. You could look at some premiership teams and trace them back through the years and see their teams getting belted.

Good things take time
 
I saw him briefly at full forward in the 3rd quarter but we just couldn't get the ball to him and then he was down back again.

He could be utilised as a free wheeling link man, playing off the HFF maybe? He can run anyone off their feet and can push up to take marks and provide some overlapping run.
 

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A victim (right now) of his versatility perhaps.
I wonder if Sammy is of a like mind with his old coach Clarko (and Clarko’s use of Sheezel). Object perhaps is to develop the harder part of their all-round game - defence - and only when they’re ready, unleash them forward.
 
We set him up as the deep forward, where he proceeded to stand still for 5-6 minutes, 20m out directly in front. There's no point any player standing still on offence, let alone a target forward.

Movement creates space, creates confusion and creates opportunity. Defenders can easily hold and wrestle if you are standing still - if you're on the move that's a jumper-tug and clear visual cue to the umpire.

I miss Williams and Boyle; Gunston and Puopolo running figure 8 leading patterns, Roughy's hook turns (despite how often I complained about him running away with no eyes on the play!), and Buddy and Rioli's sheer athletic gifts.

Gunston has the smarts, but no longer the body - he could be ideal as the pivot for aggressive leading patterns - it just seems we prefer to all stand 10m apart and lead to the same spot instead.
You remember Buddy's Box being the training pattern for a few years. Kept it simple for the forwards while they learned their craft. I'd say do the same, but we actually need a tall forward setup to work it into.
 
He could be utilised as a free wheeling link man, playing off the HFF maybe? He can run anyone off their feet and can push up to take marks and provide some overlap run.
I'm a huge advocate for Weddle to play CHF with a license to roam to wherever he thinks he can take mark and/or goal of the year.

He's still very raw but he's such an exciting prospect with game breaking attributes. But hard to really break loose when he's got to be accountable for an opposition forward.

I can understand getting him to learn to defend and be accountable first, but with Frost, Sicily and now Serong all down back and very little going on up forward - even less with Wiz injured and Chol suspended - I think we need his x-factor up front.
 
I'm a huge advocate for Weddle to play CHF with a license to roam to wherever he thinks he can take mark and/or goal of the year.

He's still very raw but he's such an exciting prospect with game breaking attributes. But hard to really break loose when he's got to be accountable for an opposition forward.

I can understand getting him to learn to defend and be accountable first, but with Frost, Sicily and now Serong all down back and very little going on up forward - even less with Wiz injured and Chol suspended - I think we need his x-factor up front.

We are so stagnant up forward and slow at times. Having Weddle offering leads and running into gaps to provide an option could potentially pull apart opposition zones, if he's not used as a direct option himself. It's worth a try IMO.
 
We are so stagnant up forward and slow at times. Having Weddle offering leads and running into gaps to provide an option could potentially pull apart opposition zones, if he's not used as a direct option himself. It's worth a try IMO.
Pavlich started down back before building his career as that mobile endurance beast CHF, capable of playing midfield too. I want Weddle playing in the front half and midfield ASAP. He's one player we have with real high-end attributes. I want him developing where he can be most dangerous.
 
One positive outside of Moore, Meek and Scrimshaw continuing their good form is that Mackenzie had another good game and he continues to develop well.

He's had 6 shots on goals in 7 games, which is good for a midfielder.

And I think the fact he's tired in the second half of every game, and is only playing around 70% game time, bodes well for the future once he's really fit.
Easily the best part of the game for me was watching him.

PS: it must be stated that “best” equals better than having pins put in my eyes
 
5 seconds into the 2nd half. Macdonald marks the ball at 60 from a quick kick out of the middle. Instead of moving it quickly into an open forward line he waits and delays until all the Sydney mids have flooded back so he chipped it sideways to the boundary side.

Many things were annoying yesterday but straight out of half time that almost annoyed me the most
He wasn't alone, duke did it twice

Clearly the gameplan is to hit the leading forward, or into the path of the forwards running towards goal, but the forwards aren't leading or making the effort to create that space. He doesn't have the confidence to then go against the gameplan.

Reminds me of liam shiels back in the day streaming to the 50 then stopping because noone was there
 
If anyone wants a good podcast listen to the Hawks insider game review on the swans game.
 
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So is it ?
A. The game plan is to complex?
B.The game plan is to hard to execute because we thought we were better than we are at the season start?
C. Our players can’t execute due to lack of skill and experience?
D. Team discipline is a shambles?
E. Lack of leadership?
F. All of the above!

I think G: Midfield personnel and selection.

Our big 3 midfielders are all physical, inside players - Nash, Newcombe and Worpel - and they are all ordinary on the outside, to say the least. Personally, I really value inside players, but playing all 3 together is a recipe for long-term failure.

Obviously we have massively missed Day, but with or without him, we should not be playing all 3 in the same team IMO.
I suspect Sam was/is hoping that Newcombe can be an inside/outside player, but I'm just not seeing it so far. He looks so much better when he just plays see ball get ball (and see man tackle man). Watching him hovering on the outside of a contest is like watching a caveman in a suit ... when he gets it on the outside he just wants to kick it as hard as he can, or invite someone to tackle (wrestle) him. I love the guy, so he's the last one I'd drop - but just let the caveman be a caveman.

caveman.gif
 

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