Autopsy Round 18, 2025: Hawks fall short

[SSSSSS]

I don't think it's a coincidence that when Sicily plays out ground ball defense goes to shit.

Torched by the Mannagh, Cameron/AhChee/Rayner, and now Switkowski.

Best defensive balance all season is Bx2 and Weddle. Weddle has the discipline to stay out of contest and the agility to defend ground ball

 

[Lickmesocks]

The calls for Chol to be dropped are astonishing. Wonder if he looked different would they be the same.

I can’t ever recall a more polarising player at the Hawks. I don't believe it has anything to do with the colour of his skin but more to do with his lackadaisical style.

For the 500k a year we are paying him he has been an absolute bargain for us.

The problem with a guy that looks lackadaisical, the moment it’s not his day people go to the “he is useless and lazy and get rid of him” completely forgetting he has won us games this season. As an athlete you are going to have bad games and be held from time to time.

When he is flying and kicking miraculous goals everyone loves him and says “why doesn’t he do this all the time”

Personally I love him and the X factor he brings to our side. He really is something different and hard to match up on as he can get you on the ground or stand on your shoulders.

He would be one of my first picked players and I know this will be controversial but I would have him in front of Mitch Lewis as a player for what they both bring.

 

[parsons nose]

I can’t ever recall a more polarising player at the Hawks. I dont believe it has anything to do with the colour of his skin but more to do with his laconic nature and style.

For the 500k a year we are paying him he has been an absolute bargain for us.

The problem with a guy that is laconic in style the moment it’s not his day people go to the “he is useless and lazy and get rid of him” completely forgetting he has won us games this season. As an athlete you are going to have bad games and be held from time to time.

When he is flying and kicking miraculous goals everyone loves him and says “why doesn’t he do this all the time”

Personally I love him and the X factor he brings to our side. He really is something different and hard to match up on as he can get you on the ground or stand on your shoulders.

He would be one of my first picked players and I know this will be controversial but I would have him in front of Mitch Lewis as a player for what they both bring.

Is that you Howie?

 

[TylerDurden]

I don't think it's a coincidence that when Sicily plays out ground ball defense goes to shit.

Torched by the Mannagh, Cameron/AhChee/Rayner, and now Switkowski.

Best defensive balance all season is Bx2 and Weddle. Weddle has the discipline to stay out of contest and the agility to defend ground ball

It's a huge concern with no answer.

 

[Yardie]

I can’t ever recall a more polarising player at the Hawks. I dont believe it has anything to do with the colour of his skin but more to do with his laconic nature and style.

For the 500k a year we are paying him he has been an absolute bargain for us.

The problem with a guy that is laconic in style the moment it’s not his day people go to the “he is useless and lazy and get rid of him” completely forgetting he has won us games this season. As an athlete you are going to have bad games and be held from time to time.

When he is flying and kicking miraculous goals everyone loves him and says “why doesn’t he do this all the time”

Personally I love him and the X factor he brings to our side. He really is something different and hard to match up on as he can get you on the ground or stand on your shoulders.

He would be one of my first picked players and I know this will be controversial but I would have him in front of Mitch Lewis as a player for what they both bring.

 

[Jethro!]

WTF?

It’s been a tough year?

We are 11-7 and still a chance of top 4.

Supporters who expected us to spank the likes of Collingwood by 10 goals in 2025, purely because we did that in late 2024 are completely unrealistic to put it lightly.

Go back and read the melts after we lost to GWS by 2 points in Rd 21 2024.

“Season cooked”
“Waste of time now”
“Need to work out where we sit for next year”

Guess what, the players and coaches don’t wave the white flag.

The answer is:

1. deliver superior pressure and intensity between the arcs.

2. Take our chances in front of goal

Which is what we did after the Brisbane and Collingwood losses.

It begins with Port in Tassie and I expect nothing less than the same response Fremantle gave their fans after they were shaded by Sydney.

Keep the faith people.

I reckon....
I'm as fickle as they come. But we're hanging in there with our best player out best key forward out, best utility out, and some players out of form. We'll rise again.
Last year we stood up to the challenge in tough games we needed to win and I'm confident we can again.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Polarising? Only because anyone who disagrees with your view is labeled a racist. If we were allowed to discuss legitimate criticism without instantly being slandered then there would be no polarising.

Undoubtedly he has helped win games. He has also failed to win games when he was needed. He cannot effectively contest for the ball with any sort of reliability. He applies great defensive pressure but rarely presents as an offensive threat. He's a second or third tall by playing style. His personal style has absolutely zero relevance and to attribute criticism to a hidden disapproval of it is disingenuous.

I feel a contested beast first tall is needed in that line and our best option for that is Lewis. Our next best contested tall is Dear, so he’s number two. Our third tall this year is the man drinking from the fountain of youth and who has, by the way, played third tall his whole career except for this year when he’s been forced into the number one slot and performed like a champion.

Chol isn’t getting displaced by Lewis. He's been beaten for a spot in the lineup by the old man, Gunston.

You have totally misinterpreted what I was saying. I said it has nothing to do with the colour of his skin in response to the previous post. I watch the games with 10 Hawks mates and 5 love him and 5 don’t like him.

 

[Billyc]

Given Chol and Dear almost play like 6 foot 6 small forwards with their pressure and ground ball skills I wouldn't be against rolling with a Dear, Gunners, Lewis, Chol forward combo (with Ginni and Wizard as our "proper" small forwards).

Lewis to me is still the only key forward we have who can take a big, pack mark and we need that.

Gunners is a crafty lead up forward, Dear and Chol are leapers but Lewis is the one who has the size and the hands to be our "true" key forward.

Outside of Watson our small forwards aren’t exactly strong on defence either.

Ginnivan the only one in ok form otherwise too. He’s been super since he was dropped. Legit underrated player because of all the noise

Moore is the forward to make way if we want to play tall. Either injured or in atrocious form

 

[Lickmesocks]

View attachment 2366935

Ahh yep you got me

He is a man of few words tho!!!

 

[barbster]

Chol gets a pass. Has been excellent all year but he had a shocker.

Sicily is just a complete liability at the moment. Were banking on him finding touch before September but if he keeps these performances up we might not even feature in September.

Chol doesn’t get a pass for mine, goes missing in the big games. I’d be bringing Lewis in for Chol next week to see how that set up works.

 

[Roddy]

I think Cholly's played every game this year (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), he could probably do with some 'management ' anyway....

 

[hawksfan71]

As if they will drop siss lmao not a chance in hell!

 

[hawksfan71]

Out

McKenzie jiath Sicily fynn

In
Butler scrim Lewis Ramsden


Moore and wiz rotate middle


Freo record when serong gets 28 + posessions is 9-0





When he gets under 28 posessions it is 2-6





He bought fynn in and didn’t tag Serong





That’s on Sam …he is their #1 barometer player

There needs to be greater leardership in this team as I saw none

agree re tag but mate there's not a chance they would drop sicily lol

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Reckon that one where Nash had to pick up a ground ball running from a centre square from a bounce and fluffed it was a turning point in the game. Poor from an experienced player. Would have sent us inside 50 and who knows from there.

 

[TONYC3163]

My own amateur assessment is that Sam doesn't foresee us playing a tagger when we're playing in PFs and GFs and he wants our game-plan to reflect that.

That's fine but then why play Finn at all? Harsh as it might sound, he doesn't possess the skills to be anything but a tagger.

Worse still, why waste him on the subs bench?

I asked the question earlier in the thread, before the opening bounce last night, about whether Sam has, at any time in 2024 or 2025, provided his reasoning for playing Finn as sub. There were a couple of reasonable replies but I think they were the posters' own (quite reasonable) explanations rather than Sam's reasoning.

I'll ask the question again because I'm genuinely curious: Has Sam himself ever explained his reasoning for playing Finn as sub?

Well, he has explained his reason for not wanting hard tags before.

 

[DogDaySonny]

You have totally misinterpreted what I was saying. I said it has nothing to do with the colour of his skin in response to the previous post. I watch the games with 10 Hawks mates and 5 love him and 5 don’t like him.

My apologies. I’m a bit hot from the guy who did call me a racist.

I like Chol a lot as well. He’s done some great things this year. Unfortunately for him, I think weaknesses in his game leave room for others to beat him out (if they are healthy and playing well themselves, of course).

 

[Off The Couch]

This is not normally my thing but all season it’s happened and I can’t deal with it any more.

Collin’s Dictionary

If you describe someone as laconic, you mean that they use very few words to say something, so that they seem casual or unfriendly.


The word you MAY be looking for

Lackadaisical

If you say that someone is lackadaisical, you mean that they are rather lazy and do not show much interest or enthusiasm in what they do.



This ends today’s English session.
Get back to smashing players ability or lack of from yer couch

 

[Paul Kersey]

13 pages and no mention of the 4 goals given up by the long switch kicks. Freo planned for it and won them the game.

Was just thinking that. Struggle to think of a game I've ever seen that happen with that sort of volume.

 

[Off The Couch]

Season's over, play the kids, plan for next season's tilt at a top four spot. We're just making up the numbers.

Who do you suggest and who do they replace

 

[Atch]

Only way cj can make up for last night is he's gotta do the most banging DJ set he's ever done, all week, to get us up for port Adelaide.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Wonder what the message was from Sam behind closed doors. Plenty of changes are possible but getting the balance right is key.

Anyone watched the last quarter again in the clear light of day?

 

[joeyhawker]

Against the gloom of the last quarter I felt a little Hokball return with Wiz, Ginni, GMac and Dear....we appeared to lock the ball in our forward line far better, I think Dear is critical with all the additional one percenters he does and loved seeing him fly the flag for Wiz.....whilst on Wiz I'd like to see him try to be a bit more elusive rather than try to bash into the tackler at full pace when he's in that situation.... And for mind Scrimmers must come in for CJ when fully fit....

 

[grumbleguts]

Anyone watched the last quarter again in the clear light of day?

Anyone give themselves a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

 

[seysearles]

Anyone give themselves a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

I never used to re-watch losses but I’m doing to more and more these days and try to unemotionally pick apart what went wrong. Having said that I’ve never managed to rewatch the 2012GF or the 2011PF. I still get a burning sensation in my stomach when they play that f#%king Malceski highlight over and over again.

 

[lethalselbow09]

Sicily out for scrimshaw,
Lewis for gunston, give Bmac and seamus a full game not as subs, instead of CJ, maybe Finn or butler as sub.