Autopsy Round 21, 2025: Hawks can’t get it done against the Crows

[HawHawHawthorn]

Not a premiership list just yet. CMac clearly a teachers pet. Astounding that he hadn’t been dropped at some point throughout the year. Probably not the right time to be posting this as our year is still alive and in our hands but list management will be working overtime. CJ, CMac, Worps and dare I say it Mitch Lewis should be nervous.

 

[lethalselbow]

Thought four talls smacked of desperation. Didn't like it when the side was named and hate it even more, now. The coach / selection team made a gaff.

 

[Hawks_Footy]

Making up the numbers this year if we're really honest with ourselves.. if we can get another A grade midfielder in I think we can be a contender next year

 

[Stratton_Gun]

So incredibly disappointing to be up by 5 goals, lose the lead, come back again and then lose the lead again in the last by butchering shots.

We aren't there yet. To win the flag we would need to be undefeated for the rest of the season. Without reading the fallout on here, I'll give my opinion below

. Like Mass as a player but could tell he wasn't kicking that goal in the last . For someone as pure of a shot as him , he is a shocking set shot, especially close in. Crows waltz down the other end and kick a dealer, bang 18 points and the game. An absolute coach killer.

. Hard to say whether the 4 talls worked. Don't think it had an impact on the game tbh. Would like to see it again before I make a judgement.

. The umpires didn't decide the game but they also had some absolute shockers.
That Rankine one in the last was just typical incompetence where the end decision doesn't pass the pub test. Was touched and everyone knows that but because the umpire didn't say and paid the mark they think they need to pay 50 meters because of their initially incompetence and refusal to admit wrongdoing.

. CMac may need a spell at Box Hill. He's been down for a while while still providing impact at times but those moments had been few and far between the last month

. Between this game the Fremantle game and the Gold Coast game there are three interstate matches that we could have won and we're up but ended up losing. Great teams don't do that. Sam has got some work to do on mindset

. Wiz isn't a high disposal winner so he needs to make his disposals count when he gets a chance. His poor kicking really can be the difference at times

. Really hope that Day is not injured again when he came off in the last quarter. Would be typical if he is though he is made of glass

. Along with A grade midfielder, we desperately need a competent yet fast small defender. That type of indigenous quick agile smart footballer such as a Rankine , Cameron and Hill absolute torches us. Hardwick isn't a bad player although he had an off-night tonight but he isn't suited to that type of player.

. Sicily looked like he had another decent game and it's close to being back to a competent player.

. I'm not sure if Adelaide are just really good at spreading the ball or we are slow but as soon as they got the ball on the half back flank the seas just parted for them and we had no answer


All in all we are a five to eight team this year. Because of the tough competition we may not even finish that but if we want to be a contender next year we really have some work to do on mental toughness and being able to stop the other teams momentum when they get on a run

 

[Sonny Hayes]

You just raised the root cause of why we looked slow. We had 7 inside 50s in the second quarter and 0 deep inside 50s. Any team's forward line will look ordinary with those stats. We lost the contested possessions by over 20 in that quarter alone. Its a little more complex than the forward line made us look slow.

But it was absolutely a factor in it, i also don't think it looked potent in the 1st or 3rd. We looked good because our midfield dominated but our talls still were not overly impactful. It is also not just about what they produced inside 50, if you are running 4 talls they will need to find ways to get involved up the ground and not a single one of them did.

Lastly if our midfield getting smashed is going to expose it then it is more of a reason not to do it because our midfield has been exposed a lot this year.

 

[Atch]

Chol out of position my ass, Lewis is in the best 23.

Lewis dominated VFL came back had a good game last week and provided a contest tonight, but being double teamed due to poor spacing.

One of Chol or Dear will probably miss if they cannot fix the spacing issue.

Ironic tho, because I’ve never read something so stupid. Lewis had 70 goals in less than 30 games last time he played fully fit which is better than any other forward bar Gunston.

He’s the monster and big KPF, Chol/Dear the mobile and athletic one and it’ll be one of them missing or fixing the spacing issue. Gunston the roaming.

Lewis got double teamed and rammed without any space at all all night but provided a contest, still had.

7 disposals & 4 marks (1 CM)
1 goal 3 SI
3 tackles
4 1%

Ridiculous take from you.

Sorry brother but I fear this is a bit of a glaze. Yes Lewis is hugely talented but he's had stuff all of a pre season and barely played at all the last 3 years. To much to ask for anyone Cameron wouldn't be able to do it.

 

[Gaston]

Worpel had a shocker and I am not sure the Hawks can carry Ginni (who is great to be fair) and CMac in the same team. CMac drives me freaking crazy.

Great game of footy.

Everyone points to the midfield, but it is here that an upgrade is required. The modern game is all about drive from the back half, and we have no forward creating perceived pressure.

 

[SA HAWK]

Thought four talls smacked of desperation. Didn't like it when the side was named and hate it even more, now. The coach / selection team made a gaff.

Might be ok on a warm sunny day night game not so much.

 

[grumbleguts]

Jesus i hate people throwing around accusations of racism on these boards. I dont know why its tolerated. Sorry, pisses me off more than losing.

He was banned for 6 weeks for racism. FFS.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

Butler has to return. Changes have to be made

 

[SSSSSS]

We just make some dumb ****ing decisions in crunch time.

Meek tapping the ball out into free space TOWARD GOAL in our defensive 50 to let Rankine run on to it was completely braindead.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

lol double teamed he is horrible - gives us nothing.

Gunston is amazing - Chol had to play out of position all night and still influenced. And we completely gave dear nothing to work with.

LEWIS is not in our best 23 this year deal with it mate.

Ramsdan outplayed him at box hill.

This is the most delusional post I have read all year - I won’t call you dumb in case you have a few problems up there

Read your own posts

You’ll find one more delusional

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Chol out of position my ass, it’s the role he’d wanna be playing. Lewis is in the best 23.

Lewis dominated VFL came back had a good game last week and provided a contest tonight, but being double teamed due to poor spacing.

One of Chol or Dear will probably miss if they cannot fix the spacing issue.

Ironic tho, because I’ve never read something so stupid. Lewis had 70 goals in less than 30 games last time he played fully fit which is better than any other forward bar Gunston.

He’s the monster and big KPF, Chol/Dear the mobile and athletic one and it’ll be one of them missing or fixing the spacing issue. Gunston the roaming.

Lewis got double teamed and rammed without any space at all all night but provided a contest, still had.

7 disposals & 4 marks (1 CM)
1 goal 3 SI
3 tackles
4 1%

Ridiculous take from you.

What Lewis was 3 years ago is irrelevant now, also 'he's the monster' is a massive massive stretch.

He was okay last week and poor this week, he is at the back of the line.

Also posting the stats like they help your argument is funny.

7 touches is poor, his one goal was a gimme from Ginni that he should have kicked himself. He was not alone tonight but he was dreadful.

 

[oscarthegrouch]

8:35 to go in the 4th. Watch impey. Gave up on the play completely. Borderline droppable behaviour

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Thought four talls smacked of desperation. Didn't like it when the side was named and hate it even more, now. The coach / selection team made a gaff.

Not sure if it was desperation, trying to be too smart or just not willing to make the hard call. Either way i didn't like it.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

Really? You obviously don't live in Adelaide.

Yep. This is farked. Biggest nuffs in the land.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

8:35 to go in the 4th. Watch impey. Gave up on the play completely. Borderline droppable behaviour

Had a few mates tonight.

Oh well, selection opportunities for others

 

[grumbleguts]

I just dont like it. The guy said something years ago and put his hand up for it. Its unbecoming to wield it around like a weapon to character assassinate him forever more. I dont think anything to do with racial vilification in either direction belongs on these boards unless its a thread that specifically addresses it.

Maybe your family can support racist behaviour and good on you for that. Cheer them on all you like. He said something racist and only has to do it once. Owning it or not. Arseholes like that have attacked my family for years. I couldn't care less if he only said it once. It's a window into his mind.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Making up the numbers this year if we're really honest with ourselves.. if we can get another A grade midfielder in I think we can be a contender next year

This is spot on.

Seems like Reid will stay at Eagles.

If NAS is going to port we need to be doing everything possible to wedge Butters out of there. 2 first rounders or a young gun and and a first rounder. If we add a little whippy Butters around Day and Newc we are off and running.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

Thought four talls smacked of desperation. Didn't like it when the side was named and hate it even more, now. The coach / selection team made a gaff.

It smacked of not wanting to make a tough decision. Bailey MacDonald was the easy option

 

[hk89]

Soligo is your perfect example. Was pretty good up until this year he's gone up a level and is their best full-time mid behind Dawson. Ward is their Soligo IMO. Another year to keep developing hopefully he emerges into a very good midfielder because we need him to be.

Yes, Ward the most obvious at the moment. Mackenzie probably next in line. I wouldn't be against paying overs to get someone ready made though. Either of Ward or Mackenzie go to the next level next season AND adding another very good mid would make us a very complete midfield unit.

 

[SSSSSS]

8:35 to go in the 4th. Watch impey. Gave up on the play completely. Borderline droppable behaviour

In fairness to Jar's he went when it was his turn plenty of times. Probably moreso than a lot of others.

Wore some heavy hits all night and all season.

 

[Adebisi]

Playing Dear, Lewis and Chol could work, but i had concerns we would have time to figure it out. The larger issue is Dear is really a full forward at the moment. So is Lewis. Lewis doesn’t have the agility and change of pace/direction to work as a mobile forward.
Chol too has shown his best when he is more of a focal point.
I think we are really lacking zip and forward pressure.
Chol is excellent as 2nd ruck so that is another skill in his favour. Also happens to be by far our best set shot.

 

[Elhawko]

Wouldn’t be the worst thing to miss finals this year, get a fire in the belly. Get an easier draw and our good players fit and firing for 2026 assault at the flag. Unfortunately, we’ve been on the back foot all year with our best players missing most of the season ( except for Newcombe and Meek).

I think this is an important point. A poster somewhere in another thread said we had timed our returns perfectly but I think we ran out of time and were about four weeks short of getting our best team grooved-in. Day is short of condition, Dear and Lewis are lacking game time and the whole set up looks a bit rushed. If we had had four more weeks to bed things in against some weaker opposition we might have been ok but as it stands I think trying to perfect the line-up in big games we can't afford to lose was always going to be hard.

For all that, our mental toughness bothers me still. Freo were down against Collingwood all day but found a way to win. That result and the one tonight could just about be the fulcrum on which both teams top 8 fortunes turn.

Gees we are going to regret that dreadful first round loss against PA.

A few of our guys are not exactly building reputations as big game and big moment players, too. We desperately need another class midfielder as everyone has said.

Very disappointing in the end.

 

[chopflop]

Could use a soligo type in the middle - day aside, we feel very one paced.