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Autopsy Round 22 = Hawthorn 110-46 Collingwood

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You know, I feel for Howe on so many levels

Outside the obvious "He's been seriously hurt", there's no way known he didn't see Newcombe coming.

We all know the Hawks players are all duckers. The club has publicly and openly said we know they are and we had trained to tackle them knowing that. Howe the poor bastard probably had a million throughts going through his head.

"If I brace, he will 100% duck into it to get the free and I'll be rubbed out for weeks". Kinda felt when I first saw it coming that he left himself open almost to avoid protecting himself and copping a suspension. But I haven't watched a replay of it since seeing it live.

This is why you see "brace for impact" as a defence for those who turn to bump at the last second. Because if you don't brace for impact (as they stupidly expect players to) then you can get seriously hurt.
 
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I think age has wearied us, and the years condemned. Old tired legs.

Players who have had a poor month: Cameron, Membrey, Elliot, Crisp, WHE, and even Sidey are all 30+
as much as it is physical issue, it has morphed into a serious mental issue. Atrocious decision making, no willingness to hunt opposition players, no desire to be disciplined and maintain defensive and offensive structures.
 

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What if, the heavy training sessions have a delayed effect? We could all be eating our words come first week of finals when the extra training we have been doing finally kicks into the players and we become unstoppable….
First week of finals? The boys will be tearing up dance floors in Bali and New York and any other fashionable end of season trip destination!
 
I also think that Pendles goes under the radar a bit in terms of his impact on games these days. Was also disappointed to hear that Jamie is looking north. He has been throwing his hands around in blame a bit recently at teammates and this has been reflected in his output of late.
 

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This mob has had it over us for so long it's become a genuine embarrassment. The big win earlier this year was an extreme outlier. Normal service was resumed tonight. They physically intimidate us. All else flows from this simple fact. That's why it is so often humiliating to watch them toy with us and hear their crowd jeer and cheer in anticipation of yet another panicked turnover or missed tackle- and it always comes.

I just don't know where we go from here.

I'd bring in Cox, Allan, Hill (if available) and Beau if available. I'd be tempted to bring Parker in for Houston. I'd drop Long, Membrey, Lipinsky and Houston.
 
honestly I hope the players all go away together over the weekend and sort this mess out. Much like how carlton did in 2023 I think, when carlton players had a team only retreat at curnows farm . It sparked a finals run.

Think something very similar is required for this group. Fly's messaging is no longer landing with this group, this is something they need to sort out themselves. we have a 9 day break until we play adelaide, perfect time to just get away from it all and work out just what the hell is happening to them.
 
I also think that Pendles goes under the radar a bit in terms of his impact on games these days. Was also disappointed to hear that Jamie is looking north. He has been throwing his hands around in blame a bit recently at teammates and this has been reflected in his output of late.
This is a hard one to admit but he has appeared to be feeling his age especially in the last 4 or 5 weeks. It gets highlighted more when we have Mitchell and Long next to him when it needs to be some faster types like McCreery or Crisp or Hill but the issue is deeper than this, the entire team is NOT PACK HUNTING. They are outnumbered almost all the time everywhere and we look slow when chasing tail and not supporting each other. On top of that we are moving the ball so so so slow. When we mark the ball at half back we just stop, go back, look around, um and arr a bit then point and boot it long to a pack and lose the ball. Complete shite!
 

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Footy hasn't been great this season since May

Blowout after blowout each week with the game slowly becoming more unwatchable each week. 2023 was the last great AFL season
I think it's been the worst season of footy I've seen in many a long year. There has hardly been a memorable game. Past seasons have had plenty- at least one or two a week.
 
Pardon the Intrusion.

Congratulations to Steele Siddebottom, champion player and classy guy, shame he couldn't get a goal in his 350th.

Thoughts go out to Jeremy Howe, hope he is ok and only misses the mandatory week.

All the best for the rest of the year.
 
honestly I hope the players all go away together over the weekend and sort this mess out. Much like how carlton did in 2023 I think, when carlton players had a team only retreat at curnows farm . It sparked a finals run.

Think something very similar is required for this group. Fly's messaging is no longer landing with this group, this is something they need to sort out themselves. we have a 9 day break until we play adelaide, perfect time to just get away from it all and work out just what the hell is happening to them.
They needed to go skinny dipping at curnows house 3 weeks ago. Too late.
 
Things are never as good as they seem, but conversely, they're never as bad.

It's between the ears. Just a moment's hesitation instead of full commitment; a 90% tackling effort instead of full commitment; a "pretty good" defensive transition instead of full commitment.

A handful of players not being there 100% mentally is enough to lose a game against any side who come to play. More than a dozen blokes running around at less than full power gives you what you saw tonight, a VFL level performance.

Outworked on the spread, outnumbered at every contest, outmarked, beaten for the hard ball, and an absolute structural clusterf**k as a result. Our gameplan falls apart if even a few guys are off; it falls off a cliff when so many aren't switched on.

The problem for us is the between the ears stuff is fickle. It's not an easy fix. Momentum, form, confidence have SO MUCH inertia in this sport and a trend in either direction is just so difficult to correct.

If I have faith in anyone to do it, it's Fly, Pendles, and our leadership. And to be honest, I'd MUCH prefer going up against impossible odds in Adelaide with no expectations than a "should win" game against a cellar dweller.

It will be a tough ask from here, but you're only ever one week away from turning the tide and rediscovering the ability we've proven ourselves to have.

We might be cooked, or we might find that missing 10% that puts us right back in the mix. Maybe it's blind hope, but based on our last three seasons, I'm choosing to believe the latter is possible. Go Pies.

(Also hawthorn have THUMPED us with consistent regularity for the better part of two decades, including our two most recent premiership years, so take any performance against the zoomers in Harry Potter getup with a grain of salt bigger than JK's transphobia)
 
I also think that Pendles goes under the radar a bit in terms of his impact on games these days. Was also disappointed to hear that Jamie is looking north. He has been throwing his hands around in blame a bit recently at teammates and this has been reflected in his output of late.
Houston too. Last week he was getting so frustrated at his teammates and had a blue with WHE. I get why his frustrated, but tbh it’s a bad look.
 
Our insipid work at the centre bounce has been something to behold. You'd swear sheer blind luck would lead to at least one or two good clearances for us......but nope. They walked it out of there over and over again. It was appalling to watch as we were totally incapable of doing anything about it. God knows what they chat about in those little meetings after each Hawthorn goal.

What a sad end to a promising season.
 

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Autopsy Round 22 = Hawthorn 110-46 Collingwood

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