Autopsy Round 22, 2025: Hawks thump the Pies

[Gaborone]

I made sure I had my lucky hawthorn socks on. They worked. I will wear them until the grand final.

... in the grand Final not until

 

[rei154]

Corn & Kingy are giving us massive kudos on Fireball this morning, even Kingy knows how good that was

Tbh Kingy owes us.
That bloke was taking pot shots at us all week and has been at every chance.
I hope he was watching Ward tonight- earlier in the week he implied that his ceiling was as a B grade mid... **** outta here

 

[Mitchell Madness]

It's interesting to note that all season we have only had three games where a midfielder has notched 30+ disposals, the last one being Massimo in round 8.
I think this is a reflection of Mitchell using players like Watson, Moore and Ginnivan up the ground a lot...

Set roles for players. We rotate the roles more than any team.

By this, I mean we rotate who the sweeper is at every stoppage, rotate the blocking player, rotate the ball winner.
Every stoppage.

Last year we struggled early as players just didnt get it. Its also a big reason for our momentum shifts. We dont keep players playing a role for long enough to shut down an oppo run, but it also means that our oppo doesnt get enough time to set up

 

[WillowSF]

Whilst our form has been solid overall in 2025, this feels like our first real convincing win of the season. If we can somehow make Top 4, or avoid Fremantle in week one, we have the talent to do better than last season. We are still one a-grader short in the midfield, which may ultimately be our undoing…

Meek is definitely captaincy material, & watching Dear take those marks is a thing of beauty. (Battle may have to hand over the # 24 guernsey!)

 

[The 80s]

In our three peat years, I loved getting tested going into the finals. If we make it, we absolutely deserve to be there and will be a serious threat. Quick thoughts:

I would love to be on the end of a Ward pass. Our biggest improver this year!
Battle's kicking in defence is almost (almost) as good as Sicily's.
Worpel all smiles last night. Is he staying?
Mount Barrass is an absolute beast!
Lloyd Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!

 

[hr_23]

Whilst our form has been solid overall in 2025, this feels like our first real convincing win of the season. If we can somehow make Top 4, or avoid Fremantle in week one, we have the talent to do better than last season. We are still one a-grader short in the midfield, which may ultimately be our undoing…

Meek is definitely captaincy material, & watching Dear take those marks is a thing of beauty. (Battle may have to hand over the # 24 guernsey!)

King Calsher will get the #19 when Uncston retires

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Just checked the stats and Jarman Impey played a huge game.

25 disposals
3 goal assists
494m gained
8 marks

Under rated player!

That absolute bullet he kicked inside 50 (to Gunston I think?) was one of the best kicks inside 50 you will see

 

[hr_23]

Listening to the SEN highlights it sounded like Whateley was calling a funeral lol fair dinkum

 

[RoughysMullet]

Has Peter Daicos gone on the radio and started whining about how unfair it all is yet

 

[Brishawk]

Hell of a performance by the mighty hawks.

1. Strong midfield performance even while newc sat and with day in the stands.
2. Intercept marking.
3. Outside run and connection with forwards.
4. Clean hands in close.
5. Relentless pressure and not getting sucked in too often and leaving them alone outside.

Bring on the dees!

 

[CHUBBSS]

Such a good game by all, watching us click at this time of year is huge, getting a block into Lewis is huge before finals.

Our star players stood up but it’s those big moments that come from them that really gel the side, and there were so many. Biggest change for me is we seem to be expecting the tackle and allowing the ball/play to come to us - a little bit like what Geelong do waiting for the other team to make the error and it allows us to hold far more tackles and not let easy outs happen. But our handballs in tight were huge, Ginny and Moore are huge here and loved seeing Moore playing higher up the ground really helps us chain plays.

Newcombe played one of the games of the year, brutally efficient and brutal, that first play set the tone. And whatever Sam did to get Nash playing like raging beast keep it up - is he the 6th tall forward that can push into the 50 to stretch a side even more (theirs more then something in this, Collingwood were just onslaughted all night with talls)

Brisbane losing Neale is huge, no complacency now the last two games.

 

[Fleabane]

What an incredibly enjoyable game. So many good moments and contributions. We had to watch the recording an hour behind as I was working to a deadline but my god it was fun.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Things I noticed:
Lewis finally being allowed to push high up the ground. This forced the pies to send a player up the ground with him, which did 2 things, it prevented our forward line from being crowded, and it also created overlap run as less midfielders had to push into defence.

Less focus on angle kicks to open up the play. We went in straight lines by foot, and angles were taken by hand. This isnt something we have done in Sam's time. This could be the first time we've seen plan b

The way the players got around chol and worpel. It is obvious the external noise has gotten through.

 

[SSSSSS]

I'd have Mitchell smacking Jai's head with a frying pan before every game if this is how to unlock his best. He goes to another level when it gets physical.

 

[Fleabane]

Things I noticed:
Lewis finally being allowed to push high up the ground. This forced the pies to send a player up the ground with him, which did 2 things, it prevented our forward line from being crowded, and it also created overlap run as less midfielders had to push into defence.

Less focus on angle kicks to open up the play. We went in straight lines by foot, and angles were taken by hand. This isnt something we have done in Sam's time. This could be the first time we've seen plan b

The way the players got around chol and worpel. It is obvious the external noise has gotten through.

Yep, I loved seeing that. Got me all emotional!

 

[Yardie]

Nah. Newk went to tackle, he didnt bump.

Even the commentators were saying he had no case and they often like to dramatise these incidents.

As pure a football accident as you could possibly have.

They want them to do this and he did it. He actually opened himself and was lucky he also didn't end up like Howe.

I do think Howe copped two hits though, initial head clash and then smashing his head on the ground.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I don't rate Xerri highly either for those exact reasons but the selectors do.

Made the squad last year and has had a statistically better season this year.

The Xerri thing is completely overblown on here.

This season Xerri average 16.9 touches
2.2 turnovers
3.4 clangers

Meek averages 13.3 touches
2.2 turnovers
3.6 clangers

 

[cs61]

- Watson plays at such a high standard for a second year player, it's like the football public treat him like a seasoned veteran already and take for granted what he is doing. 2 excellent crumbs in the first quarter to set the tone, and also a great set up to Gunston off the deck with smart crumbing. Also Gunston dropped a mark he should have taken, which should have been another Watson assist. Also really hard at the ball, head down and attacks it. It's been quite pathetic the commentary around head high frees, because he is absolutely a ball winner and just attacks head over the ball time and time again. He is loving that our '4 talls' are constantly bringing the ball to ground time and time again.

- Thought Jiath was great on the wing/half back. He set the standard with some great attack on the ball in the first quarter, and was clean under pressure, and in the second quarter he did two great efforts where he spoiled around the defensive 50, and then followed up with a second effort where he got up and pressured the kick for a near smother, that pressured enough to miss a goal. Some good signs from him, and important we have him to cover Morrison in that position.

- Scrimshaw has worked in the season really well this last month, and I like this formation of Battle, Barrass, Sicily and Scrimshaw. It is getting to a really nice mix and balance of all the key areas you want to have in the defence. He is taking intercept marks, and getting more confident in the link up plays.

- I'm really glad Chol bounced back well, as his first quarter wasn't great, and he is a confidence player. But he worked into it, focusing on pressure and competing, and then his kicking came back. Probably the most important thing from the game I thought was Chol figuring out he can still play a huge role with others around, and taking that confidence forward, as his form before being rested was really encouraging. Helped out Meek massively in the ruck, and Meek was close to best on, and also some great grabs inside forward 50. Actually the highlight for mine was his strong mark on the wing, and then a massive Buddy like kick up the ground that opened up play and us soaring towards goal.

- Worpel seems to be getting back some of that real intensity around the stoppage that was his trade mark last year, which I hadn't seen him get back due a mix of injury and form this year. Was really important, and if he can get closer to his best it is going to go some way, along with Moore, to covering not having Wil Day.

 

[QuietB]

Firstly - I was wrong. Hawks ran all over them with as many talls as they wanted.

Second - has anyone shouted out Josh Ward yet - thought he had a great game and has grown massively this season.

 

[smish]

King Calsher will get the #19 when Uncston retires

Worpel > Gone
Moore > 5
Dear > 13

 

[fairdinks]

Just having watched the replay. I hate working with work challenged mute vagina’s. HR have told me that I’m not allowed to call them lazy dumb campaigners anymore, so that’s my compromise. If they actually pulled their fingers out of their rectums, I could have watched the game live.

O.K. Now after my little whinge, whine bitch and moan. great game, great win. Loved Calsher’s game, hate seeing him subbed though, seems we lose that “X” factor and energy when he is subbed. Watson really started off well, gunners worked his way into the match, as did Chol. Sicily seems back to his best. Newcombe played well. Loved Moore and Wiz in the midfield, made us unpredictable. Scrimmers, Barrass and Battle were solid down back

The four talls worked this week, think it’s worth persevering with, just don’t sub Dear any more, that is my only criticism from the game, eventually it will cost us a big match.

very funny Nugett

On Calsher, I think Sam is using him brilliantly. We have the ability (without in-game injuries) to keep Calsher developing but also not overly tax him yet. Remember, he is a 19 year old coming back from back stresses. Give us a few highlights early, scare the oppo defence, then rest when your work is done. Great coaching IMO.

 

[The Big Dipper]

How do you pick our best in that display?

Any one of Sis, Battle or Scrim....

Newk, Meek, Gunners, Wiz, Impey, D'Ambrosio, Dimma, CJ and so many others.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

- Watson plays at such a high standard for a second year player, it's like the football public treat him like a seasoned veteran already and take for granted what he is doing. 2 excellent crumbs in the first quarter to set the tone, and also a great set up to Gunston off the deck with smart crumbing. Also Gunston dropped a mark he should have taken, which should have been another Watson assist. Also really hard at the ball, head down and attacks it. It's been quite pathetic the commentary around head high frees, because he is absolutely a ball winner and just attacks head over the ball time and time again. He is loving that our '4 talls' are constantly bringing the ball to ground time and time again.

- Thought Jiath was great on the wing/half back. He set the standard with some great attack on the ball in the first quarter, and was clean under pressure, and in the second quarter he did two great efforts where he spoiled around the defensive 50, and then followed up with a second effort where he got up and pressured the kick for a near smother, that pressured enough to miss a goal. Some good signs from him, and important we have him to cover Morrison in that position.

- Scrimshaw has worked in the season really well this last month, and I like this formation of Battle, Barrass, Sicily and Scrimshaw. It is getting to a really nice mix and balance of all the key areas you want to have in the defence. He is taking intercept marks, and getting more confident in the link up plays.

- I'm really glad Chol bounced back well, as his first quarter wasn't great, and he is a confidence player. But he worked into it, focusing on pressure and competing, and then his kicking came back. Probably the most important thing from the game I thought was Chol figuring out he can still play a huge role with others around, and taking that confidence forward, as his form before being rested was really encouraging. Helped out Meek massively in the ruck, and Meek was close to best on, and also some great grabs inside forward 50. Actually the highlight for mine was his strong mark on the wing, and then a massive Buddy like kick up the ground that opened up play and us souring towards goal.

- Worpel seems to be getting back some of that real intensity around the stoppage that was his trade mark last year, which I hadn't seen him get back due a mix of injury and form this year. Was really important, and if he can get closer to his best it is going to go some way, along with Moore, to covering not having Wil Day.

Battle, Barrass, Sicily, Scrimmers is looking better every week.

When you see how deficient some sides are in KPDs that's a massive advantage to have four players of that calibre in one side.

I know we need another midfielder but I would hate to trade away Scrimmers to get one and lose that competitive advantage over the rest of the league.

 

[The Gulden Child]

They've made some strange recruiting moves.
Shultz is the weirdest one. Sure he can tackle but sheesh he's limited. Tom Mitchell is a ghost of the player he once was. Ned Long as a starting midfielder? and then paying a bomb to bring in Perryman and playing him out of a back pocket.

It's a wonder they've put togetehr 15 wins this season.

I was thinking this during the game too. Don't forget Frampton! Albeit it was only for a future 3rd rounder.

 

[moginie]

I thought the AFL.com.au's match report was great in that it accurately listed all those among the best.View attachment 2389272

It's as good as the highlights, where instead of the full time siren and score, they magically revert to half time, and then chair Sidebottom off.

Maybe that's really what did happen at halftime and why they didn't give a yelp.