Autopsy Round 22, 2025: Hawks thump the Pies

[Sprint Artisan]

- 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.

Great comments...

 

[Sprint Artisan]

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.

It is a characteristic of how the side plays that it is often difficult to determine who the standout players were...

 

[Sprint Artisan]

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.

Did they also play the Collingwood theme song at the end..?

 

[bigmaxi]

From early in the season I got the sense tat Mitchell was focusing on the development of alternative playing styles and strategies, rather than one optimal playing approach.

I get a similar impression to you that it has only been very recently that we have started returning to the methods that made us so strong at the end of 2024.

Is there also a bit of foxing going on? Hiding our strongest form from opposition scrutiny? Think about how much talk there was at the end of last season, saying that clubs would be studying the Hawks.

Whatever has been going on, the boys are peaking just at the right time...

I think it is also part of a strategy depending on personal, you can only use what’s in the pantry. Aside from the odd in and out this is the team we got to take us all the way. I’m backing Sam and the team to take us thru. Ohh the media melts.

 

[Sprint Artisan]

Just watching and rewatching Nash's hit on Daicos at the 16.30 min mark first quarter. Wow picked up and thrown down. What an Irish beast. This is us!

I thought he jumped up into his arms like a puppy...

 

[Rowie6]

Hopefully we can avenge our losses against Brisbane, GC and Freo this season.

Save the Cats for the Granny.

Not sure I could handle a Hawks vs Cats Grand Final.
That might be the last game I get to witness.

 

[stevehawkington]

Anyone else notice the hawthorn chant went out that sounded a lot like the Collingwood chant.. well-done to the crowd for that one. My mother in law is a Collingwood fan she nearly swallowed her false teeth

 

[Fleabane]

His footy IQ is severely underrated.

I'd agree with you except that it gets mentioned a lot.

Okay, I've read all the comments here, now off to the Pies board!

 

[Malik90]

7. Breust 552 goals
8. Gunston 488 goals

 

[badgrill]

Hope we don't meet in finals then lol I felt sure we had a better record against them tbh

 

[badgrill]

Lol Macrae press conference is gold. Melting

From the Pies board...

 

[rdhopkins2]

I’ve got us making finals.
Wk1 we beat dogs
W2 we beat pies again
W3 we knock over the Crows in Adelaide
W4 here kitty kitty and beat the Cats in the GF
(Dare to believe)

 

[badgrill]

I wouldn't go the 4 talls in May-July when the weather is poor and we play our four games at Launceston, but August and September when it clears up and we play at the MCG for the run home and then finals, it's a very difficult thing for opposition teams to defend.

Combined with the smarts,speed and general nouse of our little fwds, it's bloody full-on, isn't it?

 

[Jethro!]

I watched the game again and noticed that Worps defensive work on Daicos around the stoppages was really really good and exposed Daicos' lack of defensive effort at moments too. Certainly played his role last night after the 'mare of last week. Great response.

 

[QuietB]

I’ve got us making finals.
Wk1 we beat dogs
W2 we beat pies again
W3 we knock over the Crows in Adelaide
W4 here kitty kitty and beat the Cats in the GF
(Dare to believe)

Cats are not making the grand final. Their draw has been a complete joke and their form is entirely false.

 

[A Cut Above]

I’ve got us making finals.
Wk1 we beat dogs
W2 we beat pies again
W3 we knock over the Crows in Adelaide
W4 here kitty kitty and beat the Cats in the GF
(Dare to believe)

Love your optimism but this is hard to believe...




...no way are Geelong good enough to make the Grand Final.

 

[SSSSSS]

I watched the game again and noticed that Worps defensive work on Daicos around the stoppages was really really good and exposed Daicos' lack of defensive effort at moments too. Certainly played his role last night after the 'mare of last week. Great response.

I'd like for this to be Worpel's role for the rest of 2025.

He's out of touch so if he follows the oppos best mid he will get led to the ball. He's a good 1 on 1 player in the contest so you would think he would at the very least be able to halve a lot of them.

It also freed up Nash as an outlet to help bring the ball from inside to out which worked well for us as he could not be tackled. Would either out right break the tackle or handball it off to the runner.

Had the roles been reversed Worp's would have been caught HTB time and time again.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Love your optimism but this is hard to believe...




...no way are Geelong good enough to make the Grand Final.

Geelong are hard to read. Absolutely feasted on the bottom sides, and then lost to GWS and Lions twice. Squeaked over Collingwood, lost to Carlton.

 

[Sprint Artisan]

7. Breust 552 goals
8. Gunston 488 goals

12 more...

 

[diggydig]

I did the ladder predictor and discovered that Collingwood may miss the final 8

 

[smeltitdeltit]

You’d think one match to review the mro would be able to announce any findings by lunchtime but then I remember, it’s the AFL

 

[RCAB]

Shut out to Watson 11 contested possession from 14 disposals

Was the highest rated player on the ground last night.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Our tactic for Daicos was brilliant - a team focus that emphasised our player's strengths, rather than a straight tag.

At stop-ball contests, Worpel generally stood inside Daicos - using his body to block Daicos getting a clean run at the drop. Daicos invariably tried to win the ball (Worpel was in the way), even starting wrestles with Worps before the bounce. Then at the bounce, Worpel went ball hunting - as he was closer to the drop, Daicos was regularly forced to switch defensively rather than break into space.

At the same time, Nash was pivoting from his opponent to Daicos - so if Nick did mange to get possession, Nash was already closing at speed from the other side - in his face immediately. Finally, in transitional play Ward was keeping a close-ish eye on Daicos, using his stamina/speed to always be working back diligently to cover whilst still being an offensive option on overlap.

Nick may not have had a great game, but actually went up in my eyes - he worked damn hard defensively, covered massive amounts of ground - and whilst he was still a ball hog - most of his possessions had offensive intent and purpose.

 

[Books]

It is a characteristic of how the side plays that it is often difficult to determine who the standout players were...

Yes, I have noticed that. The work is shared around. It shows up in the stats.

Last night. for example, 11 Hawks had over 20 dsposals, but none had more than 28. Apart from Bruest and Dear (the subs) only Barrass (8) had less than ten. It is often like that. A very even spread.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

You’d think one match to review the mro would be able to announce any findings by lunchtime but then I remember, it’s the AFL

They're still trying to work out how to give Newk 3. Surely Nash needs to be held accountable for his tackle too.