Autopsy 1st Semi Final 2025: Hawks send Crows out in straight sets!

[Arkadia]

I turn 55 next month, and I've seen no fewer than 12 flags in my lifetime. How many more am I going to see before I'm worm food? Is 20 too much to hope for?

No far behind you Roddy...
We are blessed to be Hawk Supporters...
The best Football Club in Australia

 

[chippie]

I always think about Melbourne - if you went back to the end of the 1964 season, the Dees had just won their 12th. We'd just won our very first a few years before. What would Dees supporters say if you told them we'd actually beat them to 13?

It’s incredible! Apart from their Flag in 2021 and a few years either side all I have known of Melbourne is as a rabble.

 

[JoeHawk]

Did he? I must have missed that part. Ramsden seems likely the most likely to score goals.

But he hasn’t when given the opportunities.

 

[JoeHawk]

CJ is a liability, but not sure McKenzie serves us any better. There is no obvious replacement.

I don’t think McK wastes the ball as bad. I’ve been a huge fan of CJ but he seems to have stagnated. When he gets the ball it’s like he’s in a scooby do cartoon …..he almost starts running on the spot before he starts to move I think others around him have surpassed him.

 

[JoeHawk]

yeh and commentators weren't even excited we needed bt there the commentary was lame tonight really one sided against the hawks odd

Said no one ever …..except you

 

[Roddy]

Is Hazza Mozza definitely out for the season?

 

[JoeHawk]

Not a lot of love for Nash in this thread.. He was disruptive all night..

The best toe-poke from stoppage player ever?

Absolutely. Nothing flash but does his job crashing packs and forcing the ball forward.

 

[flinchfree]

I turn 55 next month, and I've seen no fewer than 12 flags in my lifetime. How many more am I going to see before I'm worm food? Is 20 too much to hope for?

I’m 56 on Grand Final day Roddy. What a present that would be if we made it! We truely are blessed - to think that not long after we were both born the Saints and Hawks were fighting it out to win only their 2nd Flag!

I'll be 57 on the 30th September.
Happy birthday to all the boys that have been able to share winning Grand Finals with Birthday shenanigans for many many years now.

 

[Roddy]

I'll be 57 on the 30th September.
Happy birthday to all the boys that have been able to share winning Grand Finals with Birthday shenanigans for many many years now.

Wow, I'm feeling like such a young 'un....

 

[Dinsdale]

This is a good read:

Gone in 13 seconds: How Adelaide's voice was silenced

Bharat Sundaresan reflects on how the excitement of semi-final week in Adelaide was extinguished in a matter of seconds

www.afl.com.au

 

[seysearles]

But he hasn’t when given the opportunities.

He did kick 4g 3b in his last senior game

 

[Philhawk]

This is a good read:

Gone in 13 seconds: How Adelaide's voice was silenced

Bharat Sundaresan reflects on how the excitement of semi-final week in Adelaide was extinguished in a matter of seconds

www.afl.com.au

Bharat is a good man. Great cricket writer - and Hawks fan!

 

[JoeHawk]

What an incredible night. But am I the only one bewildered at the praise for Weddle ? He keeps “nearly” turning into a monster, but lacked the polish tonight.

The big thing is that he keeps on presenting strongly. It will click …then look out opposition.

 

[checkraiseulite]

Random one, but I thought D'Ambrossio has shown he has come a long way. Last year in finals Port sat on him, and the second he got it was tackled over and over, and had limited impact. Tonight he did some really nice work to wrong foot opponent to get free, and get some long kicks going our way to put Adelaide under pressure. He's quietly become quite tough in the contest and reliable under pressure as well. Not starring in as many games like last year, but he's improved to be able to play a solid role in a contested final and contribute like he did in some key passages. I thought his under-stated game sort of highlighted the much improved maturity of our team.

dropped into the hole and took a mark in front of one of tex or thilthorpe tonight which was great to see.

despite being a silky outside player he wouldn’t have done that a few months ago. this team is going places.

 

[Towmotar]

Nick Watson would have to be the bravest player in the AFL. Saw him fly for marks and throw himself into contests last night with blokes twice his size coming at him. Astonishing.
Great to see Ward quietly emerging as an A grader.
I thought Worps put in his best performance for a long time, just kept on getting it and pumping it forward.
Hate to be negative after that win, but could we please permanently relegate CJ to the magoos? He came on and promptly gave away 2 HTB frees, one of which was in the oppo goal square FFS. No SA, poor decision maker, poor skills. Was lucky not to finish with negative fantasy points.

 

[DEECEE]

 

[JoeHawk]

Amen.

Hawthorn knows: every team starts back at 0 in September, and it's a new game.

We can win it from here. There's a tough game coming next week.

But the sun has risen on our Premiership window, and we're still in the finals!

We’ve had two very solid hit outs and late H&A run and have a relatively healthy list. Geelong has barely broken a sweat in the past month or so. Will be interesting to see who will be best prepared for the PF. Either way it’ll be a fierce game. Can’t wait.

 

[JoeHawk]

I'll be 57 on the 30th September.
Happy birthday to all the boys that have been able to share winning Grand Finals with Birthday shenanigans for many many years now.

I’m of similar vintage…..it’s been a hell of a ride. How fortunate we are.

 

[JoeHawk]

Nick Watson would have to be the bravest player in the AFL. Saw him fly for marks and throw himself into contests last night with blokes twice his size coming at him. Astonishing.
Great to see Ward quietly emerging as an A grader.
I thought Worps put in his best performance for a long time, just kept on getting it and pumping it forward.
Hate to be negative after that win, but could we please permanently relegate CJ to the magoos? He came on and promptly gave away 2 HTB frees, one of which was in the oppo goal square FFS. No SA, poor decision maker, poor skills. Was lucky not to finish with negative fantasy points.

To be fair that HTB was not his fault. Hardwick should have forced a behind. CJ was the unlucky one to get tackled the instant he got the ball. It could have been anyone.

 

[checkraiseulite]

cj gets a tough time on this board which i don’t think he fully deserves.

that said, he struggles to pick up the pace of the game coming on as sub, and this impacts his composure and decision making.

think he has to start or be replaced by someone with more composure.

 

[Big Hotdog]

To be fair that HTB was not his fault. Hardwick should have forced a behind. CJ was the unlucky one to get tackled the instant he got the ball. It could have been anyone.

There were no HTB decisions similar given all night. Players were allowed time. Cj was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In saying that his position in the team has got to be hanging by a thread.

 

[triangulation_squared]

Incredible work from Sam Mitchell and the team to improve so much since the home and away season.

Couple of observations

Team balance looks dialled in.

Mids are finally playing Sam ball. Some of the posters on here have been telling us to wait until our kids have 100 games into them from the get go. This is what it sounds like.

Worpel has his Rumi moment coming against the cats this week. He's going to stand back to back with Hoktrix and protect the Hok Moon. Jai is in pure demon slayer mode.

Big 4 experiment is still in play - Unc, Cholsroyce, Mitch and Weddel. What is different is that Sam has finally activated the Butler service, bringing contested pressure, and goal kicking polish. Truly arrived. Amazing lad. As others have noted, we haven't lost a game where Sam Butler has played 4 quarters this season.

Last time Dan Curtain tore us up with transition and intercept marking. Only 2 marks tonight. I blame Weddel for this.

So many players had the best games of their career tonight. The ceiling is high!

 

[Sonny Hayes]

I don’t think McK wastes the ball as bad. I’ve been a huge fan of CJ but he seems to have stagnated. When he gets the ball it’s like he’s in a scooby do cartoon …..he almost starts running on the spot before he starts to move I think others around him have surpassed him.

It's hard because i like that him coming on allows Weddle forward to impact the game, but CJ is just a long long way off the pace.

He panics as soon as he gets the ball, he panics when tackling/bumping and he often loses his opponent. I think i would rather gamble on Mckenzie at the moment.

 

[Flamin Joe]

Yeah CJ is a difficult one for me too. I love the energy he brings to the contest and I'm a big fan of him being sub to inject some much needed pace into the game late, but I just don't trust him with the ball anymore he's burnt us too many times.

 

[JoeHawk]

Me this morning