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

[chippie]

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.

If only Harry was available. CJ ‘could’ be ok in the next game, but it’s a big if. I don’t think I could handle another Clinton Young moment like in the 2012 GF! I feel for CJ, if he starts on the ground any mistakes he makes he has the whole game to rectify, but as Sub i think he might feel the pressure having such limited time to make an impact. The same might go for Frenchie too. We really need someone with composure. Will someone step up for Box Hill today?

 

[Blackhawk42]

There are so many things to say, but I'll condense them to this...

The absolute vindication I feel for watching a random VFL game in 2021 and believing a 19 year old man child named Jai Newcombe was the midfielder we needed. We had nothing coming through behind Titch and JOM, but this kid clearly had something. MSD night in 2021 was as nervous as I'd ever been waiting for us to call his name out.

Dylan Moore

13

Dylan Moore

Age

26

Ht

177cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

5.1

2star

HB

6.7

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

0.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

finally put in a finals performance he'll be proud of.

Nobody can tell me that Jack Scrimshaw

14

Jack Scrimshaw

Age

27

Ht

194cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.8

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.1

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.4

3star

MG

200.7

3star

D

12.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.3

2star

MG

167.0

3star

D

10.2

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

155.6

3star

's position in the side was ever in doubt with Weddle's impending return. I won't believe it.

Josh Ward, Sam Butler and Connor Macdonald. Our 2021 draft haul was massive last night. If you consider Jai part of that group then it might be the best collective draft haul we've had since Roughy, Lewis and Buddy?

I'm gutted for Harry Morrison

1

Harry Morrison

Age

27

Ht

184cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

13.4

3star

K

9.8

4star

HB

3.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

18.4

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

7.0

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

2.0

4star

. CJ should really be omitted, but I don't really know how that works with any team balance unless Sammy Butler moves up to a wing and we being Cam Mackenzie in to play as either the sub or a 70/30 half forward/mid.

The dude who presented the welcome to country showed Aunty 'never shuts up' how it should be done.

I'm at my wife's cousins wedding next Friday night. I'll be on my phone for as long as I'm there. Will need to drive home at some point while the game is on, and historically I just cannot stand listening to our games on the radio. Will be a tough couple of hours.


Finally... I think we've proven over the past fortnight that we can absolutely win next week!

 

[Glebehawk]

You don’t bring Rachele back and start him as sub in a big final. Game over before the first bounce.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

You don’t bring Rachele back and start him as sub in a big final. Game over before the first bounce.

That's when I knew we had them.

 

[Whats a Battle]

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

I feel like that sometimes too...

Then I realise the only Hawthorn player older than me is the one that is always referred to as "the old campaigner".

 

[Philhawk]

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.

He’s 21.

A 4 goal, 8 mark, 25 disposal and 600m gained performance is around the corner.

You can smell it.

 

[Lando_]

Poor old Gerard twatly is doing all this post match analysis through gritted teeth.

His scats will be living up to their nickname this week.

the boys were relentless last night, loved how everytime Adelaide kicked a goal we answered. And then we kicked away and silenced the mob. What a weekend.

 

[unitedhawk2]

"Getting into the prelims is not the aim."
Sam Mitchell, Adelaide Oval, 12 September 2025

Those eight words, my dear friends, encapsulate the vast difference between:
a) A club that knows what sustained success is, having experienced it consistently over several decades;
and
b) An ultra-consistent club that has only experienced sporadic success over the years but is nevertheless lauded by its acolytes in the footy media as being 'successful' for having reached 'x' number of prelims in 'y' number of years.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Shoutout to Conor MacDonald whose courage I challenged on here before the Giants game. I thought he was great last night- went every time it was his turn and made really good decisions under fierce pressure. Well done young fella!

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

On the 8am celly beers. Don’t care.
How good.

 

[matey]

That win was one of the best, epic ….. one to remember we looked so hungry, relentless, determined to do the job. From Sam’s post match presser you could feel his steely resolve coming through the screen and I am sure it’s infectious across the players and coaching/support staff. Bring on the Cats!

 

[Hodginator]

Thanks for that, Crows.

 

[Hawk88]

There are so many things to say, but I'll condense them to this...

The absolute vindication I feel for watching a random VFL game in 2021 and believing a 19 year old man child named Jai Newcombe was the midfielder we needed. We had nothing coming through behind Titch and JOM, but this kid clearly had something. MSD night in 2021 was as nervous as I'd ever been waiting for us to call his name out.

Dylan Moore finally put in a finals performance he'll be proud of.

Nobody can tell me that Jack Scrimshaw's position in the side was ever in doubt with Weddle's impending return. I won't believe it.

Josh Ward, Sam Butler and Connor Macdonald. Our 2021 draft haul was massive last night. If you consider Jai part of that group then it might be the best collective draft haul we've had since Roughy, Lewis and Buddy?

I'm gutted for Harry Morrison. CJ should really be omitted, but I don't really know how that works with any team balance unless Sammy Butler moves up to a wing and we being Cam Mackenzie in to play as either the sub or a 70/30 half forward/mid.

The dude who presented the welcome to country showed Aunty 'never shuts up' how it should be done.

I'm at my wife's cousins wedding next Friday night. I'll be on my phone for as long as I'm there. Will need to drive home at some point while the game is on, and historically I just cannot stand listening to our games on the radio. Will be a tough couple of hours.


Finally... I think we've proven over the past fortnight that we can absolutely win next week!

A wedding in September? Is your wife's cousin a dons supporter?

 

[Cleavy]

CJs best ability right now is giving us the option to throw Weddle forward which has been destructive.

He's just not got the feel to play sub. Much better player when he starts.

he has that "headless chicken energy", which is both a blessing and a curse (sometimes both at the same time)

 

[grumbleguts]

 

[SSSSSS]

Sorry, not what you want to read on a Saturday morning.

Pretty much every player is carrying some niggle at this point. Not unexpected.

Hopefully they get through the week.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I feel bad for CJ. I love the guy and have defended him against some unfair criticism. I thnk part of his HTB decisions are cos he looks so frantic. Compare it to Barrass who just calmly absorbs a tackle and should prob be paid HTB against more often - and then you've got CJ who flaps around franitcally trying to get a ball out when he hasn't even had time to receive it properly and he gets pinged.

But yeh- CJ prob didn't have any really 'good' moments last night and a couple of bad ones with missed tackles etc.

 

[JZedd]

Its a good question. If it means losing Ward I think Merrett can GAGF, and I don't think I would be alone in that opinion

Gee there's no reason to jump down Merrett's neck. He can't control the stupidity of this club...

 

[SSSSSS]

I feel bad for CJ. I love the guy and have defended him against some unfair criticism. I thnk part of his HTB decisions are cos he looks so frantic. Compare it to Barrass who just calmly absorbs a tackle and should prob be paid HTB against more often - and then you've got CJ who flaps around franitcally trying to get a ball out when he hasn't even had time to receive it properly and he gets pinged.

But yeh- CJ prob didn't have any really 'good' moments last night and a couple of bad ones with missed tackles etc.

Both HTBs you could hardly blame CJ.

The first was on Dimma not killing the ball.
The second he actually handballed.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Both HTBs you could hardly blame CJ.

The first was on Dimma not killing the ball.
The second he actually handballed.

Yep - but people still use it as evidence to say he's not good enough.

The more important thing for CJ is positioning at stoppages and sticking tackles. This is the difference between good and bad games for him.

We'll need him to play well next week because Geelong have wingers that love to drift forward and take marks - and if we want Weddle to lift us into the last quarter CJ has to play a defensive wing role realy well.

 

[A Cut Above]

In 2017 Adelaide booked a spare seat to hold the Premiership cup on the flight home from the MCG.
In 2025 they dragged the club's name through the mud to get Rankine's suspension reduced so he could play in a GF.
They're a club that loves to get ahead of itself which is a disastrous trait at this time of year.

Whereas as last night exquisitely demonstrated, Hawthorn invariably saves its' very best football for #whenitmatters.

That's why every club dreads copping the Hawks in a final, particularly the Handbaggers who are shitting themselves.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Gee there's no reason to jump down Merrett's neck. He can't control the stupidity of this club...

People need to realise Merrett will be replacing Worps not Ward and if we manage to land him and Trac, trac will replace nash

 

[grumbleguts]

I feel bad for CJ. I love the guy and have defended him against some unfair criticism. I thnk part of his HTB decisions are cos he looks so frantic. Compare it to Barrass who just calmly absorbs a tackle and should prob be paid HTB against more often - and then you've got CJ who flaps around franitcally trying to get a ball out when he hasn't even had time to receive it properly and he gets pinged.

But yeh- CJ prob didn't have any really 'good' moments last night and a couple of bad ones with missed tackles etc.

The crap he copped last week after having more score involvements than a small forward who played the entire game, was genuinely bewildering. This week the holding the ball against him wasn't his fault, Hardwick should have sent it through with the fist, and CJ had no prior, was a poor decision. He was ineffectual last night, but it's a tough ground for his style of play, the MCG is far more suited to his game. But last week he had two genuine shockers, one of which went straight to a team mate, the other resulted in an opposition behind. I reckon sub in a final is one of the toughest things you can do, especially coming on mid quarter. Coming on at half time or 3 QT you can blend into the game because everyone is cold again. Entering into a hot mess is a much tougher task.

 

[Tassie Cryptik]

Classy short and sweet welcome to country.

 

[checkraiseulite]

Yep - but people still use it as evidence to say he's not good enough.

The more important thing for CJ is positioning at stoppages and sticking tackles. This is the difference between good and bad games for him.

We'll need him to play well next week because Geelong have wingers that love to drift forward and take marks - and if we want Weddle to lift us into the last quarter CJ has to play a defensive wing role realy well.

yes the botched tackle when he had the bloke cold was far worse than the unlucky holding the balls.

you feel for him because you know he was trying and bringing intensity