Autopsy 2025 Preliminary Final: Hawks get rolled

[RoughysMullet]

Did I read somewhere that Ward didn’t have a possession in the second half.
I like wardy but that is criminal.

Got exposed on the big stage - a big lesson for him - he’ll learn from it

 

[Blackhawk42]

So, did we finish 3rd in the end?

Ended up on equal wins with Collingwood with a higher percentage I believe?

Even though they were the 'higher ranked' finalist going into preliminary final weekend.

 

[RCAB]

So, did we finish 3rd in the end?

Ended up on equal wins with Collingwood with a higher percentage I believe?

Even though they were the 'higher ranked' finalist going into preliminary final weekend.

Fourth.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[TheFourPillars]

Thank **** for that

 

[Sturty]

 

[badgrill]

Its half time, Hawthorn 2016 led the Dogs by in the SF. Time stops for no one.

AFL Tables - Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs - Fri, 16-Sep-2016 7:50 PM - Match Stats

The only variable is injury which could change things…

Sorry Hawkk, think I misquoted your post by mistake - agree for sure

 

[Hawkk]

Fourth.

That sucks. So slightly less head****ed Eagles fans

 

[Holy Rioli]

Does anyone remember Hodgey's 300th? Similar sort of game, we were a few goals up in the 2nd and Danger hurt his foot in a contest with Roughy. Was gone for all money injury wise (think he missed a month after this game). Got jabbed up and kicked 5 goals 6 and Geelong won by 3 points.

I think when we were up 22-1 he went off hurt (he did look to cop a minor knock early) and clearly got jabbed up again and played like superman all game. Reckon this needs to be called out, clearly for someone like him when pain killers remove all his inhibitions it is actually performance enhancing.

 

[extractasam]

Does anyone remember Hodgey's 300th? Similar sort of game, we were a few goals up in the 2nd and Danger hurt his foot in a contest with Roughy. Was gone for all money injury wise (think he missed a month after this game). Got jabbed up and kicked 5 goals 6 and Geelong won by 3 points.

I think when we were up 22-1 he went off hurt (he did look to cop a minor knock early) and clearly got jabbed up again and played like superman all game. Reckon this needs to be called out, clearly for someone like him when pain killers remove all his inhibitions it is actually performance enhancing.

The guys just a beast and is clearly one of the best players going round. We would’ve had some jabbed up guys on the weekend like Ginni also.

I think the thing with Danger was best summed up by someone else in here is that he’s like Novak. He’s already one of the best of all time but he enhances his stat lines with shit like diving and flopping around and people rightfully question it.

 

[flinchfree]

I’m not convinced geelongs pressure was that good, we just lack intensity. How many times do we kick or handball that gets smothered. Why we try and break so many tackles is beyond me, just give it to a team mate in a better position, we get done holding the ball so much!

It's pretty simple.
You're always trying to create the extra man and have more numbers going forward than there are defenders.
We've done it a tonne this year to great effect, didn't have the energy/intensity to make it come off against the Cats.

 

[SSSSSS]

Does anyone remember Hodgey's 300th? Similar sort of game, we were a few goals up in the 2nd and Danger hurt his foot in a contest with Roughy. Was gone for all money injury wise (think he missed a month after this game). Got jabbed up and kicked 5 goals 6 and Geelong won by 3 points.

I think when we were up 22-1 he went off hurt (he did look to cop a minor knock early) and clearly got jabbed up again and played like superman all game. Reckon this needs to be called out, clearly for someone like him when pain killers remove all his inhibitions it is actually performance enhancing.

Placebo.

If it was truly performance enhancing, every club and every player will be jabbing up before the game.

 

[Hawkk]

The guys just a beast and is clearly one of the best players going round. We would’ve had some jabbed up guys on the weekend like Ginni also.

I think the thing with Danger was best summed up by someone else in here is that he’s like Novak. He’s already one of the best of all time but he enhances his stat lines with shit like diving and flopping around and people rightfully question it.

It was basically Sam Mitchell’s 2013 Prelim Final moment. There are actually a lot of similarities between Hawthorn 2011 - 2025 and Geelong 2011 - 2025. Sadly I see this grand final being quite similar to 2011 too.

 

[badgrill]

 

[SammyC]

the most telling stats for me were - Inside 50s 66-40 and centre clearances 20-5 (pretty much level with other clearances around the ground)

I think we were pretty potent when we got it fwd but we didnt get it in there enough and couldnt keep it in there when we did. Our backs held up pretty well but when you concede 66 inside 50s against, quality players like Dangerfield and Jezza are going to get some good opportunities and take them.

Then we got smashed out of the middle - some scores from clearance but more importantly lost territory and so were on the backfoot for almost every restart. Think the issue there was both personnel and coaching - right match up for Newk & Meek goes better against a true ruck so geel pulled the right rein not picking Stanley. Then guys like Ward and Worpel couldn't get the job done on the night.

We will get better next year so looking forward to it already.

 

[TassieGrown]

Does anyone remember Hodgey's 300th? Similar sort of game, we were a few goals up in the 2nd and Danger hurt his foot in a contest with Roughy. Was gone for all money injury wise (think he missed a month after this game). Got jabbed up and kicked 5 goals 6 and Geelong won by 3 points.

I think when we were up 22-1 he went off hurt (he did look to cop a minor knock early) and clearly got jabbed up again and played like superman all game. Reckon this needs to be called out, clearly for someone like him when pain killers remove all his inhibitions it is actually performance enhancing.

Remember it well sadly, flew over for the 300th

 

[hawksfan71]

Remember it well sadly, flew over for the 300th

It’s funny I remember exactly where I was when that game was on and I bloody well knew cats were gonna win that one too!

 

[hawksfan71]

That Gunston one was as bad as the Rayner free in the qualifying final.

What about the mark that Barass took and umpire called play on, resulted in a cats goal, even had the goofy commentators confused…..

 

[jumpingjai]

Until they changed their game plan and we didn't. They crowded and pressured our players preventing us from moving the ball amongst our players. When that happened you could see when a player took possession of the ball and looked up, there was no one ahead of him. It was either a quick kick, that was easily intercepted or they got caught. We didn't seem to have an alternate game plan to counter it.

we

It's pretty simple.
You're always trying to create the extra man and have more numbers going forward than there are defenders.
We've done it a tonne this year to great effect, didn't have the energy/intensity to make it come off against the Cats.

This is this is pretty correct
The fact is we are not big enough and strong enough to win our own contested ball against Geelong. They have bigger stronger bodies and can win contested balls.
Have a look at the game from quarter time on. Every contest. they were pulling pushing scragging bumping blocking Hawthorn off the contest or off the ball.
We rely upon outnumbering our opponents and clean use. If neither of those things happen for us then we are in a contest and we lose.
And guess what???? we lost.

 

[TylerDurden]

we

This is this is pretty correct
The fact is we are not big enough and strong enough to win our own contested ball against Geelong. They have bigger stronger bodies and can win contested balls.
Have a look at the game from quarter time on. Every contest. they were pulling pushing scragging bumping blocking Hawthorn off the contest or off the ball.
We rely upon outnumbering our opponents and clean use. If neither of those things happen for us then we are in a contest and we lose.
And guess what???? we lost.

To be fair, they dialed up the pressure after quarter time. We didn't cope. Most dont.

 

[StackedHunch]

It’s funny I remember exactly where I was when that game was on and I bloody well knew cats were gonna win that one too!

Me too...and it was Isaac Smith, again the culprit, costing Hodgey the match. Served us well up until 2015. A disappointment after that, up till today.

 

[extractasam]

It was basically Sam Mitchell’s 2013 Prelim Final moment. There are actually a lot of similarities between Hawthorn 2011 - 2025 and Geelong 2011 - 2025. Sadly I see this grand final being quite similar to 2011 too.

Mitchell never got the same plaudits as he never kicked goals but he was death by 1000 cuts. He averaged 32 disposals in all his preliminary finals which he played 6 of. Widely regarded as the highest pressure game of the year and we barely won any of those with ease bar 08.

Geelong 11-25 have been a different beast. Don’t know how they do it in an era of 18 teams and equalisation and the draft only becoming more compromised. Scott’s probably the best coach I’ve seen

 

[BuddyHawk]

Does anyone remember Hodgey's 300th? Similar sort of game, we were a few goals up in the 2nd and Danger hurt his foot in a contest with Roughy. Was gone for all money injury wise (think he missed a month after this game). Got jabbed up and kicked 5 goals 6 and Geelong won by 3 points.

I think when we were up 22-1 he went off hurt (he did look to cop a minor knock early) and clearly got jabbed up again and played like superman all game. Reckon this needs to be called out, clearly for someone like him when pain killers remove all his inhibitions it is actually performance enhancing.

Danger didn’t miss any games after that 2017 match where he was seemingly on one leg. He had 25 disposals and kicked a goal in the next round against the Crows - so to paraphrase his coach when discussing Impey copping a ball in the face, “I hope he was okay”.

AFL Tables - Adelaide v Geelong - Fri, 21-Jul-2017 7:20 PM (7:50 PM) - Match Stats

Phenomenal player, Danger, and as hard as nails when it comes to winning a contested ball. But he hasn’t been above a bit of staging or exaggerating when it has suited him.

 

[killerspud]

Got exposed on the big stage - a big lesson for him - he’ll learn from it

He wasn't the only one - don't think Croc or Wiz got much of it either

 

[Elhawko]

Mitchell never got the same plaudits as he never kicked goals but he was death by 1000 cuts. He averaged 32 disposals in all his preliminary finals which he played 6 of. Widely regarded as the highest pressure game of the year and we barely won any of those with ease bar 08.

Geelong 11-25 have been a different beast. Don’t know how they do it in an era of 18 teams and equalisation and the draft only becoming more compromised. Scott’s probably the best coach I’ve seen

Scott is easily the best coach and they are the best traders in the business and close to the best drafters if they're not the best (oddly not all their early picks work out that well).

But for all that, they are also unquestionably the luckiest team in the league. Imagine getting the best player perhaps this century through F&S, and the best defender and then on top of that, when your one KPF is an ageing Cam Mooney and your replacement plan is a 28 year old VFL player in James Podisadly the footy gods hand you a 197cm, 100 kg specialist full forward who would be number one in the draft and will play for you for 17 years -17!- ...once again through F&S! And all for third round draft picks! Then when the F&S production line dries up, the best player in the comp decides he wants to return home from Adelaide just as he's peaking, and his home just happens to be a little town near your football club so you get him too. And then a few years later, another mobile KPF who is a top ten player in the league decides he wants to go back to living on a farm in Western Victoria and so also ends up at your footy club just as he is reaching his peak as well...

People dismiss all that but if it had been us who had got Cameron and Danger because they just had to live in Waverley or on Glenferrie Road or whatever we'd be in the GF this year and last and would be favourites both times. We would have given 2018 a shake too.

If the Saints had Geelong's F&S luck and the Cats didn't they would have won the flag in 2009 and 2010. These strokes of good fortune really matter!

And... the Cats never, ever lose their best players to long term injuries. Off the top of my head in the period you mentioned we lost Roughead for a season with an Achilles, and then another with his illness, plus Tom Mitchell with a broken leg, Sis with an ACL, Lewis with an ACL, Gunners for 20 matches with his back, and Day for 16 weeks this year and two consecutive finals series. We had a year where Hodgey missed a heap of footy at the same time as Sam, Lake and Gibson each missed about 8 or 9 games ( and Clarko got sick into the bargain), and two years where Cyril played maybe half a dozen games. And we aren't the worst for injuries by any means. The worst injury I reckon the Cats had over this period was Harry Taylor only playing 9 or 10 games in 2018 I think it was.

They are an unbelievably good team. They almost never fail to show up and never against us. But man, I'd love their luck too.