Autopsy 2025 Preliminary Final: Hawks get rolled

[TONYC3163]

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.

FFS
Can we stop with the Cats admiration on Hawks boards.

 

[Flukey!]

Are we challenging Chol's suspension?

 

[TONYC3163]

Are we challenging Chol's suspension?

Yes

 

[MasterSamurai]

So many rookies and low picks make up cats list it's not funny. With that profile they should realistically be middle of the table. The mind boggles. Hope the lions beat them in the GF. I honestly do

 

[DearJai]

So many rookies and low picks make up cats list it's not funny. With that profile they should realistically be middle of the table. The mind boggles. Hope the lions beat them in the GF. I honestly do

A lot of credit has got to go to Nigel Lappin on that front.

But I also hope they get found out on GF day. Brisbane were the strongest side all year imo.

They were patchy as hell, but their best looked better than anyone else's. They certainly are a lot more blessed in the talent stakes.

I wonder which version of the Lions shows up on Saturday?

 

[hr_23]

David Barham has stepped down as Essendon president,
Wonder how that effects the Zerrett trade
Andrew Welsh

Andrew Welsh

Age

42

Ht

188cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.4

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.7

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.6

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.6

5star

stepping up to President who met with Zach over the weekend

 

[Xtreme]

I wonder which version of the Lions shows up on Saturday?

The one that kicks more behinds than goals

 

[George Zip]

 

[StillAtLarge]

 

[SSSSSS]

View attachment 2435500

Did we bring the clown lawyers again.

Hope not.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Chol suspension thrown out by the tribunal. Common sense prevails

 

[StillAtLarge]

Unlock the Chol thread mods so we can wax lyrical about the great (free) man

 

[cryptor]

Chol suspension thrown out by the tribunal. Common sense prevails

The suspension was never going to chold up to scrutiny.

 

[rdhopkins2]

MRO verdict overturned. Free to play Rd1!

 

[Rookie Error]

Chol

 

[Khmerhawk]

The suspension was never going to chold up to scrutiny.

You wonder why he was ever charged in the first place.Nobody in the media was calling for a suspension were they ? Even the great David concussion crusading King was silent wasn’t he ?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[MasterSamurai]

No shit Sherlock.. great news.

 

[StillAtLarge]

You wonder why he was ever charged in the first place.Nobody in the media was calling for a suspension were they ? Even the great David concussion crusading King was silent wasn’t he ?

Gives the afl an out if Stewart ever sues them down the track?

 

[hardway]

Stewart and Butler take out Chols legs as the tackle is laid. Good luck trying to control the motion of the tackle once that occurred.

Hawks lawyer must’ve read my post. Sanity prevails!

 

[SSSSSS]

Holy crap our lawyers saved their best performance for the finals.

#whenitcounts

 

[Ka Norkers]

disappointed we are not in the big dance, but what a fabulous year all us Hawks supporters have had.
I've seen every premiership since 1976, so that is a shit load, but I honestly think these have been my two favourite years ever, 2024 and 2025. 2008 goes close, but I have just loved these guys, maybe there aren't any true superstars out there, but they play with such flair, passion and joy that it is truly infectious.
11 premierships, but I've never celebrated a final more than after we beat the Dogs in front of 97,000 last year.
So many awesome players over the journey, Huddo, Barney, Knightsie, Bomber, Kel, Platts, the Kid, Crawf, Hodgie, Buddy, Cyril, Sammy, Lewie, etc etc, but maybe Newk has the greatest story of them all, from nowhere, he rides the bumps with a grin and gives 120% every game, just love this bloke.

anyway, onwards and upwards, bring on 26 and go Hawks!!!!

 

[bamp]

Holy crap our lawyers saved their best performance for the finals.

I heard our lawyer just said to the tribunal, "Let my people Chol"

 

[DearJai]

It's cold comfort, but it appears that ONE team in the history of the AFL has won a PF on the back of two consecutive interstate finals (non neutral venue).

That was Adelaide almost 30 years ago.

Puts things into context on how valuable top 4 is, when a finals series features 4 interstate teams.

But also what razor thin margins there are between a good and great team when the field doesn't feature a dominant contender.

 

[hr_23]

Can't wait for Weasel Wheatley's editorial about how Chol shouldnt have gotten off while his poor little sniper mate Tom Stewart has to miss the Grand Final