Coach Sam Mitchell's direction for the club and 2024 news

[Strapping Young Lad]

If anyone wants to have a listen about what the data is saying in regards to whether we have actually gotten worse this year have a listen to this from the 9:15 mark.

I know a few people have already touched on it, but the data is also showing that our results this year have been slightly better despite actually putting out a younger team and dealing with some injuries.




And here.

 

[eldorado]

Admitted that the practice matches didn't look good and was disappointed.

Also said we got lucky on the injury front last year and this year will be tough.

Could be another rough year.

Surely there were more negatives you could have got out of the video?

C'mon...give it a try.

 

[wahawk]

Surely there were more negatives you could have got out of the video?

C,mon...give it a try.

Well I noticed Sam’s whiskers were looking a little salt & pepperish

 

[eldorado]

Well I noticed Sam’s whiskers were looking a little salt & pepperish

Has the Modern Game Gone Past Sam Mitchell?

 

[wahawk]

Has the Modern Game Gone Past Sam Mitchell?

Well he has had long enough, don’t you think ?

 

[Flukey!]

Thread title needs an update

 

[Fetnarr]

Has the Modern Game Gone Past Sam Mitchell?

Where is Sam Mitchell at?

 

[Dewnior]

Where is Sam Mitchell at?

Delist

 

[Brant]

Where is Sam Mitchell at?

Future Captain!

 

[marklar]

Future Captain!

 

[QuietB]

Nasty start to the season and Mitchell has the full support of the board for a couple of years yet.

However these make no sense to me;

1. Hawthorn traded for Ginivin and Chol, got Gunston back, and then drafted Watson. WTF was Hardwick being trained to be a forward for?
2. Maginness is the worst choice for sub I can remember
3. Gunston is the second worst choice for sub I can remember. Sub needs to be an impact player, a mosquito who comes on and adds energy. Nether Maginness or Gunston are that player.

Mitchell would want tidy these sorts of things up IMO.

 

[peetoo]

Yet after 2 rounds last year percentage was 20% worse?

 

[QuietB]

Got beaten by Geelong by 82 points last year

 

[DogDaySonny]

It's puzzling that we're getting smashed so hard in the middle. I reckon we touch the ball first maybe 2/3's of the time but that first touch seems wasted as the second is straight to an oppo player. In neither game this year did I feel like we were being beaten to the contested ball. But our pickups are unclean and our first disposal is very unreliable.

I wonder if it's skills or structure. Are we panicking and just handballing with our eyes closed? Or are we being muscled and no one is presenting an outlet for the man who gets a touch?

 

[Hodgey 15]

I don't get why some of you posters on here get so sucked into all this click bait crap.
It's Round 2. If this was Round 20 - well yeah there would be concerns.
We have Will Day yet to come back in, a new forward line still trying to gel and two of our gun mids struggling for form.
Do you really think this will be the norm for another 6 months?
Relax and let things play out.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I reckon the most intriguing part is that we’re now almost the complete opposite of ourselves from 2023.

Last year were a terrible offensive side who were scored against quite easily, with a midfield that came alive at centre bounces.

While we’re no defensive juggernaut in 2024 we’ve improved in that area of the ground and we’re a far more dangerous side going forward with a better inside 50 efficiency…. Our midfield though has barely turned up.

What will be the impact to our overall game when we start to halve the centre bounces with more regularity? I’d like to think we’ll be in a lot more games.

 

[MrBeefSeven]

Nasty start to the season and Mitchell has the full support of the board for a couple of years yet.

However these make no sense to me;

1. Hawthorn traded for Ginivin and Chol, got Gunston back, and then drafted Watson. WTF was Hardwick being trained to be a forward for?
2. Maginness is the worst choice for sub I can remember
3. Gunston is the second worst choice for sub I can remember. Sub needs to be an impact player, a mosquito who comes on and adds energy. Nether Maginness or Gunston are that player.

Mitchell would want tidy these sorts of things up IMO.

Hardwick is already a competent defender and has been playing that position for years, he's not going to suddenly forget how to defend (and I don't think he has). It's a good thing to develop his capability in a new area. He'd probably be playing much more forward if our defensive stocks/depth hadn't been smashed to pieces through injury.
Also I don't know what the full scope of his forward craft is, but he'd probably play a different/unique role compared to most of the forwards you listed. Hardwick is a beautiful kick, is strong and can also play more of a defensive role in that forward half.
I reckon he could add a lot up the ground but we probably also need more key position talent in the back end.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

A few players have mentioned that Hardwick has been asking about playing forward for years.

He is an RFA this year.

 

[lethalselbow]

Nasty start to the season and Mitchell has the full support of the board for a couple of years yet.

However these make no sense to me;

1. Hawthorn traded for Ginivin and Chol, got Gunston back, and then drafted Watson. WTF was Hardwick being trained to be a forward for?
2. Maginness is the worst choice for sub I can remember
3. Gunston is the second worst choice for sub I can remember. Sub needs to be an impact player, a mosquito who comes on and adds energy. Nether Maginness or Gunston are that player.

Mitchell would want tidy these sorts of things up IMO.

Meek in the last round of 2023, as sub, was a shocker.

On the Hardwick front, it's possible that we are trying to train others up defensively on the chance (i hope not & doubt he will) that he leaves. Also, why not add a string to Hardwick's bow? He's only 26yo and we need some defensive hardness in our forward line. Love positive experimentation. All for it. Take on the game. Hate the 1st quarter by our team vs Melbourne. Negative and taught nothing to the players.

 

[lethalselbow]

I don't get why some of you posters on here get so sucked into all this click bait crap.
It's Round 2. If this was Round 20 - well yeah there would be concerns.
We have Will Day yet to come back in, a new forward line still trying to gel and two of our gun mids struggling for form.
Do you really think this will be the norm for another 6 months?
Relax and let things play out.

The coach is allowed to be discussed by posters. Don't think anyone is calling for his head. We are very light on for injuries and most thought had a stacked midfield to take to cover Will Day for a few weeks. If our midfield group doesn't show up vs Geelong then we have an issue.

 

[theiaofseed]

The coach is allowed to be discussed by posters. Don't think anyone is calling for his head. We are very light on for injuries and most thought had a stacked midfield to take to cover Will Day for a few weeks. If our midfield group doesn't show up vs Geelong then we have an issue.

We're missing our best midfielder and our besr KPD in a position we lack cover, Moore and Lewis are still fighting to gain fitness and we're missing CJ and Wingard. There's nothing light on about our injuries.

On SM-G955F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Hodgey 15]

The coach is allowed to be discussed by posters. Don't think anyone is calling for his head. We are very light on for injuries and most thought had a stacked midfield to take to cover Will Day for a few weeks. If our midfield group doesn't show up vs Geelong then we have an issue.

I haven't got an issue with people discussing coach.
It's just how easy some get seduced by the crap the media spin because some of these tabloid journos and so called experts have something to talk about and who will change their mind and opinion at the drop of a hat to suit a narrative.

 

[lethalselbow]

I haven't got an issue with people discussing coach.
It's just how easy some get seduced by the crap the media spin because some of these tabloid journos and so called experts have something to talk about and who will change their mind and opinion at the drop of a hat to suit a narrative.

Some have an issue. How dare anyone bad mouth Bambi.

 

[lethalselbow]

King didn't spare any punches. Not sure which "6 clubs" have younger list profiles, though, but happy to see them listed.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/te...s/news-story/8698b9f9bdcbd55a382ab76c71effbc6

 

[Yardie]

King didn't spare any punches. Not sure which "6 clubs" have younger list profiles, though, but happy to see them listed.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/te...s/news-story/8698b9f9bdcbd55a382ab76c71effbc6

From an overall list perspective we are second youngest and third last for experience. He might be using the list profile on those who took the field to get to that view.

 

[BobHawk]

The oddest thing about the diabolical performance of the midfield thus far is that Sam Mitchell was a midfielder (one of the best), he was excellent as a midfield coach at WCE, made an immediate impact coming back to Hawthorn and yet here we are. Something is terribly wrong.