Autopsy Round 2, 2026: Hawks pluck Swans

[hr_23]

There was an absolute muppet on SEN last night saying he was disgusted by Watto and claims he was going to rock up to training at Dingley in his Swans guernsey and sledge Watson. I am sure the Wiz is just shaking in his boots.

I heard that peanut too
Also reckons he went to a Blues Freo game & sledged Ballantyne the whole game & he had a stinker because of him

 

[hr_23]

It’s only round 2 (well round 3 for us) but I feel like this team is very settled and won’t change much for the rest of the year baring injury.

The last two weeks we have had very even team performances, I can’t think of anyone that is really struggling. My biggest query was on the 2 rucks but it seems to be working pretty well so far.

Hopefully we sharpen up our set shots of goal over the extended break though as you can’t be missing those easy goals against the Cats, they will make you pay every time.

Be hard to see who gets squeezed out when Day gets back..

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Thoughts as below.

. Newcombe started slowing but worked into it. Gun
. Sicily looked shaky early but was great in the second half
. Bit worried about Battle. Towelled by Curnow in the first qtr. and didn't really look comfortable all game imo
. Barrass is a star. No fuss just gets the job done.
. Ward and Frenchie were both ok. I don't think we can rely on them each week but not bad 3rd or 4th midfielders which they would be when Day is back
. Grundy and Meek/Reeves are wrestling all day and I'm surprised more free kicks weren't paid but happy it was allowed to play out. Wouldn't say either played badly but Grundy would have been close to BOG
. Lewis and Chol frustrate me but Dear probably would as well if he's in. We have 3 ok key forwards who are decent on their day but no stars. Not sure of the solution or best combo
. Really like Butler as a role player. Great set shot too


Happy with the win overall but not sure we would have if either Heeney or Gulden played. Personally think we aren't in the top echelon of teams who will be there when the whips are cracking but happy to win games at this point and see where it takes us

 

[hawk for 37]

Fancy kicking 4.28 more than the oppo after 3 games. 32 more scoring shots (multiple OOF as well) in 3 games!

Straighten up and kick 20.12 instead (woulda coulda I know) belt the last 2 opponents and the media and bookies would have them right up in the mix.

Actually keeping them under the radar at the moment.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Spot on. At the very least it’s a contest.

Otherwise his leads are strong, works his ass off up the ground and runs his matchup into the ground. Will be nice for him to get some confidence again now and really take the game by storm, deserves big rewards now. He’s officially back.

Said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s a big power forward that you need to win finals and premierships. Athletic and will run his man into the dirt, usually a super finisher around goals so I’m sure that will return. Then he can just be the focal power forward that we know he is.

Let’s probably let him string 4 quarters together before we get too carried away

 

[GruffSalad]

Did anyone notice a couple of times when Ginni was looking to get into the forward 50, that he murdered a couple of Sydney defenders with candy sells?

Mackenzie also seems to have an extra split second to get out contests for a handpass where previously he might have been caught!

 

[Harper_Hawk]

D'Ambrosio to Moore in the fourth was a thing of beauty.
Nice touch of Ch7 to give Moore the TV/Best on... as a show of support when Ch9 gunned for him the last two weeks. Might be reading to much into it...but it seemed that way.

Shout out to Sam Butler. Really like him as a footballer. Tough and smart. I'd almost bulk him up a bit and run him through the guts.

The score flattered the Swans.

 

[KermitJagger]

Legit playing like the best forward in the game and is a genuine freak, but no chance.

Will happily settle for another 70+, AA and B&F from our grumpy geriatric!

Kicked 73 last year off a slower start and in a less attacking team.

If we keep getting him 6+ shots a game I would consider him an outside chance, not no chance.

 

[MrPremiership]

Thought we were clearly the better side, but our turnovers and poor goal kicking kept it closer than it needed to be.

We look like a side which is still a little out of sync, but getting better.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Jai's hands and strength were brilliant at clearance. He's going to be a top 15 player by season end.

Ward is really coming on now. Needs to lift his clearance numbers but, I think only 1 last night.

Mackenzie. He will be an AA mid at some point. I don't think it's this year, but he's going to explode when he can stay in games longer.

Ginni up and around the ball from a wing was brilliant coaching.

TB is trimmer and might be in career form. Brilliant.

Watson. Last year that type of frustrating game results in him getting 6 or 7 touches. At 21 he's already at the rarefied air when opposition coaches will take 18 touches, 7 score involvements and 1.1 as a win. He may stay forward his entire career, but there's serious Gary Ablett Jnr about this kid through the middle.

Weddle. I still don't think we've figured out how to get the most damage out of him yet.

Taking a while to come down huh?

 

[flinchfree]

Random observation from last night and explains why I was so bloody happy after the siren (more than just the usual winning feeling) - so often in similar games where we aren't exactly being beaten on the field but we are down on luck, the bounce isn't favouring us, turnovers cost goals and the oppositions don't and we are basically being beaten by dumb luck and inaccuracy we have then tended to just sputter out and lose those games, sometimes after a bit of a fightback that gets stamped out. There seemed to be a real resolve last night to not let this happen - when we went 20 points down despite the game being on our terms I would usually be absolutely livid or deflated but there was just a different vibe at the game. Perhaps a mixture of more experience in the young players and also making a prelim this year showing this group how close to a flag they could be - last night we just wanted it more and had a hunger that Sydney could not overwhelm. Something about it was just a really pleasing win to be at.

I was thinking this EXACT thing just a few hours ago.
Against a seriously good opposition who were doing the things at an efficiency level that might allow them to steal a game they were second best in.
Not sure if it was simply resolve, or hunger, the right pump up by the coaches, a fear of being 'that' team that maybe loses games it's actually done enough to win.....or even the knowledge that they could empty everything into the game because of the huge layoff before our next game.
Whatever way it happened, it's what champion teams do.
We might have just seen the sign.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Whichever way you look at it, the game was played completely on our terms after quarter time, bar for the little purple patch in the 3rd.

We're getting better each week which is great.

I think our biggest challenges are goal kicking (easily fixed), and our pressure around contested ball. We've pretty much owned that space in most games, but we can also make silly mistakes and turn the ball over really quickly when it doesn't work out. Because don't rely on our mids to do defensive running as much, more on our wings and flankers, things can get gnarly at times with that fast ball on transition.

But apart from that we look like a really serious side, and probably should have won last night by 5-6 goals.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Kicked 73 last year off a slower start and in a less attacking team.

If we keep getting him 6+ shots a game I would consider him an outside chance, not no chance.

I just think it’s that hard to do, look at Jeremy Cameron last year for example. Did a lot of the hard work, then had a small dip in form and didn’t really get super close in the end.

He’s a chance in the sense of you can’t say it’s literally impossible, but I don’t think he’s any realistic chance of hitting it.

 

[peetoo]

I saw Mackenzie throwing himself on the ball quite a bit last night also which was really good to see. For his class with the boot if he can really build his contested game he will be an absolute weapon.

Our most creative behind day and wiz

 

[Dixie Flatline]

 

[chrismew2]

Only thing better than winning Thursday night,is winning on Thursday night with my man Mitchy Lewis finally getting some reward for effort.Big fella was like a old pack Draft horse, just did not stop working all night. Great win! Bring on the cats

 

[SpanishBrowne]

I was very worried at times that this was going to be a very looooooooong 18 days.

oh it's still gonna be a long 18 days. but at least we have happy thoughts!

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Id like to know what was being said by the swines cheersquad. Gunston was very animated towards them

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Random observation from last night and explains why I was so bloody happy after the siren (more than just the usual winning feeling) - so often in similar games where we aren't exactly being beaten on the field but we are down on luck, the bounce isn't favouring us, turnovers cost goals and the oppositions don't and we are basically being beaten by dumb luck and inaccuracy we have then tended to just sputter out and lose those games, sometimes after a bit of a fightback that gets stamped out. There seemed to be a real resolve last night to not let this happen - when we went 20 points down despite the game being on our terms I would usually be absolutely livid or deflated but there was just a different vibe at the game. Perhaps a mixture of more experience in the young players and also making a prelim this year showing this group how close to a flag they could be - last night we just wanted it more and had a hunger that Sydney could not overwhelm. Something about it was just a really pleasing win to be at.

Similarly to you I just never felt we were out of it even when they took advantage in the 3rd.

Toys were being thrown of the cot in here, but the players showed the maturity and resolve that is becoming a real trait of this side, that they will always come again.

 

[Flukey!]

Sam Butler - 14 disposals 66% game time
Cam Mackenzie - 17 disposals 64% game time

The only two with less time on ground were Meeky and Reeves.

I know someone has to be on the bench, but im curious why these guys get less time than others.
Is it simply because thats where they are in the pecking order?

 

[matey]

One of the gutsiest wins I can remember in recent times. We kept hitting packs hard, tackled hard and running on empty until the final siren. Our midfield is holding up well and playing its role which was a pleasure to see ……. the responsibility is across the midfield group rather than relying on one or two players! We look fit

 

[sinkintins]

Yep, hate that prick was all over every Merrett post with his delusion. I don't use reddit much anymore but used to like the AFL subreddit now it's impossible.

Been on a downward trend for 8 years, reddit in general too. I'm sure they actually believe that Merrett has come around and wants to stay at alcatraz.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Only thing better than winning Thursday night,is winning on Thursday night with my man Mitchy Lewis finally getting some reward for effort.Big fella was like a old pack Draft horse, just did not stop working all night. Great win! Bring on the cats

I feel like that might be Mitch's role in 2026. Just work his ass off up and down the ground and provide a contest up forward and on the wing. He's got a huge tank for a guy his size.

I'll take a 17 disposals, 9 mark and one goal game every day of the week, especially when we have gunners and Chol as stay at home forwards.

 

[sinkintins]

David King is annoyed as hell that the Swans lost. It is moments like tonight you count your lucky stars that there is an alternative to listening to his absolute garbage all night. Brian Taylor is not so bad after all

You can just hear the delight in King's and Montagna's voices discussing a Hawks loss, and the pain in their voices when we win.

 

[extractasam]

There was an absolute muppet on SEN last night saying he was disgusted by Watto and claims he was going to rock up to training at Dingley in his Swans guernsey and sledge Watson. I am sure the Wiz is just shaking in his boots.

I heard that - was the most dribble I’ve ever heard. Also the part where he reckons he rocked up to a Freo game the week after Ballantyne disrespected the swans just to get in his head. Peak nuff phone call