Autopsy Round 6, 2026: Hawks dim the lights

[Simon Crawshay]

If Finn is in (and deservedly so with his form in the VFL) I really hope he is given some CBA opportunities.

No point dominating in the guts in the twos and getting plonked on a wing/HFF which doesn't suit his skillset.

Hard tag/inside mid or bust IMO. We already know he's not good enough to play an outside role.

I'm trying to remember, has Finn ever been given the license to play as a pure inside mid in the seniors?

I can only ever remember him playing on the wing/HFF (which doesn't suit him) or as a hard tagger but never as a proper inside mid which is where he seems to excel for Box Hill.

I wonder if Sam is just that distrustful of his disposal he doesn't want him getting high disposal numbers which is not a great spot to be in as a player if your coach thinks that about you.

We are crying out for someone to give Newk a hand in the packs though. We still haven't really sorted out Worps replacement in the CBA area yet (I don't think this will ever be a strength of Ward or Frenchie).

 

[Ka Norkers]

I'd be astonished if Finn isn't selected. He's got all the assets needed but his disposal lets him down. He is the premier tagger in the AFL, despite the media's love affair with Mullin, and he'll be needed in the next two weeks. He's a good cover for Moore wth his running ability. Can kick goals too.
the other two changes are simple, in comes Scrimshaw for Sicily and Gunston for McCabe.

 

[SSSSSS]

I'm trying to remember, has Finn ever been given the license to play as a pure inside mid in the seniors?

I can only ever remember him playing on the wing/HFF (which doesn't suit him) or as a hard tagger but never as a proper inside mid which is where he seems to excel for Box Hill.

I wonder if Sam is just that distrustful of his disposal he doesn't want him getting high disposal numbers which is not a great spot to be in as a player if your coach thinks that about you.

We are crying out for someone to give Newk a hand in the packs though. We still haven't really sorted out Worps replacement in the CBA area yet (I don't think this will ever be a strength of Ward or Frenchie).

I don't think so and if he has I certainly don't recall the game.

I really would like to see Finn get a crack in the guts. Nash was pigeonholed as a small forward despite dominating in the middle at BHH.

All it took was Sam playing Nash to his strengths. I do hope Finn gets a crack. Anything else is just setting him up to fail.

 

[A Diakos]

No 1 is easy, Matthews is the best Hawthorn player I ever saw.

Who is number 2?

.....John Kennedy Snr did rate Matthews and Arthur as the equal best he coached

Matthews
Hudson
dunstall
Arthur
Hodge
Knights
Platten
dermott
Mitchell
Buddy
Ayres
Mew
Buckernara
Burger
Rioli
Tuck
Jarman
Moore
Langford
Dipper

there's a rough top 20

.....

and the next 40 after that would have Simmons law crimmins Scott Crawford Gunston Breust hall Pritchard Kennedy Snr Kennedy junior Roughead eade Mills Peck etc etc in whatever order you choose

some of the current players like Newcombe Sicily wizard etc wil be joining the list in coming years

 

[Roberiquez]

You may have identified the issue with posters who whinge and whine and moan.

The fact that you're biased towards Hawthorn - and there's nothing wrong with that at all - doesn't mean that you should expect Dunstall to be.

He's supposed to be a neutral, objective, unbiased commentator and that's a role he peforms absolutely brilliantly, even though every fibre in his being is crying out to barrack as loudly for Hawthorn as we all do.

JD aint unbiased. He is biased against Hawks, a true negative nancy against everything the Hawks do. Such an energy blackhole. I will as other commentators have said, turn the volume off next time he commentates. I will keep my memory intact of his amazing playing days and ignore his horrendous commentry career.

 

[Roberiquez]

Come on - that was a clear case of Wiz's speed taking him into Jones rather than the other way around.

No doubt about the high contact but, as Dunstall rightly pointed out, it wasn't intentional on Jones' part, whose hands were down by his side and who did absolutely nothing wrong.

View a replay on this morning after, without your brown-and-gold glasses, and you'll see Dunstall was right.

Jones lifted his arm. Watch it again. JD pulling wool over your eyes mate.

 

[RCAB]

We certainly do.

I still miss Cyril.

Salty Geelong supporters like My Tilly still complaining on the MB that Rioli was the most overrated.

 

[Roberiquez]

2008 was the best ( and most exciting and enjoyable) season I have ever seen by a Hawks player.

100% In 2007 we saw the momentum build with the finals win against Adelaide. 2008 was further growth and improvement and high energy football. Everyone expected the handbaggers to win and we took them to the cleaners. Glorious!

 

[bigmaxi]

I think it will be Gunners, Scrim and Finn, perfect foil for Petracca, but I would be disappointed if they don’t challenge Moores decision.

Side note interesting AFL website doesn’t show the Butters hit on Butler. So not a fan of this process. Stinks to high heaven of justice is only for some.

 

[moginie]

Salty Geelong supporters like My Tilly still complaining on the MB that Rioli was the most overrated.

Let them.

It's all they've got.

 

[tommyk72]

back after one game either. Common wisdom has always been that they deserve a handful of games to find their feet. It would be nice to find a way to keep him in there for a few even if he isn't setting the world on fire. Re: Maginness recall, i see naming him as moving backwards. I know its harsh but he and Huswaite continually fail at AFL level and it seems like Mitchell is looking past them now towards

Normally I'd agree when being promoted on performance. While he was definitely there abouts, he only played against the power due to our injuries. He will have learnt a lot - I'm happy for him to go back to BHH and really pound down the door.

 

[Hackysack]

Finns BH form can absolutely be ignored lmao. There’s been enough evidence and matches over the last 3 years that shows maginness isn’t an AFL level midfielder poor by foot and poor by hand.

Twat one of the best taggers in the game

 

[Elhawko]

I can't wait to see how Port goes against the Cats. Are we really the team they lift for (other than the Crows) or will they be just as manic against the Cats? I want to see if Scott tags JHF and if he does, if it works. I want to see if Geelong can prevent that run through the corridor that cut us to pieces most of the game and if so, how they do it. Im going to be pee'd off if the cats just brush them aside, but if Port play like they did against us and actually beat the hoops, well that will make yesterday's stress all worth it.

 

[TheFourPillars]

I can't wait to see how Port goes against the Cats. Are we really the team they lift for (other than the Crows) or will they be just as manic against the Cats? I want to see if Scott tags JHF and if he does, if it works. I want to see if Geelong can prevent that run through the corridor that cut us to pieces most of the game and if so, how they do it. Im going to be pee'd off if the cats just brush them aside, but if Port play like they did against us and actually beat the hoops, well that will make yesterday's stress all worth it.

What works against us wont work against the cats they play a different way and have different structures. They also have players with break away speed in the middle

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Only watched it in bits but we definitely got lucky.

. As many have mentioned, Ward and Frenchie aren't it. They are decent second class midfielders who look decent when the team is humming. However they aren't and never will be top liners. With Day out we are way too reliant on Newcombe to perform each week.

. Dear is one of those players whose just better at AFL than VFL

. Dumb by Moore and Siciliy. Id be challenging both but still not required.

. Unsure on Perez. Great tackle but outside of that seems to have poor foot skills

. Wiz, Impey and Mass won it for us

. Really liking our ruck duo more each week

 

[Viddiot]

Yeah, I think Port can probably start strong...feeding off the emotion of a close loss (that club is all about emotion), But the Cats as much as I hate them are a clear step up from Port.

 

[barbster]

Only watched it in bits but we definitely got lucky.

. As many have mentioned, Ward and Frenchie aren't it. They are decent second class midfielders who look decent when the team is humming. However they aren't and never will be top liners. With Day out we are way too reliant on Newcombe to perform each week.

. Dear is one of those players whose just better at AFL than VFL

. Dumb by Moore and Siciliy. Id be challenging both but still not required.

. Unsure on Perez. Great tackle but outside of that seems to have poor foot skills

. Wiz, Impey and Mass won it for us

. Really liking our ruck duo more each week

I’d have to agree on Perez, apart from that tackle I haven’t seen much. Would prefer Scrim or BMac.

 

[SA HAWK]

Yeah, I think Port can probably start strong...feeding off the emotion of a close loss (that club is all about emotion), But the Cats as much as I hate them are a clear step up from Port.

Cats won’t allow Butters & Horne-Francis to dominate them the way they did us.

 

[marklar]

I’d have to agree on Perez, apart from that tackle I haven’t seen much. Would prefer Scrim or BMac.

Perez is quick across the ground and not scared to have a go. Basically another Butler that just needs some time to settle into the team.

In other words, he's played 3 games for us, all wins. Calm your farm and worry about the midfield first KTHKS.

 

[Yardie]

Softest suspensions of all time and they ignore butters doing the same thing to gonnivan just Ginny's not a cheat.....

Our players should know that whenever the AFL wants to make a point it is with our club and then they ignore them going forward.

I do think we can use precedence now on decisions. So if we do go up we could just show that the Butters incidence and say they are the same act.

 

[marklar]

Our players should know that whenever the AFL wants to make a point it is with our club and then they ignore them going forward.

I do think we can use precedence now on decisions. So if we do go up we could just show that the Butters incidence and say they are the same act.

No. Cannot.
Can't question the AFL logic anymore, it's chook lotto with betting enabled.

 

[SA HAWK]

Our players should know that whenever the AFL wants to make a point it is with our club and then they ignore them going forward.

I do think we can use precedence now on decisions. So if we do go up we could just show that the Butters incidence and say they are the same act.

I think they were scared to rub Butters out after last weeks hoohaa.

 

[Hawks future]

Perez is quick across the ground and not scared to have a go. Basically another Butler that just needs some time to settle into the team.

In other words, he's played 3 games for us, all wins. Calm your farm and worry about the midfield first KTHKS.

Yeah I agree he is tuff and just finding the speed again of afl will be better in the long run he does alpt of things like taps and things that don't show up but the coaches know

 

[Hawks future]

I don't think so and if he has I certainly don't recall the game.

I really would like to see Finn get a crack in the guts. Nash was pigeonholed as a small forward despite dominating in the middle at BHH.

All it took was Sam playing Nash to his strengths. I do hope Finn gets a crack. Anything else is just setting him up to fail.

Said this last week I said we gone past him but why throw him on ball when newk goes to the bench .. I said his played as a tagger or high half forward that's it ... could be the josh Kennedy give him a couple of weeks in there then make judgment

 

[westhawk]

We've moved past Finn. Even if he plays, Sam never trusts him as a mid.
He gets hidden on a flank and cant get into the game.

Spot on, plenty of times he dominates VFL and then comes in and does nothing. Has had enough chances. I think Dalton was good against the Cats and was good again in the VFL on the weekend.
Dalton, Scrim, Gunston in for this week.