Analyzing our side ....

[Glebehawk]

Since the season is all but over, let’s have a look at the side, the strengths, weaknesses and who should play where in 2010…and who shouldn’t be there at all!


This is what I’d consider to be our most potent line up.

BROWN GILHAM GUERRA
LADSON CROAD ELLIS

YOUNG HODGE BATEMAN

DEW FRANKLIN RIOLI
WILLIAMS ROUGHY OZZIE

CAMPBELL : MITCHELL, SEWELL

(BENCH) RENOUF, LEWIS, SHUEY, KENNEDY



NEXT IN LINE
Birchall – has been very average this season. Decision making too slow.
Dowler – Still think we can make something of him, perhaps at half forward?
Moss – like his maturity for a youngster, skills will never set the world alight, but was pretty effective as a small forward before injury.
Muston/ shiels – think musto has more upside in the long run, worth persistence.


SEE YA LATER
Taylor – for all the obvious reasons.
Murphy – (see taylor)
Boyle – should have been delisted instead of dawson last year.
Stokes – just doesn’t have it. Reminds me of Clarke.


WELCOME TO HAWTHORN
1st draft pick – best available mid with SPEED!
2nd pick – key defender
3rd pick – need a half back with threatening rebounding skills
4th pick - another crumbing forward

TRADE BAIT
Birchall, Taylor/Murphy (if anyone’s stupid enough to want them), Morton, stokes
I’ve suggested Lewis in the past – but might upset team camaraderie.

If we can pick up/ trade for a key defender and an outside mid…think we’ll be on track for the finals again in 2010. Of course new coaching staff, fwd + def assistants and a game plan that doesn’t involve 10 handballs for every kick will also help!!!
Oh and some luck with a pre-season without injuries.

 

[SA HAWK]

Re: analyzing our side

I would trade Lewis for the right deal. It would want to be something good.

We have enough in and under mid paced midfielders so we can afford to offload 1.

We badly need a key defender.

 

[macdaddio]

Re: analyzing our side

I would trade Lewis for the right deal. It would want to be something good.

We have enough in and under mid paced midfielders so we can afford to offload 1.

We badly need a key defender.

Lewis has been one of our best all year, and he Ruffy and Buddy are best of mates so i don think breaking up a friendship as close as these 3 are would do any good for team harmony..

 

[Miss_Hawk_Fan]

Re: analyzing our side

Since the season is all but over, let’s have a look at the side, the strengths, weaknesses and who should play where in 2010…and who shouldn’t be there at all!


This is what I’d consider to be our most potent line up.

BROWN GILHAM GUERRA
LADSON CROAD ELLIS

YOUNG HODGE BATEMAN

DEW FRANKLIN RIOLI
WILLIAMS ROUGHY OZZIE

CAMPBELL : MITCHELL, SEWELL

(BENCH) RENOUF, LEWIS, BIRCAHLL, KENNEDY



NEXT IN LINE

Tuck, Shiels, Shoey, White cross, Moss, Dowler, Muston, Bailey

Birchall – has been very average this season. Decision making too slow.
Dowler – Still think we can make something of him, perhaps at half forward?
Moss – like his maturity for a youngster, skills will never set the world alight, but was pretty effective as a small forward before injury.
Muston/ shiels – think musto has more upside in the long run, worth persistence.


SEE YA LATER -agreed
Taylor – Murphy – Boyle – Stokes

Weakness: Undisciplined, skill level, doesn’t put pressure on, doesn't support team mates often enough and lacks intensity.



WELCOME TO HAWTHORN
1st draft pick – KKP defender!
2nd pick – Mid Feild speed & skill
3rd pick – Next best
4th pick - Next best

TRADE BAIT
The only trades would be my out list.

Coaching Staff

Barker - Gone
HardWick -SNR Coaching role
Dixon - Goal Kicking Coach
Crawford - Midfeild coach

 

[Glebehawk]

Re: analyzing our side

not sure about going for key defender with 1st pick...defenders can come from deeper in the draft.

I'd rather pickup a gun speedstar mid first!

maybe trade for a ready made defender instead of using first pick on them.

 

[Hodges]

Re: analyzing our side

not sure about going for key defender with 1st pick...defenders can come from deeper in the draft.

I'd rather pickup a gun speedstar mid first!

maybe trade for a ready made defender instead of using first pick on them.

Agreed. With our back stocks the way they are, we need to get a mature defender, someone who can contribute straight away. We are better off drafting a quick outside mid with our first selection.

 

[Rioli magic]

Lewis should stay don't know people are on about with him? Hard at it, gets plenty of the footy, durable, consistent, good desposal, reads the play well, leadership group, no 7 draft pick, he's 23 still improviong FFS.

Key Defender - A Fit Trent Croad!! Develop Shoenemaker. Recruit the best talent available and get some patience we can't win the flag every year we're the youngest list and probably going to get younger if Dew leaves. I'd be getting rid of him before Lewis. Our team is still 2-5 years from peaking shows how could the crop we've got is.

 

[Hodges]

What happens if Croad or Gilham get injured again? We are back in exactly the same situation as this season. Our premiership window was supposed to start this year, we dont have time to wait and develop Shoey and another draftee - if we can pick up a decent young player for a second round pick + player, I dont see why we wouldnt do it.

Plus we can then use our first round pick to get a classy outside mid - and this draft is full of good mids and hardly any good KPP.

 

[QuietB]

If we are being serious about analysing the hawks this year the following stands out;

1. Worst tackling side in the AFL.
2. Decision making and turnovers have murdered the hawks. Hawks actually won the contest against the cats, even Port and again yesterday. Shocking turnovers though equals very easy goals to the opposition equals you lose.
3. No structure at all. There is no forward structure, there is no defensive structure. Even the midfield structure is shot.
4. Confidence - there is none. Players have no idea where they are meant to be, they have no idea where their team mates are and as a result they do not take the first option, hesitate, get tackled, another shocking turnover.

Now it is possible that all of the above are because of maturity and inexperience. If the hawks had of showed up to the GF last year with the side that played yesterday the cats would have beat them by 20 goals.

I for one am just glad this season is over. The hawks need to go away, work their butts off, get everyone back, keep having a fair dinkum crack and they have been doing this, even yesterday they had a crack, get some confidence and reproduce what we all know they can already do.

 

[lethalselbow]

If we are being serious about analysing the hawks this year the following stands out;

1. Worst tackling side in the AFL.
2. Decision making and turnovers have murdered the hawks. Hawks actually won the contest against the cats, even Port and again yesterday. Shocking turnovers though equals very easy goals to the opposition equals you lose.
3. No structure at all. There is no forward structure, there is no defensive structure. Even the midfield structure is shot.
4. Confidence - there is none. Players have no idea where they are meant to be, they have no idea where their team mates are and as a result they do not take the first option, hesitate, get tackled, another shocking turnover.

Now it is possible that all of the above are because of maturity and inexperience. If the hawks had of showed up to the GF last year with the side that played yesterday the cats would have beat them by 20 goals.

I for one am just glad this season is over. The hawks need to go away, work their butts off, get everyone back, keep having a fair dinkum crack and they have been doing this, even yesterday they had a crack, get some confidence and reproduce what we all know they can already do.

Totally agree with those two points. However, the season may be alive today if Fremantle get up. Not sure if that's a good thing of a bad thing.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Glebe,

I haven't been impressed by Lewis's or Birchall's years, but not to have Lewis in our best 18 and Birch in our best 22 says you've spent too long in London drinking Foster's Extra Cold and Wife Beater.

If I am analysing (note the s and not the z... English not American) our list, I would split it up into:
- Ruckmen
- Inside mids
- Outside mids
- Key defenders
- Medium/small defenders
- Key forwards
- Medium/small defenders
- Utilities.

Ruckmen (5/10)
We have enough (Campbell, Max, Taylor, Renouf, Walsh and Lowden) we just lack top quality. We can't be sure Max will make it and most of the others all have a lot of development requirements (physical, skills, mental..) or just don't seem good enough. We could do worse than trade Taylor and a pick for a better quality ruckman.

Inside mids (9/10)
Probably the strength of our side with Mitchell, Sewell, Lewis, Kennedy, Tuck and Shiels. I haven't put Hodge here because I see him more of a utility. Lots of quality here and Kennedy and Shiels look like they will be clearly ahead of Tuck next year. We could probably afford to offload one if the right deal was on the table, potentially to Sydney where they would thrive.

Outside mids (5/10)
High on potential but we need the tier two list to step up. Bateman is obviously class, Young could be and McGlynn because of his gut running is also here. Savage and Muston will add more depth here from next year. I think we are light on for quality though. This should be an area of focus for us in the trade/draft because even if you get a young bloke with our first pick, they seem to be able to fit straight into the side at a young age.

Key defenders (5/10)
Big gaps. Croad, Schoey and Gilham are the only obvious candidates. Lisle has been recruited for here but must be another year or two off, if he makes it at all. There's one school of thought that says if he does make the grade it will be as a key forward, as he lacks speed and agility. I have never seen Gilham as a quality key defender, but better as a third tall, a la Thornton, adding more value being able to run off his man and creating when we have the ball. Schoey should be left in the team every week to fast track his development. We should trade for an additional key defender this year, IMO.

Medium/small defenders (7/10)
We are pretty good here in my opinion with guys like Birchall, Murphy, Guerra and Whitecross. My only concern is that I don't think Murphy is good enough and Birchall and Guerra are better going forward than defending. That's why I see Whitecross as being critical over the next year or two as he seems the most capable of shuttinG a bloke down as well as going forward.

Key forwards (7/10)
Rough and Buddy are obviously the prizes here. I have scored this lower than maybe some others because after these two, we don;t seem to have anyone ready to immediately step in. Lisle looks like he will be groomed as a forward at least for a while and Thorp's experiences down back suggest that if he makes it, it will be as a forward. Boyle looks like his career is over unfortunately but of late, Clarko has played Renouf out of the pocket and he looks like he could be rotated through there when required.

Medium/small forwards (6/10)
Reasonable list here with Rioli, Ossie, Williams and Stokes but a lack of depth. A number of other guys can rotate through here including Brown, McGlynn, Lewis, etc. Whilst Willo can play as a key forward, I have put him here as he can't bash and crash or take a big contested mark. With Rioli likely to spend more time up the ground, we will lack a really top quality smaller forward like a Didak, Steve Johnson, etc. If we had one of these, it would make it mroe difficult for defenders to zone off and double team Rough and Buddy. A bloke like Johnson would kick 50+ goals sitting in front of these two.

Utilities (9/10)
Another strength of our side. Have included Hodge, Ellis, Laddo, Dew, Brown, Morton and Dowler. Each of these guys has generally played back, through the midfield and also up forward and can play all roles, although at different levels. I think this could be Dew's last year and I would keep the other fringe players at least for one more.

So in summary, in analysing our list, our key strengths are our inside mids and utilities. Our key areas requiring focus (besides our assistant coaches) are our rucks, key defenders and outside mids.

I'll have one Paul Salmon, one Chris Langford and one Darren Pritchard in the draft/trade period please.

Regards,

CLA

 

[market]

First observation is - wouldn't it be great to have been able to get that team the OP put together out on the park?

While it has been a diabolical season, my frustration has been seeing how well we played against the pies and Geelong for the first 3 quarters (only 3 weeks ago), is it the same team/club etc?

While about 80% of the games we've played have been unacceptable efforts, the other 20% have shown either the team we all expect and come out smoking or at least a team which has fought and done the club proud.

There are still 3 games for this season to go, and while there's next to no chance of making finals etc, is it possible to consider playing players in positions that they actually are good at? You know, Robbie in the ruck, ok, so he's not down back, fine....put Dowler down back and if gets 8 kicked on him, so be it....(I think "thats deliberate" wrote something like this after round 4 or 5 this year)...Leave Sammy in the middle...Leave Buddy and Roughy in the forward line, not have both of them on the defensive 50 handpassing to each other to look up and see no one to kick too....

and then of course, the gameplan...do we all remember in 2006, when we were so ordinary for a so long...until the last 5 games of the year....when forwhatever reason, we decided to get the ball and kick long into the forward line...just as quick as we could, no fiddling around with stacks of handballs, just get it going forward long and direct...as I remember the first time (it was against Carlton - Buddy got 6 that day and 3 in about 15 minutes against Setanta - the Hawks fans finally had something to remotely get excited about....Blues (who were pretty ordinary too) rallied and it was actually an entertaining game, where the Hawks did win)...it was so good, because we did not overcook the use of the ball...

Please, just for the next 3 games, can we go to this style of playing the percentages and not trying to over-complicate/finesse???

end vent/

 

[grizzlym]

A James Morrisey, Tony Hall or Gary Buckenara as a goal scoring half forward would be damn handy.