Finals positives...

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Some thoughts...

1) Experience in the kids - Sicily, Howe, Worps, Harry, Nash, Hardwick, Burto, Impey...

2) McEvoy - he battled hard and gave nothing to oppos like Gawn

3) More time in game one between Mitch, Jaeger and our other mids...

Yours???

 

[yeahmate]

The only positive to take from losing finals is if the pain of losing is enough to instill in the players a burning desire to improve and not lose again next time. Like 2007 which kicked off our dynasty. As soon as we start looking at making finals as a good thing in itself then we are doomed to mediocrity.

 

[Restricted Free Agent]

No long term injuries, experience into the young guys. Hendo played a ripper.

 

[ep2018]

Your young guns got excellent finals experience. Not my place to say this but I reckon getting two finals games experience into your young guns is worth its weight in gold. I reckon we are in the same position, I'm not convinced we will win next week, if we lose, thats two games experience for our own young guns.

 

[Hawk_francais]

Henderson and Mirra are more than just insurance. Both played ripping games in a tough final.

We have plenty of players in line for captaincy.

 

[marklar]

The kids got to experience a couple of tough finals games, a few free agents got to see where they might fit into the team, Burgoyne added to his finals games record.

 

[SA HAWK]

Experience for the kids and not much else unfortunately.

 

[MightyHawks]

4 finals losses in a row equals the club record

 

[Spursfan]

Just being in the finals again is a positive. I thought we would be doing well to sneak into 8th at the start of the year

 

[Hawk_francais]

Victims of our own exceptionalism sometimes. We are building and getting beaten is part of that unfortunately. The fact that it's happening in finals is a huge bonus.

We're in the same position we were in at the end of 2016 with only 11 players in the side tonight who also played in that loss against the Bulldogs. It goes to show we've got the sharpest footy department in the biz, and that the younger players have come on very quickly.

 

[A Cut Above]

Good for the morale of the team to play in finals. Losing them isn't so good, but they've given themselves belief that they're good enough to belong in September along with the motivation to train that little bit harder to go one better next year. Much better than failing to make it and feeling like the year was a write off.


Oh, and our sponsors will be very pleased we played in finals this year.

 

[caseman2]

The glaring obvious is getting some finals games into the kids. Whilst some of them would be disappointed with their finals performances (and no need to name and shame) it should be the catalyst to drive them in the off-season as they now have a tangible level they need to get to to be serious contenders.

As Clarko said after the game, whilst there will be trading and drafting, the most improvement will come organically from within.

The other positive is Tommy Mitchell, no matter the opposition he just hunts the ball and goes head to head with whatever and whoever the opposition throw at him.

Someone earlier mentioned Ricky Henderson. i think he has been a solid contributor during his time at Hawthorn although his hardness questioned at times, but we couldn't have asked anymore of his 2 finals so kudos to him.

 

[badboybobba]

Not sure there were many finals positives, but I will say this season has to score a 9 out of 10, most pundits had us declining even further than last year and we managed to finish 4th. Now things fell our way late in the season but you don’t fluke 4th.
Clarkson is a master coach and he knew we didn’t have the “cattle” to compete with the big boys so he came up with an ultra defensive game plan that made us competitive week in and week out. The teams that gave us trouble were the most inconsistent teams and the teams that are hardest to coach against. If we can even pick up 2 of the 3 big names that we are mentioned to be in the running for during the trade period, then watch out the rest of the comp as Clarko will come up with a new attacking game plan. I’m one content hawk fan knowing we are in safe hands.

 

[Luv_our_club]

We learn something.... I mean the club learns.

Graham Wright, Clarkson, our recruiting team.... they all learnt a hell of a lot from September about our team.

There is danger in over achieving... if we make the prelim then perhaps we get confused about where we actually stand.

If we miss finals... perhaps we also overreact.

But finishing 4th and losing two finals. So much good information... good and bad information that helps us.


Note: Geelong's failure this year and the last 4 years also helps us, as we have a similar field position to them.

 

[Bugs1977]

Like all have said already a major positive is the finals exposure to our kids which I agree with and I guarantee our vets who seemed so content after winning premierships would definitely have that desire back now.

Another positive out of this season is the fact that Clarko will have proved to himself that he is still the right man to coach this team which even he himself was questioning earlier in the year. It all starts with him and his coaching staff. I’m pretty sure he’ll be working all offseason on a game plan to defeat this chaos football that the top teams are playing.

However it’s time to go big fish fishing with your mate Wrighty!

 

[A Diakos]

Negativity is required ....we need to be ruthless with our off season activity as Clarko touched on in the presser

 

[Pessimistic]

Glass half full but I wonder if this group, who have lost four in a row, might look at the battlers we had in 1992 1996 - (also lost in 92 93 94 96) who were a motley collection cos we couldn't pay much after 1993. They came within a goal of 1996 Grand finalists and minor premiers Sydney at the SCG. Later a couple of kicks form a grand final in 2001

You just go better than you are in the finals, win or lose. The Hawthorn way

 

[thejockey]

Knowing where we are and what level we have to get too now

That’s experience in itself but the young guys seeing and being against the intensity and heat that Richmond bring means they now know exactly where we need to get too.

Those two finals are probably worth a season of H&A games . Plus it’s the learning against the best on the biggest stage

 

[HolyWars]

It was nice to have a second chance (despite losing). I thought we would be around 7-10 in the H&A, so I'm very happy with how the club went. Young players got some experience.

 

[Hawk_francais]

Everything after august was a huge bonus

 

[EIGHTYEIGHTEIGHTYNINE]

1st quater and a half against Richmond, last quarter fight back against Melbourne.
I really wanted Harry to kick that last quarter goal on Friday, more so for his self belief even than the context of the game

 

[MistyAvalon]

getting there, making top four, and blooding the kids

 

[Dragz]

I feel our best defense this year was (ironically) when Sicily was out and we went with:

Hardwick, Brand, Miles
Burton, Frawley, Stratton

Sicily is great when the ball is being bombed in, but man, he's a bit of a liability in a one on one deep. And that's where teams are exploiting him. Would like to see him up forward again in 2019, we're screaming for someone to take a contested mark up there.