Autopsy Round 1, 2024: Hawks fail against Bombers

[Strapping Young Lad]

I’m starting to get worried about Ward. We need more from him quickly.

Dude, please. He's 20 years old, and has played 30 games.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

We'll upset the Dee's next week. Just have a feeling.

Did you have a dodgy kebab on the way home?

 

[Brucie Buffer]

Who needs quantifiable data, when we can just parrot something that one of the games great thinkers, Jono Brown, has said during a game.

I get your points on stats, but if Jono Brown offered one on one training with Lewis I doubt him or the club would knock it back, let’s not make out that Browny is some buffoon that played the same position as Lewis doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

 

[matey]

Ned will be 26 this year ……. needs to realise that time flies and he should have outmuscled Biden today.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I get your points on stats, but if Jono Brown offered one on one training with Lewis I doubt him or the club would knock it back, let’s not make out that Browny is some buffoon that played the same position as Lewis doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

If he did indeed call Lewis a flat track bully, he's a dill.

 

[Brownbird]

Harsh on Lewis here.

The forward make up couldn't be any more different to last year, and he consistently had teammates getting in his space.

The bloke has gone from playing in a forward line that's like a country town on a Sunday, to driving in city traffic at peak hour.

It's one game. From that one look, I reckon his role has to change and have him playing well up the ground, but he didn't just turn into a spud, he and the rest of the team will work it out.

i suspect he has a niggle - in a fair bit of the preseason he was working up the ground a lot more and it seemed to be working well... and often taking the release kick out of defence on the wing a la Roughie at our peak

 

[ahhhhhh]

Dude, please. He's 20 years old, and has played 30 games.

I know you’re the enteral optimist, I usually am too, but honestly he needs to lift.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I know you’re the enteral optimist, I usually am too, but honestly he needs to lift.

I reckon I'm more of an eternal rationalist. He's 20 years old!!!

 

[eldorado]

i suspect he has a niggle - in a fair bit of the preseason he was working up the ground a lot more and it seemed to be working well... and often taking the release kick out of defence on the wing a la Roughie at our peak

Almost certainly still feeling that cork.

Pulling short of leads, staying at home more..forced to wrestle with the big unit McKay, not his forte.

Obviously it was thought that even a hobbled Lewis gave us options that wouldn't exist if he was absent...didn't work out.

 

[HedgeFund]

If only it were that simple. But it obviously isn’t.

What - are you saying that even if we managed to kick straighter (5 more goals and 5 less points) we still would have lost?

Had we kicked 16.12.108 instead of 11.17.83, how do we lose?

 

[Brucie Buffer]

If he did indeed call Lewis a flat track bully, he's a dill.

Gotta admit I missed that comment, was that in today’s broadcast?
Stupid comment if so, I think Lewis has the potential to be a gun, I have no doubt he’d be disappointed in his performance today after busting his arse all pre season.
Hopefully he can stay on the park and prove him wrong. Time will tell.

 

[ahhhhhh]

He's 20 years old!!!

Plenty of 20 year olds in the league performing at a much higher level. I’m not saying I’m writing him off. I just think he needs to lift.

 

[Brownbird]

liked croc in the middle.
moorey has a huge heart.
marbs was dangerous enough
Nash looked off the pace
McGrath & merett did as they pleased & set them up. far to easy on transition.

mckenzie & ward are not exciting me... they have time & will be solid enough footballers but I still can't see enough elite talent on the list.

agree - and unfortunately - it seems that it is Nash who is of the pace the most in the centre - has been a bit like that all through the pre-season (that i saw)- no idea why - and that alone won't have helped Newc

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Gotta admit I missed that comment, was that in today’s broadcast?
Stupid comment if so, I think Lewis has the potential to be a gun, I have no doubt he’d be disappointed in his performance today after busting his arse all pre season.
Hopefully he can stay on the park and prove him wrong. Time will tell.

I reckon the poster in question who claimed he said it was using some poetic licence.

 

[kirbatron]

Plenty of 20 year olds in the league performing at a much higher level. I’m not saying I’m writing him off. I just think he needs to lift.

I was a bit critical of him today also... he's not had a great start to the year.

I'm just looking for glimpses that show us hes going to be a player... had 17 pretty bland touches.

 

[The hands of stone]

I get your points on stats, but if Jono Brown offered one on one training with Lewis I doubt him or the club would knock it back, let’s not make out that Browny is some buffoon that played the same position as Lewis doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Gun player ... but yes he is a buffoon when it comes to analyzing or being able to coach

 

[burger09]

Weddle was our most disappointing defender today, for mine.

He seems to attack well but defend badly.

 

[Hodgey 15]

According to Sam in presser Chol had to come off because he could barely move because of cramping.

On SM-S906E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[dermott]

Agree 100%

Fantastic re Dear . Only saw him fleetingly at a training pre Christmas , very raw but looks to have some real natural ability

Dear looks a prospect. Early days but is able to take a contested mark. Unfortunately, we need a few more who can take a big grab. I hope he can continue to develop.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

I know I’ve said it already but Finn as sub was so bizarre

Role player as sub? Does he have a role or not?

Especially given the heat.

 

[burger09]

Should we assume Lewis and Sis are carrying injury?

3 games in, 3 underwhelming performances.

 

[Sixpence]

Plenty of 20 year olds in the league performing at a much higher level. I’m not saying I’m writing him off. I just think he needs to lift.

No, there isn't actually. I think you have forgotten some of his better games. Today's game isn't exactly his peak.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Maybe nothing new but a few thoughts on today:

1. Despite the smashing in the middle, goalkicking was the difference in the end. They weren't rushed shots and bad angles, they were very gettable goals, including from senior players. 'Normal' goalkicking from us and we win.
2. Whilst they were very accurate, we allowed them to be by letting them find easy passes on slow plays inside 50. That's unforgivable schoolboy stuff.
3. Our forward efficiency was elite - night and day compared to last year with different players bobbing up to be dangerous everywhere.
4. Our changes of angles, overlap run and not kicking down the line worked really well compared to our previous predictability.
5. All for aggression in the midfield but were getting dominated and didn't change up the all out forward approach.
6. Maginness as sub was a strange choice (as was leaving Hustwaite out) - perhaps we wanted to go head to head and if we were being cut to ribbons, deploy Ned but because we were on top in general play until the last quarter, held him back? (Related point is that Magginess either has a specific tagging job or is not in the side - him freewheeling and getting the ball is often more detrimental than positive.)
7. Subbing Chol off was a very strange choice for a team that was behind and trying to win and Chol was our most dangerous key forward to that point. Subbing Watson who had been very quiet and was getting a bit overawed and frustrated would have been a better choice.
8. Nash worried me in the preseason and it carried over to today. Was very fumbly, poor kicking and a few times we were out and he fumbled, leading to an Essendon clearance and goal. Very costly.
9. Did Hardwick get injured? Langford kicked 50+ last year and made the AA squad and Hardwick completely took him out of the game. Then for some reason Hardwick doesn't play on him again and he kicks 3 crucial goals late in the piece. Some very baffling positional moves today.
10. Our best 3 players were all pretty poor today - Sicily, Newcombe and Lewis.I doubt we will ever see all 3 have a day like that again.
11. All of our new recruits really showed something and will add to the side. Mass had the game of his life (BOG for me), Ginnivan was the best player on the ground in the first half and Chol presented and kicked a couple of goals.

Agree with most that today was a big opportunity missed. I didn't think Essendon were very good today. Gave us lots of looks and were poor with their turnovers and defensive work.

 

[CD Xbow]

Genuinely surprised how negative everyone is being to be honest.

Yes, despite questionable match selections, poor goal kicking, a captain who lost the plot and a midfield that got creamed we were competitive and actually managed more shots on goal and that's with Lewis under performing. The newbies performed well. Like many posters I found the decision to play Finn as the sub inexplicable.

I'd assumed we'd make the swap a lot earier on. Perhaps we second guessed ourselves through the third as it became an arm wrestle and as we were still so close and didn't want to negate the chance that we might start converting shots on goal by being too defensive in the middle.

That's the only thing that makes sense of Finn being sub to me and then not being brought on until it was all too late.

There is no logic that justifies playing Finn as a sub. None. Zero. Zilch. At this point in his career he plays as a tagger from the start or not at all. He's brilliant at it.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

There is no logic that justifies playing Finn as a sub. None. Zero. Zilch. At this point in his career he plays as a tagger from the start or not at all. He's a brilliant at it.

There's definitely some logic behind it, but it doesn't look very sound.

Need to go listen to the presser.