Autopsy Round 13, 2026: Hawks get leashed

[Geead]

Sammy needs to figure out a Plan B when teams counter our game with the flood/heavy stoppage game. We've seen it now against the Pies, Dogs & even the Cats (even though we got the W).

 

[marklar]

I was shocked to see Sicily start taking the piss and piking fights while the game was falling to bits around him.... Shocked

He has form for this, gets sucked in far too easily and lets it distract him far more than it should.

Sam needs to make a statement and drop him. Either from the starting group or the "co"-captaincy.

 

[Nick the Pig]

Newcombe was a colossus. He is putting on a mighty season.

It's a pity Meek's goalkicking was such a disaster because the rest of his game was an improvement on where he has been in recent weeks.

Amon was as far off the pace as I have ever seen him.

For just his second game back from a year off Day was very very good. So much upside.

Chol also very good. He is a massive unit. When he first joined us he could often get pushed out in the marking contest. It never happens anymore. Now he is playing to his size. He is a brute. So important to us

When we started to get sucked into the niggle in the third I was dreading us losing focus. You could see it unwinding clear as day. Just not good enough. So dumb.

And the carry on from Sis and Watto is exactly why opposition supporters love to see us lose. Embarrassing.

 

[lordbob]

I kinda thought we didn't really deal with it too well in the first half. I thought we were lucky with that burst of goals in the 2nd. Apart from the burst of goals in the 2nd qtr, we dominated possession but forward entries were ordinary, which is why the bulldogs we're ahead in the 2nd.

You can beat the flood with precision kicking.. sometimes. You can also ise speed, and pace to either break through it, or move quick before the flood sets up. We so neither.

we were missing them from right in front all night as well

 

[Elhawko]

Sammy needs to figure out a Plan B when teams counter our game with the flood/heavy stoppage game. We've seen it now against the Pies, Dogs & even the Cats (even though we got the W).

Just out of morbid curiosity, the score lines in those games are -

Us...... 35:46 (9.17, 13.15, 13.14)
Oppo....41.15. (12.5, 15.3, 14.7)

81 shots to 56 for a five point deficit!

 

[Hawker2828]

First post on here after reading everyone’s thoughts game after game for many seasons now. Thought I’d join in the fun.

I can’t remember a more frustrating loss in a very long time. 1 goal / 11 behinds in a single half of footy from a side this good is unbelievable. Our kicking going inside 50 was terrible. Attitude from Sicily, Watson was very disappointing - that immaturity & lack of composure is far more damaging than it is inspiring for us. We lacked class, we showed no grit or gut.

Meek, Moore, Ginni.. not sure what’s going there but all 3 have to find some form after the bye. Moore should be spending a few weeks at Box Hill if I were Mitchell. Amon was off tonight as well.

Newcombe was best on ground IMO. Absolute class. Day was great as well - loved his goal & the celebration that followed. Chol was solid. Battle too. Wiz had a great first half - not really sure why he fell asleep in the second half.

Not the result we should be going into the bye with.. gives us plenty of time to practice kicking it between the sticks I guess.

 

[Dipper]

First post on here after reading everyone’s thoughts game after game for many seasons now. Thought I’d join in the fun.

I can’t remember a more frustrating loss in a very long time. 1 goal / 11 behinds in a single half of footy from a side this good is unbelievable. Our kicking going inside 50 was terrible. Attitude from Sicily, Watson was very disappointing - that immaturity & lack of composure is far more damaging than it is inspiring for us. We lacked class, we showed no grit or gut.

Meek, Moore, Ginni.. not sure what’s going there but all 3 have to find some form after the bye. Moore should be spending a few weeks at Box Hill if I were Mitchell. Amon was off tonight as well.

Newcombe was best on ground IMO. Absolute class. Day was great as well - loved his goal & the celebration that followed. Chol was solid. Battle too. Wiz had a great first half - not really sure why he fell asleep in the second half.

Not the result we should be going into the bye with.. gives us plenty of time to practice kicking it between the sticks I guess.

Agree on pretty much every point.

I wouldn't necessarily single out Moore for BH but our much vaunted HFs struck me as the weakest part of the team with the kicking inside 50 being deplorable, worse than the actual goal kicking really, with Ginni to the absolute fore.

People say Merrett isn't what we need but he absolutely is if he stays anywhere close to being #1 in the comp for kicking I50.

 

[Atch]

Agree on pretty much every point.

I wouldn't necessarily single out Moore for BH but our much vaunted HFs struck me as the weakest part of the team with the kicking inside 50 being deplorable, worse than the actual goal kicking really, with Ginni to the absolute fore.

People say Merrett isn't what we need but he absolutely is if he stays anywhere close to being #1 in the comp for kicking I50.

We definitely still need merret. Nothings changed from last year to now a little bit of improvement from ward and mackenzie that's it not enough to move the needle.

Man that was bad. Sicily carrying on like that cost us the game. Should be dropped, not the first time, hope scrimshaws knee gets better so he replaces Sicily.

Meeks misses not far behind, three shots never looked like going through.

The long bombs into the forward 50, how many of them, the long kicks of doom

Sad night but was inevitable.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Mackenzie’s first half was the best he’s played. Very very good. Second half he faded a lot but wasn’t exactly Robinson Crusoe with that

 

[bigmaxi]

Is there an inconsistency of intent creeping into our game. The usual suspects front up every single week then others….we seem to get a head of ourselves and they drop the ball?
It’s not just consistency within the game, focus and foot on the throat and all that, but week to week. I honestly struggle to predict what we are going to get.

 

[DearJai]

The stark contrast between our early F50 entries and the bomb it long to numbers approach is an interesting comparison. Pressure ramped right up, so space was at a premium as the dogs got on top. But some of those early kicks were into a set defense, with the kicker under the hammer also.

Mackenzie and Ward both getting more consistent and better. It's not quite happening in the shadows anymore, but the improvements from contest to contest year on year are very much still there. If the maturity and consistency come with a rush by year's end, and Day is on his feet, then the improvement for September is already built in with Calsher yet to find his feet, and others waiting in the wings too.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

The only way for the dogs to win was mind games and flooding.

So we learn from it and move on! Address our short coming and go rest over our bye wkd.

We are still in a a very healthy position. Top 4, half a season to go with great player availability. We have been winning with two plus kids in the in the team, getting critical experience under their belt!

Season 2026 is well and truly alive.

 

[burger09]

The fact the Dogs thought we could be susceptible to the niggle says a bit about us.

 

[hardway]

Sammy needs to figure out a Plan B when teams counter our game with the flood/heavy stoppage game. We've seen it now against the Pies, Dogs & even the Cats (even though we got the W).

The flood should be the easiest to adjust to when you are up by 4 goals. What’s the purpose to be rushing forward kicking aimlessly long to the opposition. We don’t play to a shot clock, we need to incorporate soccer tactics and just play keeping’s off in our own half to draw them out. It’s a boring method but hey give me boring rather than that collapse in the second half. Need to be smart not pretty to win games sometimes. They can also
Leave that fake tough crap to teams like the bombers. They need to be focused and tough at the ball .

 

[burger09]

Have we found a player in Bailey McDonald?

His closing speed and ground ball work have been impressive the last 2 games.

Foot skills under pressure are still a ? to be answered but he looks to be finding his feet at the level.

Nairn is GREEN. Good experience for him but not sure he's ready yet.

 

[Mrzohs]

We let that slip 1.11 is shocking footy!

Whiz and Chol the only 2 winners in the forward half. The rest had their colours lowered by a fairly mediocre defence.

B.Dale had 36 and gained 700 meters we leave half-back to lose every week.

Going in with the mindset of resting players, time to stop playing favourites and select on form. Plenty to like plenty to learn from.

 

[Blackhawk42]

1. Centre clerances
2. The free kick and goal to Croft that changed the game.
3. Goal kicking


Last 6 games I've attended we're 1-5, and in 2 of those we've given up 5 goal leads.
It's a big cost outlay to travel, and more often than not I'm leaving feeling as though it’s not worth it.
May come down for the Richmond game though... surely that will be safe.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

there is a theory that Dingley training site is extremely windy and has thus affected our goalkicking which has been bad all year

Which would be fine if we had been kicking well before this season

 

[MasterSamurai]

Maturity isn't there. There's enough talent in this side to beat anyone, just look at the way opposition celebrate beating us by the skin of their teeth.
Our best 22-25 players are very good but it does drop significantly after that.
We're missing our goal keeper ( TB) and our striker ( Gunston) and believe it or not, our most experienced midfielder ( Nash). İt stil very disappointing that we go to water from winnable leads.

 

[MasterSamurai]

And also, those free kicks to Bont were given to him because it's Bont. He had Perez very high and Newcombe got hit high in the tackle as well. The first goal was when Dale ducked his head into the tackle and was awarded a free shot as well. İt makes me sick when umpires get way too involved when all they have to do is just call it for what it is.
Are AFL trying to even up games on Thursday and Friday night blockbusters?? Arc is a mess, it's almost like they are confused in there. İt's almost like it suits the AFL that there's mass confusion in games! Bit of tin foil stuff , I know, but there's been some God awful decisions lately in most games. Not just Hawthorn btw.
Still, 9.17 from 63 entries is shitouse .
Btw, Lewis had that ball under control. İt was a mark.

 

[hawksfan71]

Worst thing was the shitty bulldogs won the fight and the game, the hawks weren't ready to be man handled and kicked the worst they have for the year

 

[chopflop]

Wasn't a particularly enjoyable second half. First half was fun. Day got through and will only get better and he was already pretty good last night. Go hawks

 

[Argy]

Last week I thought we might have extricated ourselves from a mid-season slump. This week I'm wondering if the slump is our true form.

 

[MinerBoy]

And high tackle on Newk that was called HTB and resulted in a goal. It was hard enough watching our dismal kicking but were given no favours by the umps, unlike bulldogs who had about 4 goals gifted to them.

That wasn’t too high

 

[CholsRoyce]

Our draw opens up in the run home. We'll get some good players back soon. We're pretty healthy. Day is only two games back. Glass half full time.

If we bring our best on the G in September we can take any of these other mobs.