Autopsy Round 13, 2026: Hawks get leashed

[Crankyhawk]

This is possibly the dumbest argument I’ve ever heard.


I assume that you think that if I come into your place of work, I could call you a weak campaigner too depending on what you’re paid?

Well, in the setting of a footy field, fans may hope that what they say negatively influences the opposition. Of course it can backfire too. As long as not going against vilification speech (racist, homophobic etc) I have no issue

 

[VandoHawk]

The frustration from the Collingwood and Bulldogs games really stayed with me. Infuriating games, both of them.

Yup. We really should be one game outside the top two and firmly entrenched in third place, not two and a half games behind and still in the logjam.

GWS and Melbourne games we played poorly and were outworked.

Fremantle game was against quality opposition with Barrass injured and Gunston on one leg.

The Pies and Dogs game we dominated every statistic but our inaccuracy (and our opponents accuracy) let them take advantage. Super frustrating.

We have an “easier” draw in the back half of the season but I’m not entirely convinced we’re consistent enough to not have any slip ups.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

I reckon given how shitty we all feel about that result the players will be feeling it 10x more. They would know they cocked it up big time.

Hopefully they use that as fuel when we travel up to the Gold Coast to play a team that has had our measure for a while now.

 

[TazHawk15]

I hope that Sammy has told Sicily and Watson to pull their heads in and just play footy.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I hope that Sammy has told Sicily and Watson to pull their heads in and just play footy.

Give Watson a pass. He kicked 3, and was the catalyst for our run that saw us get up by 5 goals. 3rd quarter they clamped him, and the 4th he was on the bench most of the time

I wont comment on Sicily, I think my thoughts are pretty clear on him, even if he is statistically playing well

 

[grumbleguts]

it's a factor, obviously the fact that Meek's goal kicking isn't AFL standard, and to a lesser extent the rest of the team's goal kicking. I acknowledge we dominated every key stat and typically we play that game again 10 times we probably win it 10 times. But we left it open and they took it from us.

Meek's goal kicking isn't up to AFL standard? If he had kicked 50 goals in his career, at his current accuracy (60%) he'd be the 41st most accurate player out of the 96 players that have kicked 50+ goals for Hawthorn. He is accurate enough, he just had the yips on Friday.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

it's a factor, obviously the fact that Meek's goal kicking isn't AFL standard, and to a lesser extent the rest of the team's goal kicking. I acknowledge we dominated every key stat and typically we play that game again 10 times we probably win it 10 times. But we left it open and they took it from us.

So you wanted Meek dropped? And because he wasn’t we lost?

 

[Atch]

Sicilys as fast as kozzie!
And good effort from battle but Langdon got 16.9 for Melbourne.

 

[rei154]

Sicilys as fast as kozzie!
And good effort from battle but Langdon got 16.9 for Melbourne.

Ok this rhetoric has shit me for a super long time (not saying that you've contributed to it, Atch).
Sicily has always had pace. Like he's always been solid when it comes to closing speed, and when it comes to sprint efforts.
He suffers from having a long gait and from having a relaxed arm movement.

He is slow when it comes to 180 degree turns into acceleration, and he is slow off his first couple steps. For the most part, though, he is quite quick.

This may just be a massive pipe from someone who has the same build, but still.

 

[grumbleguts]

It must have been getting in their heads, AFL players don't kick 1.11 in a half, it's barely believable.

AFL Tables - Fremantle v Hawthorn - Sat, 4-Sep-2010 1:20 PM (3:20 PM) - Match Stats

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

Meek's goal kicking isn't up to AFL standard? If he had kicked 50 goals in his career, at his current accuracy (60%) he'd be the 41st most accurate player out of the 96 players that have kicked 50+ goals for Hawthorn. He is accurate enough, he just had the yips on Friday.

Agree, up until Friday night, he'd been very accurate, especially for a ruckman.

 

[TONYC3163]

Agree, up until Friday night, he'd been very accurate, especially for a ruckman.

Some of the negative reactions have lacked nuance and/or accuracy at times.
Things are never as bad or as good as they seem.

 

[RCAB]

I hope that Sammy has told Sicily and Watson to pull their heads in and just play footy.

He hasn't, literally told them the opposite.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

It wasn't great.

The worst thing was being at the ground the whole thing had a certain feeling of inevitability about it. Every time we missed a shot it seems to make the next miss more likely somehow.

It must have been getting in their heads, AFL players don't kick 1.11 in a half, it's barely believable.

I sensed we were in trouble in the 3rd quarter, I had a nice chat to a guy next to me who thought everything would be ok and I said to him "Nah the boys have lost focus were a chance at losing this", which was compounded by all the behinds happening too, wasn't even that upset at the final siren as I sensed it was going to happen. Shook my head and was thinking " What the bloody hell was that seriously?" At the shitshow that was the 2nd half.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I sensed we were in trouble in the 3rd quarter, I had a nice chat to a guy next to me who thought everything would be ok and I said to him "Nah the boys have lost focus were a chance at losing this", which was compounded by all the behinds happening too, wasn't even that upset at the final siren as I sensed it was going to happen. Shook my head and was thinking " What the bloody hell was that seriously?" At the shitshow that was the 2nd half.

Agree. I said the same at the game.

I guess the positive is that weve turned it into a less than 1 goal loss. Seasons gone, we probably lose that by 5+goals

 

[Atch]

Ok this rhetoric has shit me for a super long time (not saying that you've contributed to it, Atch).
Sicily has always had pace. Like he's always been solid when it comes to closing speed, and when it comes to sprint efforts.
He suffers from having a long gait and from having a relaxed arm movement.

He is slow when it comes to 180 degree turns into acceleration, and he is slow off his first couple steps. For the most part, though, he is quite quick.

This may just be a massive pipe from someone who has the same build, but still.

I know it seemed a little bit sarcastic but I too want it be known of Sicilys fast pace haha.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

He hasn't, literally told them the opposite.

Sitting in the reviews and 1 on 1’s now?

 

[ReturningHawk]

Feels like clubs weather the Hawks storm a bit knowing we're gettable second half. I'd love to see us have a big second half against the Suns.

Also, how is it we're playing the Dogs and Suns twice before playing the Tigers, Eagles or Kangaroos? What is this fixture?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Feels like clubs weather the Hawks storm a bit knowing we're gettable second half. I'd love to see us have a big second half against the Suns.

Also, how is it we're playing the Dogs and Suns twice before playing the Tigers, Eagles or Kangaroos? What is this fixture?

We kicked 1.11.

Any side with conversion that poor is gettable, but I highly doubt anyone is planning for it.

 

[RCAB]

Feels like clubs weather the Hawks storm a bit knowing we're gettable second half. I'd love to see us have a big second half against the Suns.

Also, how is it we're playing the Dogs and Suns twice before playing the Tigers, Eagles or Kangaroos? What is this fixture?

2026 AFL Season 2nd Half Ladder

Pos	Team	P	W	L	D	Pts	For	Against	%	Movement	Streak
1	Fremantle Dockers	13	10	3	0	40	641	421	152.26%	+0	Won 3
2	Melbourne Demons	13	10	3	0	40	693	611	113.42%	+0	Won 1
3	Sydney Swans	13	9	4	0	36	781	477	163.73%	+2	Won 2
4	Hawthorn Hawks	13	9	4	0	36	581	570	101.93%	-1	Lost 1
5	Geelong Cats	13	8	4	1	34	658	509	129.27%	+1	Won 1
6	Adelaide Crows	12	8	3	1	34	538	472	113.98%	-2	Lost 1
7	Port Adelaide Power	12	7	5	0	28	485	450	107.78%	+0	Lost 1
8	Brisbane Lions	13	7	6	0	28	701	684	102.49%	+1	Won 1
9	West Coast Eagles	13	6	6	1	26	530	653	81.16%	+2	Won 2
10	GWS Giants	12	6	6	0	24	607	527	115.18%	-2	Won 2
11	Collingwood Magpies	13	5	7	1	22	600	604	99.34%	-1	Lost 1
12	Gold Coast Suns	12	5	7	0	20	503	525	95.81%	+0	Lost 3
13	North Melbourne Kangaroos	12	4	7	1	18	551	627	87.88%	+0	Lost 1
14	St Kilda Saints	13	4	9	0	16	575	615	93.50%	+0	Lost 3
15	Carlton Blues	13	4	9	0	16	523	690	75.80%	+1	Won 2
16	Essendon Bombers	13	3	9	1	14	566	685	82.63%	-1	Lost 3
17	Western Bulldogs	13	3	10	0	12	543	653	83.15%	+1	Won 1
18	Richmond Tigers	12	3	9	0	12	322	625	51.52%	-1	Lost 1

 

[ReturningHawk]

We kicked 1.11.

Any side with conversion that poor is gettable, but I highly doubt anyone is planning for it.

Look I totally agree, but my feeling is that we typically play very enterprising, unpredictable football in the first half, then fall into a more predictable strategy in the second. It has been evident against a number of teams, and backed up by the fact that we've only won 5 of our 3rd quarters for the year.

 

[ReturningHawk]

2026 AFL Season 2nd Half Ladder

Pos	Team	P	W	L	D	Pts	For	Against	%	Movement	Streak
1	Fremantle Dockers	13	10	3	0	40	641	421	152.26%	+0	Won 3
2	Melbourne Demons	13	10	3	0	40	693	611	113.42%	+0	Won 1
3	Sydney Swans	13	9	4	0	36	781	477	163.73%	+2	Won 2
4	Hawthorn Hawks	13	9	4	0	36	581	570	101.93%	-1	Lost 1
5	Geelong Cats	13	8	4	1	34	658	509	129.27%	+1	Won 1
6	Adelaide Crows	12	8	3	1	34	538	472	113.98%	-2	Lost 1
7	Port Adelaide Power	12	7	5	0	28	485	450	107.78%	+0	Lost 1
8	Brisbane Lions	13	7	6	0	28	701	684	102.49%	+1	Won 1
9	West Coast Eagles	13	6	6	1	26	530	653	81.16%	+2	Won 2
10	GWS Giants	12	6	6	0	24	607	527	115.18%	-2	Won 2
11	Collingwood Magpies	13	5	7	1	22	600	604	99.34%	-1	Lost 1
12	Gold Coast Suns	12	5	7	0	20	503	525	95.81%	+0	Lost 3
13	North Melbourne Kangaroos	12	4	7	1	18	551	627	87.88%	+0	Lost 1
14	St Kilda Saints	13	4	9	0	16	575	615	93.50%	+0	Lost 3
15	Carlton Blues	13	4	9	0	16	523	690	75.80%	+1	Won 2
16	Essendon Bombers	13	3	9	1	14	566	685	82.63%	-1	Lost 3
17	Western Bulldogs	13	3	10	0	12	543	653	83.15%	+1	Won 1
18	Richmond Tigers	12	3	9	0	12	322	625	51.52%	-1	Lost 1

Are we 100% on that ladder?

The Bulldogs have lost more second halves than Richmond and Essendon?

 

[RCAB]

Are we 100% on that ladder?

The Bulldogs have lost more second halves than Richmond and Essendon?

Well prior to last week, no teams had won more second halfs than Hawthorn.

Are you sure you're not taking the last two weeks and using them to confirm your whole argument rather than seeing them as outliers?

 

[ReturningHawk]

Are you sure you're not taking the last two weeks and using them to confirm your whole argument rather than seeing them as outliers?

Buddy ol pal.

I wanted a discussion, not an argument. I have zero interest in being correct, just in seeing what people think of our second halves and if there’s a pattern developing from our losses.

 

[tommyk72]

It will be very interesting to see how we go after the bye.

Season to date - we've seen McKenzie and Ward improve, Lewis now playing regular footy and day back in the side. Our list looking a little better than last year in this way.

We've got a couple of games into BMac, Bodie, Nairn and Perez.

We're half a win better than this time last season. There's also only one clear standout team. But our percentage is lousy and I think that tells a story of our lack of composure to put sides away, or to kick straight and everything that comes with that.

We seem to have had more injuries than usual. Day, Chol, Nash, Barass, Gunston have all missed chunks of the season.

I'm more optimistic now that I was at the start of the season. We typically do much better in the second half of a season than the front half.

I thought the same. Then I looked at the ladder. Our percentage is surprisingly top 4 also.