Autopsy Round 15, 2020: Hawks lose to the Crows

SA HAWK

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 13, 2006
15,676
14,233
Adelaide
AFL Club
Hawthorn
The day's been okay. Good weather so I went for a long walk. After the joy of last night, South Aussies are crushed by the news the Grand Final won't be in Adelaide. I just hate all the flack I get from people when the Hawks lose, when in reality, I never say anything when we win. I've never been able to fathom the reason why.

This is a true story. After that first horrible loss to Adelaide in 1991, I copped it from everywhere. The CEO of our company made a special trip to my office to give me sh*t, and I'd never met him before!!! Later in the year when we belted Adelaide in Melbourne, everyone was waiting for me to pay back, but I said nothing :)

A Collingwood mate got stuck into me today. I said, "Well at least I can look back on the flags I've seen". He said, "Collingwood have won more". I said to him, "Yes, but I've actually seen the Hawks win 12 flags, how many Collingwood flags have you actually seen? Two?" End of conversation :)
They are a special breed over here that is for sure.

Port fans are worse hope they get crushed in the finals.
 
Apr 10, 2017
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The day's been okay. Good weather so I went for a long walk. After the joy of last night, South Aussies are crushed by the news the Grand Final won't be in Adelaide. I just hate all the flack I get from people when the Hawks lose, when in reality, I never say anything when we win. I've never been able to fathom the reason why.

This is a true story. After that first horrible loss to Adelaide in 1991, I copped it from everywhere. The CEO of our company made a special trip to my office to give me sh*t, and I'd never met him before!!! Later in the year when we belted Adelaide in Melbourne, everyone was waiting for me to pay back, but I said nothing :)

A Collingwood mate got stuck into me today. I said, "Well at least I can look back on the flags I've seen". He said, "Collingwood have won more". I said to him, "Yes, but I've actually seen the Hawks win 12 flags, how many Collingwood flags have you actually seen? Two?" End of conversation :)
The headf***ed reign everywhere...
 

Slow Love

I'm a lover, not a fighter
Jul 8, 2018
362
546
Melbourne
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Oh wow, I got totally drunk in the wake of our humiliation against the Crows so when I couldn't access bigfooty this morning I figured I had posted something diabolical and had been given a spell by the mods

Imagine my surprise checking my notifications later today. Sure, I'd posted some embarrassing content but I hadn't crossed the line

What a time to be alive
 

Slow Love

I'm a lover, not a fighter
Jul 8, 2018
362
546
Melbourne
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Sent the club some of my thoughts after this game last night.

Would be interested in your thoughts if you care to give it a read. It's not perfect so I expect some criticism :)


An open letter the Hawthorn FC football department.

Last night I watched our club complete its transition from all-conquering powerhouse, to the worst team in the competition.

Over the last four or five years – and this year especially – we as a club have grown increasingly used to being laughed at, made fun of, dismissed, and mocked for both our performances on the field, and the overall direction our club is heading off the field.
As a club member, and supporter, I take this on the chin. We have been an amazingly successful team in my lifetime, and I have been more than happy to bask in the reflected glory of our club’s success. I will continue to support the club now that this glory has faded.

My concerns for Hawthorn FC in its current state are many.

The current gameplan has been proven to be a failure, delivering only four wins this season so far, and 9 last year. I don’t pretend to be an expert football analyst, but the deficiencies of our current gameplan are obvious.
Playing one of the competition’s best ruckman as a defender simply has not worked. Our midfield is constantly, consistently, and comfortably beaten in contested ball, as they do not get the service that a premier ruckman delivers. We have one sitting at full-back.
Our playstyle is slow, predictable, and imprecise - we refuse to take any sort of risks, and would rather kick it long to the opposition ruckman 10 times a game than try anything else.

These flaws – along with many others – are not necessarily cause for great concern, as they can be fixed rather easily.
The major issue with our gameplan is that our coaching staff flat-out refuse to make any changes, at all. Ever.
We watch the team every week, and see the exact same issues play out, and hope against hope that something changes the next week. It never does.
Our coach is one of the best ever, and has plenty of credits in the bank. Unfortunately, over the last few years he has been spending those credits at a very fast pace, and is quickly running out.

Our recruiting and personnel also raise red flags.
The fact that moving our ruckman to a key defence position is even in the realms of possibility is a serious issue. Out of every player on the list, we don’t have one person who can fill that position to an adequate level? That seems ridiculous. To move a premier ruckman into defence is an absolute Hail Mary, last gasp type of option.
If this is truly the only solution to this problem, the how have we got ourselves in this position?

Our acquisitions and trading in the recent off-seasons indicate that we are playing for the now, rather than the future. We traded our best draft picks, and Ryan Burton – our brightest young star – to bring in players that might provide us with 3-4 good years, and nothing else.
The issue with playing for the now is that we will not win a premiership in that time. Our list is too old, with few young players exposed to AFL level.
Again, this is something the coach refuses to do – play the kids.
Will Day has been a great player for us, and has provided a desperately needed spark to our game. He is the best thing to come out of the year, and he’s only played 6 games. This is the direction we need to move toward, exciting young players that want to move the ball and take the game on.

Finally, we come to the main issue for Hawthorn members and supporters – communication from our leaders.

It’s no secret our current captain is not popular with supporters, and he hasn’t helped himself by being absent in his role as the face of the club - both on-field and off. I’ve seen more players from the leadership group appear in the general media, and club media than I have the actual captain. He has been completely invisible. This might be ok in a time where we are performing well and winning, but at a crisis time like this season, it is simply not acceptable.
Failing to give any off-field communication, captain Stratton’s only form of communication to the supporter’s is left to his on-field leadership.
This has been very noticeable in season 2020, due to its absolute non-existence.
His effort, skills, decision making, body language, and demeanour on the field speak volumes. He has given up. He doesn’t care. That’s what he is telling his members and supporters of the club through his actions on field. It simply is not good enough from the captain of the Hawks.

Our coach also offers little when it comes to genuinely communicating plans, changes, or club objectives to members. We hear the same thing every press-conference and the words have become hollow. How can we be expected to continually back the club when there is such a distinct lack of change? What are we to expect from the team? Why are we playing old, out-of-form players over young players? Why haven’t we changed one part of our gameplan, and just appear to be accepting defeats? What are we doing as a club to get better?
Answers to these questions are what members and supporters are crying out for.
I’m not expecting a detailed plan with tactics and an outline of a five-year progression, but we as members need something from our leaders to indicate that there is at least a plan in place, and we are working towards an objective. At the moment, the members are completely in the dark.

I look forward to this off-seaseon where change can be made. I don’t think sweeping changes across the board are called for, and that’s not what I am asking for. I have faith in our club, and the administration and coaches to turn this around. But we need to see and hear evidence that they can do it.

Clarkson said after a recent loss that he has one eye on the present, and one on the future. Well I can tell you that – for the moment at least - the club members have shut both their eyes tight.

We just can’t bear to watch anymore.



Yours sincerely,

Warpspeedo

Member ID: *********
Okay, but North Melbourne and the Crows are worse though, right?

Just wanting to be as accurate as possible without taking the wind out of your sails
 
They are a special breed over here that is for sure.

Port fans are worse hope they get crushed in the finals.

Apologies SA HAWK, I didn't check in on you mate.
Did you survive the feral Crows supporters?
 
That members only "exclusive" that the club just sent out.
"Hear Clarko's address the players post-match"

It s a 52 second video of absolutely nothing.
The boys had a huddle. WOW.
Why do they bother with that stuff? Seriously? Who is managing their social media and communications?
Id rather they send out nothing than something that is supposed to be something but is actually nothing.
Yep, not worth the bother...barely fluff
 

Warpspeedo

Draftee
Oct 4, 2019
7
18
Melbourne
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Ah
Okay, but North Melbourne and the Crows are worse though, right?

Just wanting to be as accurate as possible without taking the wind out of your sails
haha thanks. You are technically correct (the best kind of correct) of course, they are lower on the ladder.

Given that we just copped a 6 goal loss to Radelaide though, I feel like we are currently the worst.
 

Gaston

Club Legend
Sep 27, 2014
1,704
2,841
in the outer with anticipation
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You can use the travel fatigue and lack of enjoyment in the hubs as an excuse all you like, but it isn't valid when one of the fundamental problems is the gameplan. That's not the players fault nor is it the hubs.
The dilusional might not think so but I think the modern game has left Clarko behind.
Sure, we don't have certain cattle but the list was moulded in part by Clarkson and in that we have missed the boat
via recruitment. Sides with pace were always our kryponite and now, well, every side has pace, except.......
 
The dilusional might not think so but I think the modern game has left Clarko behind.
So anyone who doesn't think what you think is 'dilusional' then?

Righto champ.
 

Turly

Club Legend
Apr 23, 2010
2,692
5,132
mill park
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Depends what you are wanting to achieve. If you are looking at a plan where we can win the flag in the next 2-3 years, then maybe you'd look at Wingard, but we are not at that stage. It's going to be a long haul back, and Burton would have been ideal as an onfield leader (along the lines of a Hodge, etc) in the next 4-5 years. Burton would be my pick for the future.
The fact you suggest Burton would be an ideal leader (let alone the likes of Hodge) shows how little you know about him.

Horrible call.
 
The day's been okay. Good weather so I went for a long walk. After the joy of last night, South Aussies are crushed by the news the Grand Final won't be in Adelaide. I just hate all the flack I get from people when the Hawks lose, when in reality, I never say anything when we win. I've never been able to fathom the reason why.

This is a true story. After that first horrible loss to Adelaide in 1991, I copped it from everywhere. The CEO of our company made a special trip to my office to give me sh*t, and I'd never met him before!!! Later in the year when we belted Adelaide in Melbourne, everyone was waiting for me to pay back, but I said nothing :)

A Collingwood mate got stuck into me today. I said, "Well at least I can look back on the flags I've seen". He said, "Collingwood have won more". I said to him, "Yes, but I've actually seen the Hawks win 12 flags, how many Collingwood flags have you actually seen? Two?" End of conversation :)
On what planet did they think they were getting the GF? Has been all but locked in for weeks.
 
Sep 21, 2002
52,639
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Adelaide
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The fact you suggest Burton would be an ideal leader (let alone the likes of Hodge) shows how little you know about him.

Horrible call.

Don't just crap and run away, how about you tell me why you think that? This is what I detest about BigFooty, people who have a go at you but don't back it up with facts or examples. So ... take 2.
 
Jul 13, 2015
36,294
40,453
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Its a big worry that Clarko keeps reminding everyone that we had a great run late last year and that we were 3-1 early this year..Clearly he thinks we are not far from being competitive. So he may go down the top up route again this year as oppose to going all in to the draft..

Our best get last year was Will Day. From the Draft. Our second best get was Sam Frost. By trading out Pick 22 or 23, and Pick 50. Finn Maginness may end up being the best of all 3, from Pick 29.

Clarkson will go for the best players he can with whatever he has. Always has, always will.
 
Jul 13, 2015
36,294
40,453
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Don't just crap and run away, how about you tell me why you think that? This is what I detest about BigFooty, people who have a go at you but don't back it up with facts or examples. So ... take 2.

Scrimshaw is a better player and Im sure will be a better leader. He is why we were happy to trade away Burton to get Wingard. We effectively replaced Burton, and got the player we were after.
 
Sep 21, 2002
52,639
46,330
Adelaide
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Here's what you have to put up with in Adelaide. A friend of my sister is going on about the fact the Hawks play 16 games a year at the MCG. I told her it never happens, tried to explain the situation, then she says "Okay, 18 games then". She's not joking. It's like BLM all over again, pay no attention to facts, just run with the narrative. People really are starting to exasperate me.
 

Nick the Pig

Team Captain
Apr 3, 2019
456
1,775
AFL Club
Hawthorn
The day's been okay. Good weather so I went for a long walk. After the joy of last night, South Aussies are crushed by the news the Grand Final won't be in Adelaide. I just hate all the flack I get from people when the Hawks lose, when in reality, I never say anything when we win. I've never been able to fathom the reason why.

This is a true story. After that first horrible loss to Adelaide in 1991, I copped it from everywhere. The CEO of our company made a special trip to my office to give me sh*t, and I'd never met him before!!! Later in the year when we belted Adelaide in Melbourne, everyone was waiting for me to pay back, but I said nothing :)

A Collingwood mate got stuck into me today. I said, "Well at least I can look back on the flags I've seen". He said, "Collingwood have won more". I said to him, "Yes, but I've actually seen the Hawks win 12 flags, how many Collingwood flags have you actually seen? Two?" End of conversation :)
You don't judge a sportsman by the way they lose but by the way they win.

That was told to me directly once by sporting legend and a multiple world champion in his chosen sport. Its always something I've remembered and it amazes me how people just can't seem to help themsleves to lay the boot in when their team wins.

I also can't stand it when players do things like Papley's gobfull to Titch after he scored that goal a few games ago or the good old cricket send off. So unnecessary and makes you come across as a prize tosser.
 

westhawk

Club Legend
Dec 24, 2006
2,659
6,001
perth
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Here's what you have to put up with in Adelaide. A friend of my sister is going on about the fact the Hawks play 16 games a year at the MCG. I told her it never happens, tried to explain the situation, then she says "Okay, 18 games then". She's not joking. It's like BLM all over again, pay no attention to facts, just run with the narrative. People really are starting to exasperate me.
i feel your pain. I have the same problem over here with West Coast and Freo supporters.
 

Gaston

Club Legend
Sep 27, 2014
1,704
2,841
in the outer with anticipation
AFL Club
Hawthorn
So anyone who doesn't think what you think is 'dilusional' then?

Righto champ.
It was a reference to the posters and media outlets who keep preaching Clarko is the best coach out there.
Change the narrative, he "was" the best coach out there and everyone's time comes to an end.

And don't champ me, alright mate!
 
The dilusional might not think so but I think the modern game has left Clarko behind.
..
It was a reference to the posters and media outlets who keep preaching Clarko is the best coach out there.
Change the narrative, he "was" the best coach out there and everyone's time comes to an end.

And don't champ me, alright mate!
Your quote is up there, word for word.

Feel free to say "I think the modern game has has left Clarko behind", and that's fine.

As soon as you start telling people that if they don't share your opinion they are delusional, it's a s**t post.

Can you see the difference?
 
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I’m in Adelaide too, and they are still going on about it on the news. It’s like they’ve won the grand final
It's a two team town and this is literally the only good thing Crows supporters have had in the last 12 months. Of course they're going to milk it.

I do feel for SA based Hawk supporters. Hopefully the draft picks make up for this discomfort.
 
Apr 18, 2011
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Six decades of domination
the correct approach is to utilise all three measures, not any one

This is exactly where we failed. We've had fantastic trades and made good use of some late picks but our FA strikerate has been poor.

Imagine if we had landed a Lynch or Cogs.
 
Oct 3, 2006
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There was a lot of speculation here that Burton was hard work off the field and didn’t fit in at the club. If that was the case, it would go some way explaining what happened.

hmmm - key word being sp
Your quote is up there, word for word.

Feel free to say "I think the modern game has has left Clarko behind", and that's fine.

As soon as you start telling people that if they do share your opinion they are delusional, it's a sh*t post.

Can you see the difference?


Without getting into semantics I agree (with Gaston) Clarkson has lowered his colors this year multiple times... Complaining about umpires, being stuck in hubs, the "Geelong arn't that good" comment after they humiliated us, the very recent list numbers whinge and the continual backing of senior players well past their best.

IMO he has looked tired, stressed and out of sorts all year and that's not a criticism. In our golden years he had the best of the best underneath him - Fagan, Evans, Dimma, Ratthen etc as assistant coaches/operational roles - they have all been poached and he has had to go it alone for the past 2-3 years. I think that he has taken on too much and I never liked the idea of Bolton coming back - what the hell does he actually do???

Don't know what the answer is but our coach has had a really down year this year. We need serious changes in not only our playing list but whole coaching set up..
 
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