Autopsy Round 16, 2021: Hawks fall over against Port

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Really don't get the Nash thing. Has shown nothing at AFL as a forward and even questionable at VFL level. Has had a good mini run of form in the VFL playing in the midfield so gets a call up and is played as a forward. He either needs to have been left at VFL level to further develop his midfield craft, or played in the midfield against Port. Would rather have brought Finn in and given him a run with role on Ollie Wines.
 

2OLD 2SLOW

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Don't know if it's been mentioned.
Nash had 8 disp. 4 of which were clearances. Why not give him a run in the centre square? Crazy non decision from clarko there.

Totally agree. I'm a Clarko supporter, but it left me frustrated. That, and Frost on Dixon instead of Hartigan.
Apart from that, I don't think the coaching staff did too much differently to last week, when we were great.

Clarko's comments in the presser were actually pretty spot on.
He talked about us trying too hard (being over-hyped) - which really stood out to me (our ball handling in the first half was laughable - players snatching at the ball like it was a game of hungry hungry hippos).
And our players (mids especially) being attracted to the ball (and the epicentre of the contest) "like bees to a honeypot" - leaving too few players on the outside.

This is our biggest, ongoing weakness, I think. By not having sufficient players on the outside, we not only lack run and carry, we lack players to compete on the outside of the contest (because contested possessions aren't just won inside the clinches - think how good Dippa was as a contested player, playing on the wing). And just as importantly, we don't have sufficient numbers on the outside to pressure opposition outside players - hence the absolute reaming our midfield gets in some games, and the way oppo mids waltz clear from stoppages.

The previous game against GWS shows that with our current personnel, we can get the balance right, at least sometimes. But I am hanging out for the inclusion of the likes of Downie, Saunders, Mitchell (when they are ready) - and that outside/inside gun mid we are going to get with our 1st draft pick late this year. ... Lachie Bramble looks a damn good get as well - our best outside player in the dismal first half.
 

Jeffrey Gibb

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And our players (mids especially) being attracted to the ball (and the epicentre of the contest) "like bees to a honeypot" - leaving too few players on the outside.
This this this.

Our mids try to do it all. Not enough trust yet. And the selectors haven’t got the balance right.
 

Lickmesocks

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If I was umpiring the game on the weekend, I’d probably be bias against us well. Being called “filthy maggots” before the game has even started is poor form from a select few vocal fans.

Seriously though, some of our fans spent more time giving it to Dixon and the umps than cheering for the Hawks. Makes you wonder why they even bother attending games.

Dont forget booing Conor Rozee for the night after he milked a free kick . 😂
 

CHUBBSS

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Apart from playing Nash midfield (despite him being moved to negate Aliir and actually did a half decent job I thought), what coaching moves were so poor?

I know people like to whinge but this was one of the poorest hawks team I’ve seen on paper in years. I has us down for a few goal loss and almost every expert did too. Plus we were clearly flat which may have been just a mental thing.
Still annoyed at this game because of how poor the first half was, really really ugly.

You say we were flat, but this is the same coach that will run round in the Nude for the snow game, the same game we have an out and out star playing 400 and the same coach that will routinely will go coach from the boundary to lift. He may be one of the smartest coaches of the modern era but sat idly by during the second quarter as we were not just flat footed but choose to remain stuck in mud and not one single player moved from the patch of grass they were on when we had ball in hand - hence why I tempt the thought we tanked, because we are so aware of the talent void, but at the same time it was Burgoynes 400 and I have never seen us play like that in a big game.

Myriad of positional changes not tried as well till the last quarter, port switched off but those changes creates some run (The reluctance to move positions has never really been here until the last two years). The lack of midfield positional changes is extremely poor especially when we are being flogged, but is it foxing? Because we do the right things in the games we win?

I am a dead set nuffie compared to the coaches but just seems like we are playing a certain game in selected games to stiffle run and then choose when to change that to suit when we have a crack.
 
Dont forget booing Conor Rozee for the night after he milked a free kick . 😂
That free kick was disgraceful.

You know what else was disgraceful? Sam Frost gobbing off at every call even when he gave away a clear free.

We got a good run on against Sydney after Papley mouthed off. Port got a good run on after Frosty couldn't shut his trap. This isn't a coincidence.
 

Lickmesocks

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Still annoyed at this game because of how poor the first half was, really really ugly.

You say we were flat, but this is the same coach that will run round in the Nude for the snow game, the same game we have an out and out star playing 400 and the same coach that will routinely will go coach from the boundary to lift. He may be one of the smartest coaches of the modern era but sat idly by during the second quarter as we were not just flat footed but choose to remain stuck in mud and not one single player moved from the patch of grass they were on when we had ball in hand - hence why I tempt the thought we tanked, because we are so aware of the talent void, but at the same time it was Burgoynes 400 and I have never seen us play like that in a big game.

Myriad of positional changes not tried as well till the last quarter, port switched off but those changes creates some run (The reluctance to move positions has never really been here until the last two years). The lack of midfield positional changes is extremely poor especially when we are being flogged, but is it foxing? Because we do the right things in the games we win?

I am a dead set nuffie compared to the coaches but just seems like we are playing a certain game in selected games to stiffle run and then choose when to change that to suit when we have a crack.

Mate I have been saying this for 2 years.

There are times when it feels like we as a club choose to play a certain way, players are moving and providing targets and overlap and times where I scratch my head at what I am watching.

The thing for me is that our worst is a 1/10 and our best a 9/10. The difference between the two is enormous and that is hard to understand.

If it was all skill level you would sit back and say we are a rabble.

Something to me does not seem right especially when players without the ball refuse to move and provide an option.
 

Lickmesocks

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That free kick was disgraceful.

You know what else was disgraceful? Sam Frost gobbing off at every call even when he gave away a clear free.

We got a good run on against Sydney after Papley mouthed off. Port got a good run on after Frosty couldn't shut his trap. This isn't a coincidence.


we all love frosts effort but at times he is a deadset goose. His free kicks he gives away are not even line ball. He either cannons into the back of his opponent and falls on him for good measure or jumps in the air and whacks his opponents arms.

He is the only person in the stadium who thinks it’s not a free kick 😂
 

2OLD 2SLOW

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Still annoyed at this game because of how poor the first half was, really really ugly.

Feel the same - hard not to.
I have gone into every game for the past 2 years with a sanguine, philosophical outlook on where we are at (and sneaky thoughts of a 1 or 2 draft pick) ... but after a few minutes of action I'm yelling at the TV (normally at an umpire who evidently can't hear me, given how he keeps shafting us).
I don't think Clarko has any thoughts of tanking, subconscious or otherwise. He's had too many chances to tank over the past few years and hasn't.
My take, right or wrong, is that we are like a boxer who knows he is outclassed / fighting out of his weight division. He spends 9/10 of the fight covering up, protecting himself. As a fan I want him to start throwing some punches, because the fight is a dull, ugly, crap to watch ... and you never know, he might land one big enough to win the fight. But I know if I was the boxer, and it was my head I was protecting, I'd keep that guard up and try to counter-punch my way to a points victory, or something more glorious if the other guy tires and/or f@cks up.
I think that's the way Clarko has been coaching us in recent times, and I don't blame him. I've watched teams like Gold Coast, Melbourne, Carlton get delusions of adequacy (Commetti's best line?), thinking they can take on top teams head to head, and all they did was undermine the development of their younger players.
Our recent recruitment makes me think the club is heading in the right direction, and we will play a more expansive, aggressive game as the talent to plodder ratio starts to tilt in our favour. On the weekend, that ratio was on the wrong side again.
 

Stratton24

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we all love frosts effort but at times he is a deadset goose. His free kicks he gives away are not even line ball. He either cannons into the back of his opponent and falls on him for good measure or jumps in the air and whacks his opponents arms.

He is the only person in the stadium who thinks it’s not a free kick 😂
Even the Hawthorn hating commentary team said the umps got a few wrong against Frost.
 
Can we stop the umpire bashing and the imagined bias against us? If our players made less mistakes than the umps we would of win by 10 goals and we’d be celebrating instead of whinging
Don't confuse "imagined bias against us" and straight up umpire incompetance. The umpiring is ******* terrible, not just in our games but league wide. I blame Hocking and his stupid rules/interpretations.
 

Milkshaker

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Feel the same - hard not to.
I have gone into every game for the past 2 years with a sanguine, philosophical outlook on where we are at (and sneaky thoughts of a 1 or 2 draft pick) ... but after a few minutes of action I'm yelling at the TV (normally at an umpire who evidently can't hear me, given how he keeps shafting us).
I don't think Clarko has any thoughts of tanking, subconscious or otherwise. He's had too many chances to tank over the past few years and hasn't.
My take, right or wrong, is that we are like a boxer who knows he is outclassed / fighting out of his weight division. He spends 9/10 of the fight covering up, protecting himself. As a fan I want him to start throwing some punches, because the fight is a dull, ugly, crap to watch ... and you never know, he might land one big enough to win the fight. But I know if I was the boxer, and it was my head I was protecting, I'd keep that guard up and try to counter-punch my way to a points victory, or something more glorious if the other guy tires and/or f@cks up.
I think that's the way Clarko has been coaching us in recent times, and I don't blame him. I've watched teams like Gold Coast, Melbourne, Carlton get delusions of adequacy (Commetti's best line?), thinking they can take on top teams head to head, and all they did was undermine the development of their younger players.
Our recent recruitment makes me think the club is heading in the right direction, and we will play a more expansive, aggressive game as the talent to plodder ratio starts to tilt in our favour. On the weekend, that ratio was on the wrong side again.

Good post. I think people forget we played some 'visually dumb' football in Clarko's early tenure. His early win loss ratio as a coach was less than inspiring. It was like the side often played to to minimise the loss. Your boxing analogy is apt. The end result of this approach and exposing the side at times was the educated and well drilled side of the 3 peat.

I am more than happy, with a few more quality picks, to tread this path again and cant understand why people are calling for Clarko's head.
 
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Jeffrey Gibb

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Can we stop the umpire bashing and the imagined bias against us? If our players made less mistakes than the umps we would of win by 10 goals and we’d be celebrating instead of whinging
“Would of win?”

Really?

Spelling, logic and statistics are not your friends.

I cannot find a single person claiming we would have won this game if not for the umpires.

Umpire 13 had an absolute stinker. (His beard really is immaculate, though. I guess most of his preparation went into grooming instead of studying the rules.)

And over the long term we are way, way behind on the free kick count.

But, yeah, sure, supporters who hate the umpires (and the clowns that make the rules impossible to adjudicate fairly) are the reason we lost.

What else do you reckon we need? More positive energy? More good vibes? Mabo? The bag of Energy Crystals you sent the players before the game?

You must be smoking something. Energy Crystals is my guess…
 
Mate I have been saying this for 2 years.

There are times when it feels like we as a club choose to play a certain way, players are moving and providing targets and overlap and times where I scratch my head at what I am watching.

The thing for me is that our worst is a 1/10 and our best a 9/10. The difference between the two is enormous and that is hard to understand.

If it was all skill level you would sit back and say we are a rabble.

Something to me does not seem right especially when players without the ball refuse to move and provide an option.
Problem is, these 9/10 performances happen 9 times out of 10 after we're out of finals contention. You know, when winning only moves you closer to 9th and gives you a weaker draft hand, and, as history has shown, the form doesn't carry on into the next season.

It's as if there's someone who has their eye on their own personal winning percentage.
 

Toasted

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“Would of win?”

Really?

Spelling, logic and statistics are not your friends.

I cannot find a single person claiming we would have won this game if not for the umpires.

Umpire 13 had an absolute stinker. (His beard really is immaculate, though. I guess most of his preparation went into grooming instead of studying the rules.)

And over the long term we are way, way behind on the free kick count.

But, yeah, sure, supporters who hate the umpires (and the clowns that make the rules impossible to adjudicate fairly) are the reason we lost.

What else do you reckon we need? More positive energy? More good vibes? Mabo? The bag of Energy Crystals you sent the players before the game?

You must be smoking something. Energy Crystals is my guess…
Holy crap, you can tell it’s school holidays!
That was pretty epic… or I’m assuming it was because I stopped reading it. Thanks for the time and effort though.
 
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Lickmesocks

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Problem is, these 9/10 performances happen 9 times out of 10 after we're out of finals contention. You know, when winning only moves you closer to 9th and gives you a weaker draft hand, and, as history has shown, the form doesn't carry on into the next season.

It's as if there's someone who has their eye on their own personal winning percentage.

Yep we probably don’t need any Ben Stratton farewell wins this season that’s for sure.
 
“Would of win?”

Really?

Spelling, logic and statistics are not your friends.

I cannot find a single person claiming we would have won this game if not for the umpires.

Umpire 13 had an absolute stinker. (His beard really is immaculate, though. I guess most of his preparation went into grooming instead of studying the rules.)

And over the long term we are way, way behind on the free kick count.

But, yeah, sure, supporters who hate the umpires (and the clowns that make the rules impossible to adjudicate fairly) are the reason we lost.

What else do you reckon we need? More positive energy? More good vibes? Mabo? The bag of Energy Crystals you sent the players before the game?

You must be smoking something. Energy Crystals is my guess…
I saw the language and thought, nah not worth it. But THANK YOU!
 
Holy crap, you can tell it’s school holidays!
That was pretty epic… or I’m assuming it was because I stopped reading it. Thanks for the time and effort though.
Epic? Because it's more than five lines? yeah that probably constitutes epic to someone who uses "would of" as though it's English. The umpires rogered us dry, two sets of rules, no one except in your blindly delusional state thinks the umpiring would have changed the result. But that doesn't change the fact that the reaming only went one way. Just like the last time we played this mob and not a single free kick was paid to one team in an entire half of football. Keeping this to four lines to ensure it does not exceed your capacity to read. Now go tell your mother she wants you.
 
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