Autopsy Round 18, 2025: Hawks fall short

[DearJai]

Regardless of how this year ends we are going to be much better prepared for 2026 than we were for 2025

2025 is still going, we haven't got a baseline for 2026 yet.

Going to be hard to top it if we win the flag.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Maybe the way we play draws in pressure.

We tend to piss fart with the ball a lot more than we did last season.

We are the most tackled side in the comp. We average 67.9 tackles against us this season. We're also number 2 in terms of opposition pressure rating, second to the Bulldogs.

We get drawn into big stoppage games. Top 4 in the comp for most stoppages per game. We tend to lose out in this area (bottom 4 for stoppage differentials).

I guess teams just know to make it a slog against us.

So this is a much more satisfying explanation for me.

Sure every team wants to beat Hawthorn but they would also want to beat last years premiers, and their arch rivals, and anyone they're vying for finals spot with, etc.

So what are we doing that invites this pressure?

I think Newcombe gets scragged a lot but also is an example of someone who will prefer to try and break a tackle or two than to just fling the ball out and turnover. He's pretty good at that but if all the others are doing it, and they're not as good as him - then yeh we are inviting a lot of pressure.

Being the most tackled side is a very interesting statistic.

 

[ReturningHawk]

Also instead of just being a little bitch and moaning about a spelling mistake, why don’t you expand on what else is frustrating re: my post?

If you want posters to take you seriously, then learn the player’s names. You’ve called him “Deer” and been quoted and corrected at least a dozen times over the past few weeks.

 

[DearJai]

Being the most tackled side is a very interesting statistic.

I’d be looking deeper than just tackles - are we the most pressured side?

Anecdotally, at least a few teams reach their highest season ratings against us.

Our game is potentially inviting pressure. Tackles are just a component of that.

 

[TheFourPillars]

No opposition sides generally flood the contest forcing our half forwards to come join the contest. The issue is that our half forwards are not overly quick and get burned on the outside. Moore and Ginni have been burned many times this year in our losses.

 

[burger09]

No opposition sides generally flood the contest forcing our half forwards to come join the contest. The issue is that our half forwards are not overly quick and get burned on the outside. Moore and Ginni have been burned many times this year in our losses.

Add Croc to that list.

 

[ahhhhhh]

Add Croc to that list.

I think we need to do something about Croc, Ginni and Moore. Something isn't right. The balance seems to be off. Are they too similar?

 

[DearJai]

No opposition sides generally flood the contest forcing our half forwards to come join the contest. The issue is that our half forwards are not overly quick and get burned on the outside. Moore and Ginni have been burned many times this year in our losses.

Fremantle killed us with run through the middle in the last, it was like we'd introduced an open door policy on giving up the corridor.

Wasn't just overlap either, it was genuine numbers running forward from half back unmarked.

Without going back to watch it, I want to say Collingwood did the same in our loss to them, and Brisbane also.

If those guys can't stay in touch with their opponents, the problem just dominos.

The introduction of Butler made such a difference with his run and tackling/pressure though. It gives cause to believe it won't take much more than finding another player at half forward to put a big dent in this, particularly once Dear and Chol are also providing pressure in tandem again.

I think Connor Macdonald's pace is better than Moore and Ginni's. He just needs to stay on task more often.

 

[burner1]

No opposition sides generally flood the contest forcing our half forwards to come join the contest. The issue is that our half forwards are not overly quick and get burned on the outside. Moore and Ginni have been burned many times this year in our losses.

Yep. I’d add our midfield (including wingers) also aren’t especially fast and can also get exposed on the spread by the better midfielders, particurly as the game goes on. So flooding the contest generally works in oppositions favour. Return of Day should hopefully help here.

Our half forwards are also very good pushing up ground then running back into space. But by flooding contest / forcing them to push up to start form higher up the opposition is taking away the biggest strength of our hffs. None are strong marking targets or great in the contest.

A real challenge for coaching staff for rest of season - find a way to combat tactics that are blunting our strengths (and weren’t used as much last year - but we’ve been scouted now).