Autopsy Round 20, 2025: Hawks give them the Blues

[Off The Couch]

Agreed, and I don’t agree with King, but people are overreacting to this. As I said, it is a legitimate opinion.

Imo it’s because it’s not a stand alone opinion. It’s been a long time since he’s had a positive to say about hawthorn and for the most part prefaces a comment with “I know Hawk supporters think I hate the hawks but….”

Have your opinion by all means but at least be balanced. As I said in the GD thread it’s very interesting to hear different narratives

“Giants need to win this to cement a top four finish”

“Hawks need to win this to stay in the 8”

Two clubs, on the same points with much the same % and playing top sides in the run home albeit a couple of their home ground, unlike the hawks who are away” and how different is the commentary. Same with Freo

Dogs sit 2 games out of the 8 but quite a few have them sitting 4th because of a superior % at the end of the home and away but have to play Giants and Freo and they haven’t beaten a top 8 side all season but it’s not an issue because the games have been close

And yet nearly every afl journo/commentator have the hawks finishing 9th (except for Hodge )

No disputing It is a tough run home, it could be they do finish 9th, but jeezus it’s so flipping tiresome hearing the same narrative over and over again because they are too lazy to dig a bit deeper - anyone would think they all share the same brain.

 

[DearJai]

I don’t get the reactions to this, it’s a legitimate take.
Lions and Magpies were too good for us last time and crows at home will be a challenge.

I think we've brushed up on our tackling a little since those two games.

Not to mention got our forward line (Calsher, Lewis) and backline (fit Sicily, Scrimshaw) on the park now.

Will Day also says hello. Josh Ward now looking much stronger over the ball also.

But aside from those things, everything else is exactly the same, you're right.

 

[jenniferHAWKinS]

I think we've brushed up on our tackling a little since those two games.

Not to mention got our forward line (Calsher, Lewis) and backline (fit Sicily, Scrimshaw) on the park now.

Will Day also says hello. Josh Ward now looking much stronger over the ball also.

But aside from those things, everything else is exactly the same, you're right.

In the Pies and Lions games combined we had 1 less inside 50, barely laid a tackle, were missing key players and had Sicily playing lame and don’t get me started about Hardwick not playing on his bunny Elliot in the 1st half (4 goals). Both those teams will need to be at their best to beat us this time around.

 

[westhawk]

Listening to Sam on SEN this morning he essentially said Carlton used flooding tactics after quarter time to stifle us.

Thanks for the snoozefest Voss Lyon.

They were definitely getting lots of numbers back to stop a blowout in Docs last game.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Yes they had 16 inside our 50 in the second half.

 

[Newmo89]

Some food for thought about our midfield from Thursday night. A lot has been made about losing clearances by 12 across many different platforms since Thursday night ended.

It was the second time all season we have rolled out a midfield unit of Meek, Worpel, Nash, Newcombe and Day.

First time was Round Zero, when Worpel was subbed at half time with his syndesmosis injury and they played half a game together.

Thursday night, with an underdone Day and a sore Newcombe, we matched the Blues until early in the third when Newcombe was subbed off.

Collectively our big 5 has played a combined total of one full game together all year. I have faith we'll see an improvement throughout the next month of footy.

 

[DearJai]

In the Pies and Lions games combined we had 1 less inside 50, barely laid a tackle, were missing key players and had Sicily playing lame and don’t get me started about Hardwick not playing on his bunny Elliot in the 1st half (4 goals). Both those teams will need to be at their best to beat us this time around.

This was kind of my point. We're a very different side now, those games sure looked like an aberration when you take those tackle counts into the equation and the incredible lack of pressure we applied. We pulled our lowest pressure ratings of the year during that period of time.

The personnel alone, never mind Hardwick playing back etc.

This is not the same Hawthorn team.

 

[Dr.J]

I guess we’ll find out next week just how good we are

 

[Newmo89]

Six Points: Carlton Blues, Round 20, 2025 by Talking Hawks

In this episode of Talking Hawks Six Points, Tim and Liam recap Hawthorn's 24-point victory over Carlton, discussing the importance of winning even when the game isn't pretty, highlighted the balance in the backline, the medical team's efforts in keeping players fit, and the resurgence of Dylan...

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Talking Hawks 6 points podcast

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

B

Some food for thought about our midfield from Thursday night. A lot has been made about losing clearances by 12 across many different platforms since Thursday night ended.

It was the second time all season we have rolled out a midfield unit of Meek, Worpel, Nash, Newcombe and Day.

First time was Round Zero, when Worpel was subbed at half time with his syndesmosis injury and they played half a game together.

Thursday night, with an underdone Day and a sore Newcombe, we matched the Blues until early in the third when Newcombe was subbed off.

Collectively our big 5 has played a combined total of one full game together all year. I have faith we'll see an improvement throughout the next month of footy.

a lot of truth to this.

Whilst our midfield is not the strongest part of our game, the overreaction about it is laughable, especially since Thursday. When on song and playing well, they do more than enough to compete at a high level.

The will lift. Our midfielders even in previous eras, have never been one-way runners and play a balanced game.

 

[fairdinks]

I'd be super excited if we could beat the crows, however, not sure that will happen on their home deck the way they are going. However, I'm much more upbeat about beating both Pies and Lions and still believe a top 4 finish is not out of the question should we play at our best.