Autopsy Round 21, 2025: Hawks can’t get it done against the Crows

[TylerDurden]

Tex kicking two from 55 out either side of Mass missing from just outside of the goal square when the game was on the line was infuriating yet somewhat predictable.

Why they won the game. He and Rankine stepped up in the moments that mattered.

 

[burger09]

Infuriating moment 164.....

4 tall forwards yet at times we were kicking long inside 50 to Cmac or Ginny

 

[DearJai]

The whole forward line didn’t work. It’s hard on a skinny ground but the spacing was horrendous. Play tall you need spread and you need to be trusted with contests, often out marked too. Was messy.

None of them really seemed to be advantaged by delivery, and the crows seemed to either mark against them one on one, or bring numbers to the contest. Agree it was messy.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

None of them really seemed to be advantaged by delivery, and the crows seemed to either mark against them one on one, or bring numbers to the contest. Agree it was messy.

Hawthorn over used it or skied it.

Ball use was ordinary at times, spacing doesn’t help tho if there’s no clear space, or leading targets.

 

[diggydig]

I like his tackling pressure, it vice like.

Watched the first half of the Box Hill game and went back to check the stats. Butler did nothing special (20 possessions, 3 clearances, zero tackles in the stats). Ramsden clunked a few one grabbers (6 marks, 5 tap outs and 3G.3B for the day). McKenzie more noticeable in the first half (ended with 28 possessions, 5 clearances, 1 tackle). That said, quality was not impressive.

If we do go to three talls, I think we need to go with Chol or Ramsden as the chop-out for Meek, before we kill him. Lewis and Dear not yet ready for ruck back up, so one of them has to go and Dear was the obvious one to sub yesterday.

If stay with four talls, Connor Mc out for Bailey Mc (which is what I was hoping for last night). Worps in the mids more, with Newk & Day rotating forward to protect both of them (if we have Day). I'm not averse to swapping Worps out for McKenzie; would have preferred Butler for his tackling before what I saw today.

Either way, this allows Bailey Mc as sub, releasing Impey to the forward line and Dylan Moore to the mids in Q3.

 

[westhawk]

Tex kicking two from 55 out either side of Mass missing from just outside of the goal square when the game was on the line was infuriating yet somewhat predictable.

Yep, just knew he was going to nail those shots.

 

[Cleavy]

Yep, just knew he was going to nail those shots.

especially the last one

 

[GOHORCS]

We may come into the time of finals as the form team once Day, Lewis, and Dear get some match fitness and Weddle is back but I think by then we will be 9th.

 

[BlueWaterHawk]

Been feeling flat about this game all day, it just feels like we're not nailing the moments that matter this year. I don't know why the team goes into their shells as badly as they did in the second quarter. It's seems like the more they get pushed, the more the second guess themselves and become reactive, don't hit the first / best option, miss tackles etc. When we can get those periods out of our game, we can contend, but not till then.

Really worried about Day, I hope his foot is ok.

Seems like 3 tall forwards is the go from here on, hopefully they can rotate with success.

 

[Viddiot]

...and then Will Days foot is as bad as we feared.

 

[Off The Couch]

At this moment in time I couldn’t give a toss about last night or whether we make finals. All I can think about is how shattered Will Day would be feeling right now

 

[lethalselbow]

Day is just back injury, Newk is battling injury. Moore is a little cooked. Hey let's play one short in our midfield rotations and go with 4 talls!!

Sammy Mitchell gets lots of plaudits, and rightly so, but this was a selection howler!!

 

[HedgeFund]

The whole forward line didn’t work. It’s hard on a skinny ground but the spacing was horrendous. Play tall you need spread and you need to be trusted with contests, often out marked too. Was messy.

So how on earth did we kick 5 unanswered goals…..twice…. throughout the night??

The absolutism on here is so many posters is mind boggling.

Apparently there’s no such thing as a game where the majority of what we hoped would work did work for majority of the game, yet we didn’t end up winning.

If we lose, then everything didn’t work - correct?

If we win, then everything worked brilliantly then?

Seems that way on here.

No shades of grey.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

After last night's disappointment, I ventured to Norwood Oval today to see my SANFL club Norwood take on .. guess who? Adelaide Crows. Oh, the joy, I get to see both my clubs lose to the Crows in the same weekend.

Picture this, the game is in the balance, Norwood miss and easy shot at goal, Crows take it down for a goal. Then Norwood misses another simple shot at goal, Crows rebound with a goal. Norwood miss a third shot on goal; Crows immediately score another goal. Sound familiar? I sat there thinking, "I've seen this movie before somewhere".

And anyone who thinks the Crow Throw is extinct; I saw the most amazing throw of all time. A Crows player with one arm held just threw the ball rugby style to a teammate ..... and the umpires allowed it!!!!

Not a good weekend.

 

[HedgeFund]

nah, totally disagree with Sam in his presser when he said Hawks fans wouldn't be disappointed, it was a decent effort.
I call BS on that, and I'd imagine he'd have said the same to the players.
Fed up with the media nonsense, Crows are a side that buckle under real pressure, and unlike a few games this year, we couldn't bring that for all four quarters.
In case you are doubtful on this, go have another look at the first quarter when Day was in there playing like a man possessed, the "super-skilled" Adelaide boys were fumbling, panicking and generally running around with startled and confused looks on their faces.
They are classic front runners, blokes like Keane, Keays, Milera and Worrell panic under proper pressure.
If they somehow manage to get into the GF, it'll have 2017 written all over it.

Poor performance, review that horrendous last quarter, learn to take meterage in tight games, and move on.
2025 might now be a stretch, but as long as the players learn from this, it was worth it.

You sound like Donald Trump.

Complete 180 flip from your prematch proclamation that we would steam roll a quality unit at home.

Taylor Walker, Izak Rankine, Jordan Dawson don’t buckle under pressure. They have barely done it all season. That’s why they’ll finish top 4, probably top 2.

Take the L on this one. It’s embarrassing.

 

[killerspud]

Our season actually reminds me of the Crows in 2023. They kept losing close games and missed the finals.

Crows have gathered so much belief this season knocking off the Lions away. We need one of those spirit rousing wins to galvanise the side.

We need our 2013 PF moment.

The 2013 PF moment is why I rate Shaun Burgoyne so highly. He just said not today. And played the biggest clutch game ever.

Do we have anyone who can do that? Day can once he is 100percent fit and has confidence in his body. The leadership of the current team is whats missing, not just playing a great individual game but actually taking the team with you.

Dawson, Walker (as much as I dont like him) and Rankine had that and made sure of the result

Also the home ground is such a huge advantage for Adelaide - they are a 3 goal better side there

 

[badboybobba]

Seriously moronic post.

He’s probably our only AA chance. Will most likely win our BnF

 

[SSSSSS]

The 2013 PF moment is why I rate Shaun Burgoyne so highly. He just said not today. And played the biggest clutch game ever.

Do we have anyone who can do that? Day can once he is 100percent fit and has confidence in his body. The leadership of the current team is whats missing, not just playing a great individual game but actually taking the team with you.

Dawson, Walker (as much as I dont like him) and Rankine had that and made sure of the result

Also the home ground is such a huge advantage for Adelaide - they are a 3 goal better side there

The Wiz pretty much single handedly willed us back into the game against the GC earlier this season.

I think he could do it.

Weddle has had some huge quarters where he's dragged the team on his back.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

The Wiz pretty much single handedly willed us back into the game against the GC earlier this season.

I think he could do it.

Weddle has had some huge quarters where he's dragged the team on his back.

Sic also is pretty good at stepping up in big games (think last year as finals when we threw him forward and he almost won us the game against Port).

 

[Louis Litt]

Need another midfielder

Missing Weddles explosion and physicality from the back half

Get b Mac dole into the midfield.
We are slow , worpel is having a bad year

 

[Louis Litt]

Lewis is our only gorilla

Need one in the side

Worpel shouldn’t be in the team

B macdocdold in with. Pace and power

 

[Louis Litt]

He's making an unfortunate habit of going missing in the big games.

Happened in the finals last year as well.

Sic on the other hand seems to rise to the occasion.

It’s happened a fair bit this year - b MacDonald in - he and weddle in together. Think about that

 

[ahhhhhh]

Lewis is our only gorilla

Need one in the side

Worpel shouldn’t be in the team

Lewis certainly ain't playing like a gorilla.

 

[Brownbird]

Crows were really good after quarter time, we are relying on the same few to win the game when it's tight. A few of our other boys need to start standing up if we are to salvage anything this year.

He doesn't want to seem to get dirty at the moment. His stats always look decent but he seems to be shirking things a bit. His goal last week he hit the pack hard, didn't see him do that once last night

yes and yet when he first came in the team (and stayed in) you couldn't question his hardness and willingness to have a go and throw himself in.....i don't know what has happened to him this year.

 

[Brownbird]

Our connection last night was terrible. Each time we won the ball at HB we seemed to be outnumbered 3-1 down the line and could not take a mark to save ourselves. We were cheering when we got the ball out of bounds.

but people were free away from the down the line packs and unfortunately we continued to be hesitant to use them and then as the saying goes" he who hesitates is lost.." the opportunity was gone - or , perhaps worse, we did eventually go in their direction but it was way too late.