Autopsy Round 5, 2021: Hawthorn defeated by Melbourne

[JoeHawk]

I like the optimism but DGB hasn't played yet

Agree. Everyone keeps mentioning him as if he’s some champion waiting to return. I recall the same thing with Brand a few years ago and where is he now? That said, where is Finn? Have heard very little about his progression. Would be keen to see him have a shot this year.

 

[Hawka_de_Haven]

He didn’t!

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Agree. Everyone keeps mentioning him as if he’s some champion waiting to return. I recall the same thing with Brand a few years ago and where is he now? That said, where is Finn? Have heard very little about his progression. Would be keen to see him have a shot this year.

A tagger in the VFL from what the match reports are saying.

 

[Mercy Seat]

We need to find our own next Gawns, Bontepellis, Cyrils and Buddy’s. Hopefully Day and DGB get us some way there and I still think we have a good core and some kids that will contribute very well at AFL level, but until we add some absolute star talent, we won’t be competing for a flag.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

* Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

was dominate yesterday, I know he's dominate a lot but I feel when he plays us it even goes up another level.

 

[LMGjr]

It always looks like we’re getting a lot of the ball and our best players are usually backmen. It’s because we chip and handball and switch around causing absolutely no damage to the opposition who slowly drop back to crowd our forward line while we’re farting around upfield. One handball too many, a dropped TOB mark or a risky switch and it’s off to the races for the opposition. we might pinch the odd goal or two but 77% tells me it ain’t many.

I’ve watched enough footy to know which teams will regularly struggle. Sides that switch the ball a lot, sides that handball backwards as a first option and sides that send 3 players in to get one footy. The current gameplan should’ve been buried years ago.

Well, I've watched enough footy to know that without at least one big power forward it doesn't matter what game plan you have or even how skillful your midfield is - Dusty be nothing without Ringworm and Lynch -

If only Buddies grew on trees like mids do.

 

[Delecate Des]

A disappointing fourth quarter, and I was frustrated as anyone with how the game slipped away so quickly. A shout out to my ever patient wife (who is supporting an equally frustrating Collingwood team) for her patience and understanding at my yelling at the TV!

I won't dwell on the negatives, as they've already been spelt out in this thread.

Positives from the game:
1. Pleasing first three quarters. Good pressure and managed to lock it in our forward half for prolonged periods.
2. Best game I've seen from Ollie Hanrahan. He consistently got to dangerous spots, but more pleasingly, his pressure was present for four quarters.
3. O'Meara. What a beast. Amazing game. I do believe his clearance game is somewhat generated from the defensive work of Worpol and Shiels, so props to them.
4. Speaking of Shiels, unlike most on here, i think his game was solid, if not spectacular (baring the odd brainfade).
5. Scrimshaw had a fantastic game. I'm an unabashed fan of his, and his intercept marking was sublime today.
6. Big Boy showed heart coming back from a dominant first quarter by Gawn.
7. Chad threatened, without breaking the game open. I think he's hard done by umpire-wise, but in my opinion, he just needs to get on with it. Life's unfair sometimes.
8. Koschitzke worked hard up the ground, and competed well.
9. Burgoyne had some clever moments in defence.

I get that people are frustrated, however I wonder sometimes how many people appreciate the challenge of developing a team. In my experience, it's rarely linear and it's rarely uniform. People take on lessons at different rates, and sometimes it takes a while for lessons to stick. It's challenging when the results don't come on as quickly as we'd like, but what's important in times like these is consistency in messaging and alignment in objectives. It's really easy to change tack when things don't go your way, and it takes a certain resolve and belief in your strategy to stay the course when results aren't immediate.

Hold fast everyone, there will be bumps along the way (such as today), but we're on the right track. We just need to be patient.

P.S. This was the first time this year I got to see Box Hill on TV. Loved Jeka's continued efforts. He has a future in the AFL. Bramble looks a likely type as well.

Excellent post!!!

How different this game may have been with the class of Gunners, Sicily and Day. (Yes, I understand Melb was missing players, but I don't really give a sh@t about them)

WRT Chad, at least the umpires could have brought him dinner, but instead went in without the lube!!!

Interesting to see if Nash is playing a different role at Box hill as he seemed to be locking down on Lever?? Either way, I cant see him as a tall forward??

Kosi battled hard, but needs to score (2 goals to date)?? Time for Jeka's Box hill form to be rewarded. Adding Gunners soon will help our forwards, but we need our tall's to trouble the scorers on a consistent basis. Breust, Bockman and Moore in the top four goal scorers for us is not enough?

Dimma, Impey, Scrim and CJ form a solid defense team. Frost and Hartigan are, what they are.

We are winning or breaking even for large chunks of games!! Previous weeks we were blown away in the first quarter, this week it was the last?

 

[matey]

What game are did you watch. Finn took out their best midfielder in the first half, and then went to the player that flogged us in the first half and took him out of the game.

He also laid 8 tackles ..... is definitely working on other areas of his game .

 

[MasterSamurai]

Gunston, day and Sicily are huge outs, let's not get too down over our one QTR a game fade outs.

 

[HAWKSBESTEVA]

If we had a full side to start the year we would be 4-1 or 3-2 at worst. Sucks because we have been in every game and could of won geeLong dees freo if not for umps and our lack of class which Sicily day Gunston bring.

 

[TylerDurden]

Well, I've watched enough footy to know that without at least one big power forward it doesn't matter what game plan you have or even how skillful your midfield is - Dusty be nothing without Ringworm and Lynch -

If only Buddies grew on trees like mids do.

They won a flag without Lynch.

To be fair, they'd be nothing without Duz.

 

[hk89]

Agree. Everyone keeps mentioning him as if he’s some champion waiting to return. I recall the same thing with Brand a few years ago and where is he now? That said, where is Finn? Have heard very little about his progression. Would be keen to see him have a shot this year.

Brand was pick 66. DGB was pick 6. Of course we should be more excited about when DGB is able to slot into the side compared to Brand.

Reading between the lines on the Box Hill reports on Finn, he's still got some learning to do before he's ready.

 

[Birdofprey]

Love the effort, disappointing last quarter.

Going to be a long few years, can only try and enjoy it and keep the faith. The club we played yesterday have not experienced a three-peat since the 50s, and have not won a flag since 1964. So I guess their current group of 28 first round draft picks are the best prospect they have had for a while.

Look forward to seeing Day, DGB, Finn(?), Brockman, Downie, and Lewis included with youngsters in yesterdays side. But having the whole group of younger players in the 22 together is probably another year away.

Go Hawks.

 

[The hands of stone]

We are all cake but no cream or icing at the minute .
While we lack class and polish yesterdays type of result will continue to happen.

Gunston and Lewis will both help the forwardline out so expecting improvement there .

 

[Flamin Joe]

If we had a full side to start the year we would be 4-1 or 3-2 at worst. Sucks because we have been in every game and could of won geeLong dees freo if not for umps and our lack of class which Sicily day Gunston bring.

I think we need to be weary about thinking that our outs are the difference between win's and losses this year. Gunston coming back for example isn't going to suddendly mean we are a 5 goal better team and all our forwards will click, especially when it's our midfield getting pantsed and at times providing sub-par delivery to our forwards. Sure he'll provide some forward structure when Clarko actually plays him there but we didn't see a lot of that last year either so I'm not buying he'd make that much of a difference now.

At most we'd maybe snag one more win and be 2-3, anything more and you're dreaming.

 

[hk89]

Going to be a long few years, can only try and enjoy it and keep the faith. The club we played yesterday have not experienced a three-peat since the 50s, and have not won a flag since 1964. So I guess their current group of 28 first round draft picks are the best prospect they have had for a while.

And let us also not forget that their biggest chance for success since 1964 was attempting to merge with us. No wonder their members said yes, and ours said no.

Look forward to seeing Day, DGB, Finn(?), Brockman, Downie, and Lewis included with youngsters in yesterdays side. But having the whole group of younger players in the 22 together is probably another year away.

At least I'd say. If you added all those kids, and kept the sub-23 year olds in the side from yesterday's game, I count that as 14 players 22 or under in the side, which is a fairly insane number of kids to be playing together at once. There is also potentially Greaves, Reeves and Jeka to add
to the list of 22 and under players that could get call ups sooner rather than later. It would be fun to see how a team made
up of 17 players in the 22 and under bracket would go. Certainly wouldn't lack for enthusiasm and effort I'd have thought, but
I doubt that would save them from some fairly severe hammerings.

 

[TazHawk15]

Agree. Everyone keeps mentioning him as if he’s some champion waiting to return. I recall the same thing with Brand a few years ago and where is he now? That said, where is Finn? Have heard very little about his progression. Would be keen to see him have a shot this year.

I watched the entire Box Hill game yersterday and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Finn looks like a handy VFL player, no less no more.

I think we all hope for him to be a JK jnr clone but at this stage he is miles off it.

 

[Milkshaker]

The cupboard is bare. Years of success followed by a failed attempt to rebuild on the run in the era of equalisation have taken their toll. (Still p1ssed off at the AFL robbing our future with the laughable Buddy compensation but probably would not have made a huge difference). We don’t have Sydney’s academy so have no choice but to hit the draft over the next few years whilst developing the players we think will make it and delisting the rest. We are years away from contending so just need to be patient and take the little wins like CJ’s deveopment etc.

Sums up my feelings as well. As Hawk fans it hard to see a season unravel so early. 5 rounds in and I am already through the 5 stages of grief. Hit acceptance yesterday afternoon. I hope the players and the club have a plan they can believe in and can salvage the rest of the year.

Small wins (like CJ) and hard work is required but we have a man at the helm who has done it before and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves. I think we have a some good younger players to move forward with in Day, CJ, Hardwick, Morrison, Kosi, Lewis, Impey, Scrimshaw, Sicily, Brockman etc. Hopefully a few out Boxhill crew can some good.

We had some disappointing efforts early on when Clarko started his tenure but the education they received bore fruit.

 

[Milkshaker]

View attachment 1105901

Give it a rest.

 

[Mrzohs]

The team is slow you will get that with..
Tom,Jom,Worp,Shiels and three wingers in Morrison,Howe,Phillips mind boggling. To think Cuz is not in the 22 or Downie can't be exposed atm. A Slow inside square and one paced wingers you can't have both!!! Surley a blind man can see this all our dash and dare is off half back.

The fwd line is like the great bermuda triangle. The curse of the skipper it's like we appoint a skipper and they loose all ability overnight.

 

[Chioli]

I watched the entire Box Hill game yersterday and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Finn looks like a handy VFL player, no less no more.

I think we all hope for him to be a JK jnr clone but at this stage he is miles off it.

As was Josh at this point

 

[Lickmesocks]

I watched the entire Box Hill game yersterday and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Finn looks like a handy VFL player, no less no more.

I think we all hope for him to be a JK jnr clone but at this stage he is miles off it.

I have watched Finn a few times. His bigger body size and shape helped him through at under 18s.

He doesn’t have many tricks as a player like explosive speed nor great kicking skills. His old man was exactly the same.

The club have identified he has endurance and to me looks like a hard working soldier when I have been at training. He is playing as a tagger at Box Hill and being given jobs each week by Mitchell.

Perhaps these are the ingredients required to be a great tagger in the game long term.

 

[DEECEE]

The thing that concerned me is how easily the dees could score against us in the last quarter. We had been competitive for most of the day, but then got completely blown away in the last. I have been really impressed by Frost so far this year. His 2nd, and 3rd efforts really stand out, in a rebuilding team that is what i want to see. JOM is an absolute beast.

 

[SA HAWK]

Burgoyne the massive outlier I am guessing.

Take out Burgers for us and Jones for them still fairly similar i would think.

 

[westhawk]

I watched the entire Box Hill game yersterday and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Finn looks like a handy VFL player, no less no more.

I think we all hope for him to be a JK jnr clone but at this stage he is miles off it.

Give him a chance , it is his first year of senior footy. JK was average his first couple of years. Finn is also having to play a negating role, which is something he has never had to do. Has all the attributes to make it and has a great attitude.