Autopsy Some promising signs but Hawks too good

[Jack2Jack]

We have a lot of those enigma players with a lot of talent that can look amazing one week then look like duds the next. Look shithouse in one half then have great for a qtr before going missing again. I'd say there's a good 5-6 in that 'group' who were out there tonight and only one played a game you'd give a pass to.
All of them past 50 games now, so no more excuses for them.

It's why this 2021-24 group just has never feel as trustworthy as the other top sides. It's why our best and worst fluctuates so dramatically....more so than any other regularly top 4 side I can remember.

The challenge Cox has is extracting consistency out of that enigma group or needing to make the brave call to push some of them out....wonder if he will?

 

[Banyo Bloods]

The constant not 15 calls put our disposal under pressure leading to a turnover. It didn’t seem obvious to me that they weren’t 15 barring a couple. Home ground and we never get that home ground ump feel other clubs enjoy

 

[Coachs Helpline]

The final scoreline says it already. Dont like to blame one player but Ollie Florent seriously took the wind out of the sails and killed momentum at a vital stage. Lewis Melican should take a mark when its there to take - stop fisting the ball to the oppositions advantage and take a mark mate. Round zero. Opening game. Rusty performance??. Dean Cox put the lizard where he can do what he does best - a nice goal.. Early days but dont see the brilliance…some players always shine at some point.. Chad Warner as always a star

 

[RubbaDuck]

Am still stuck in car park. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow send help.

Update?

I'd like to say I have an avalanche of St Bernards on standby for just such emergencies, barrels full of brandy....

But no, I'd be lying. I have no such dogs and I drank the brandy.

If your still stuck I could always send Tutti and Frutti with a part-filled hip flask of Pina Colada.

 

[Ed_Gein]

I think we still should stick with Sheldrick now he is in, maybe as sub

I'm not sure. I know it sounds harsh, but he doesn't have much of a game IQ.

Looks like Taylor Adams has pinged a hamstring, so we might persist with him...

 

[Jack Lord]

How do you humiliate yourself on grand final day for the second time in 3 years, then come out flat round 1?
Speaks volumes for the leaders

I’m no psychologist but I fear that our GF flogging could lead to drops in confidence and increase in self doubt. I expected a performance like last night. I think they did well to hold it together after the Geeling GF disaster.

 

[Collateral]

Same fumbling, bumbling form from late last year. Can’t take a mark, can’t kick to one another, can’t communicate in defence.

Grundy, Florent and Blakey killed us multiple times.

Chad, Heeney, Papley, Wicks stood out but weren’t helped much.

 

[Rhino5]

The constant not 15 calls put our disposal under pressure leading to a turnover. It didn’t seem obvious to me that they weren’t 15 barring a couple. Home ground and we never get that home ground ump feel other clubs enjoy

Love how the AFL randomly decides to fixate on being “hot” on one particular rule every now and then….I support calling out the dinky 5m passes that shouldn’t be allowed, but some of those “not 15” calls were an absolute joke.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Love how the AFL randomly decides to fixate on being “hot” on one particular rule every now and then….I support calling out the dinky 5m passes that shouldn’t be allowed, but some of those “not 15” calls were an absolute joke.

“Randomly” lol.

 

[Collateral]

The constant not 15 calls put our disposal under pressure leading to a turnover. It didn’t seem obvious to me that they weren’t 15 barring a couple. Home ground and we never get that home ground ump feel other clubs enjoy

The umpiring in general was terrible, I thought. Hawks players throwing their head back whenever they get tackled and the umpires rewarding it, not sure how many times Hawks were tackled and lost the ball only for it to be play on.

 

[Collateral]

The promising sign to me was:

We couldn’t have played worse, are missing key players, had to battle the umpires all game, Hawks played really well…and yet, we were still in it all game.

 

[RUNVS]

The constant not 15 calls put our disposal under pressure leading to a turnover. It didn’t seem obvious to me that they weren’t 15 barring a couple. Home ground and we never get that home ground ump feel other clubs enjoy

Particulatly on Blakey for some reason. Felt like Blakey had around 3 or 4 "not 15's" called against him, kicks that were quite a bit longer than quite a few Hawthorn kicks that were considered 15 metres by the umpires.

 

[GreyGooseGuy88]

Disagree.

Grundy is a former AA ruck who is now getting consistently beaten by solid citizens.

If tonight was a one-off stinker, fair enough. But it’s not. I can’t recall a really good game after the mid-season bye last year.

Everyone has bad games. But when it becomes a trend, it’s a problem.

Many of our problems are starting in the ruck contest. And his impact around the ground has fallen away pretty dramatically.

Maybe Ladhams still wasn't 100% right for this game, but if he was it was a huge mistake not picking him to play last night over a clearly underdone Grundy. We must pick fit players. Hamling must play in defence now.

Drop FLORENT, LLOYD please.

On notice: Sheldrick, Warner Jr, Paton, Campbell

Delisting McAndrew was maybe a mistake in hindsight

 

[Swansujelly]

not unexpected result. Wicks gave Watson a bath, tick. Would have preferred McCartin stay back to release Liz and Ladhams in and Paton not play, but what would I know. Sheldrick needs more grippo. Guilden is sorely missed. Early days though, new coach plus players out. Grundy got better but looked old compared to Meek. Hopefully just early games fog.

 

[Caj]

Seems to be a lot of over reacting in here

We certainly didn’t bring our A game but we have a lot more upside than the Hawks. They’ll be a finals team this year (unfortunately)

Positives

Wicks
Amartey

Cox generally pulled the right reigns although letting Day go untagged early was a misstep

Chad
Jordon
Hanily

Selection and sub was spot on

Negatives

Too many players had down nights

Grundy looks underdone and I think Ladhams would’ve put in a better shift

Ollie had a shocker, shoukd be on a wing

Free Kick Hawthorn is back

Campbell didn’t maintain momentum from preseason

Co Warner and Sheldrick were disappointing

Hayward was Hayward

Adams looks cooked

 

[Collateral]

I don’t agree that Amartey was a positive. He isn’t a ball winner in any sense of the word, unless it’s drawing a free kick.

 

[Swansujelly]

I don’t agree that Amartey was a positive. He isn’t a ball winner in any sense of the word, unless it’s drawing a free kick.

he makes a contest and did some really good things offf the ball and on the ground. I thought he was good.

 

[Skystyler]

thought it was a great game, and we were right in it till very late. Oli's gift killed any chance we had of overcoming them in the wet - get him out of the backline. Cant have both him and Blakey coughing up gifts each and every game.
The 3rd quarter was brilliant, but too much panic in the last quarter when we were still a chance - how many kicks went straight up in the air? How many marks went begging coz players chose to fist the ball instead?
Meek and Barass were the difference. Sicily and Day were great too - should have been quelled earlier than half time.
I cant remember Grundy's last good game. He is a liability in the ruck. Gives away a ton of free kicks every week and taps it straight to the opps best mid regularly.
McCartin held our defense together last year and Cox moves him to FF - where he is OK, but c'mon - and replaces him with Ben Paton???? Wicks move otoh ...
Can't lose the clearances and intercepts marks that badly and expect to win.

 

[Collateral]

he makes a contest and did some really good things offf the ball and on the ground. I thought he was good.

I agree that he has a go and puts himself in the contest, he just rarely wins it and there’s a lot of movement that amounts to nothing.

 

[The King!]

I'm not sure. I know it sounds harsh, but he doesn't have much of a game IQ.

Looks like Taylor Adams has pinged a hamstring, so we might persist with him...

Can’t just give him 1 week imo

 

[rustycrate]

We have a lot of those enigma players with a lot of talent that can look amazing one week then look like duds the next. Look shithouse in one half then have great for a qtr before going missing again. I'd say there's a good 5-6 in that 'group' who were out there tonight and only one played a game you'd give a pass to.
All of them past 50 games now, so no more excuses for them.

It's why this 2021-24 group just has never feel as trustworthy as the other top sides. It's why our best and worst fluctuates so dramatically....more so than any other regularly top 4 side I can remember.

The challenge Cox has is extracting consistency out of that enigma group or needing to make the brave call to push some of them out....wonder if he will?

Great post.

But what is missing? Pushing out a few sends a message.

But what do we need to put in to make this side a formidable relentless side?

 

[Wheresbuddy]

There are 2 simple things which have been a weakness in recent memory.

1) Poor tackling
2) Giving away stupid frees

Blows my mind that the players and coaches can let this continue year on year.

 

[Coachs Helpline]

The umpiring in general was terrible, I thought. Hawks players throwing their head back whenever they get tackled and the umpires rewarding it, not sure how many times Hawks were tackled and lost the ball only for it to be play on.

 

[Coachs Helpline]

When is umpiring great? When they make LESS mistakes and more consistent decisions

 

[The King!]

The not 15s are odd, we need to adapt I guess.
Not enough inside 50s so much ****ing around.