Analysis Tom Hawkins - clearly not insignificant !

[BlightysCats]

I sense that he will rag-doll the Hawks in the first week of the finals...

I don't, unless they put Gibson on him, I reckon Frawley will go to him and curtail him. He only had 10 disposals and 2 goals last time we played the Hawks and they'd be quite aware that under pressure our mids tend to just bomb long in his direction.

 

[SJ]

Hawkins has a good game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's not insignificant
Hawkins has a poor game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's insignificant

If you fall into either of the above you are missing the point.

 

[jimmy.h]

Hawkins has a good game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's not insignificant
Hawkins has a poor game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's insignificant

If you fall into either of the above you are missing the point.

I disagree. Hawkins is clearly not insignificant. He may be out of form or on the decline or a player who has never lived up to his potential or not as good as the elite key forwards or a player who doesn't suit our game plan or a player we are over reliant on.

But I don't see how one could possibly consider our leading goal kicker who is top 10 in the AFL in goals and scoring shots, top 5 in contested marks, marks inside 50 and tackles inside 50 and top 20 for total score involvements to be insignificant.

 

[SJ]

I disagree. Hawkins is clearly not insignificant. He may be out of form or on the decline or a player who has never lived up to his potential or not as good as the elite key forwards or a player who doesn't suit our game plan or a player we are over reliant on.

But I don't see how one could possibly consider our leading goal kicker who is top 10 in the AFL in goals and scoring shots, top 5 in contested marks, marks inside 50 and tackles inside 50 and top 20 for total score involvements to be insignificant.

Exactly.

But that does not mean that he has necessarily had a very good year nor does it mean that it is not crucial that he should change aspects to his game.

 

[jimmy.h]

Yep sorry you got me on that one but Essendon wasn't and they finished bottom also our inside 50% to goal ratio was better against North than the vast majority of our other games for the year.

Our goal to inside 50 ratio against North ranked 9th out of 22. At 0.263 it was a tad higher than both the mean and median for the season which came in at 0.260. It was good in that game but hardly a standout compared to other games.

What did standout in that game was our clearance differential which was our second highest for the year at +14. This was substantially higher than our the mean and median differential which came in at +2.5. In the only game with a higher clearance differential, we had an goal to inside 50 ration of 0.403 which was our best for the year.

In fact of the 7 games where he had a clearance differential of +10 or greater, the game Hawkins wasn't playing in ranked 2nd last for goal to inside 50 ratio. Typically if we dominate in the midfield we convert well inside 50. And when we are dominating in the midfield we seem to convert better inside 50 when Hawkins is in the team than when he isn't.

 

[catempire]

Hawkins has a good game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's not insignificant
Hawkins has a poor game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's insignificant

If you fall into either of the above you are missing the point.

If you start a thread saying Hawkins is insignificant, or if you come here agreeing with that premise, well, I can't help you. Those coming after a good performance to rub it in have shown great restraint given the ridiculousness of the OP.

 

[LongBomb]

Hawkins has a good game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's not insignificant
Hawkins has a poor game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's insignificant

If you fall into either of the above you are missing the point.

It's a pointless thread. Wish it would go away.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Hawkins has a good game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's not insignificant
Hawkins has a poor game: Half the board comes to gloat that he's insignificant

If you fall into either of the above you are missing the point.

Maybe the point you're missing is that the perceived former group isn't sitting here claiming he's the best power forward in the game and is in impeccable form.

More so just shooting down the laughably ludicrous suggestion that he's insignificant.
We can do that and still admit he has areas to improve or weaknesses.

 

[Mr Meow]

I do think if Hawkins is having a bad day or missing we're more likely to kick a winning score with this forward set up than in previous years. We're also less reliant on the actual number of goals he provides.

However Hawkins in the team, playing well (not just kicking goals but moving well, getting the ball to ground, one percenters etc) and being used correctly is a huge asset to us. An essential requirement if we are to win the premiership.

I think if we keep the same forward set up for the next couple of years, not only will we get more out of Tom, but the others will complement him better as well. A Lachie Henderson clone up there would also solve some remaining problems. Due to injuries, form and ball movement up the ground we haven't gotten the best out of Tom or our forward line in general for the past few years. I have hope and expectation that is starting to change, with better results to come.

 

[SJ]

Hawkins is actually going to be a huge barometer against Hawthorn. They look so shaky in the air at both ends of the ground.

 

[JohnZ]

I don't, unless they put Gibson on him, I reckon Frawley will go to him and curtail him. He only had 10 disposals and 2 goals last time we played the Hawks and they'd be quite aware that under pressure our mids tend to just bomb long in his direction.

The way I see it working out is 3 ways
1) Cats bomb the ball to hawkins long and high, frawley and hawkins wrestle (hawks win) and Gibson comes in 3rd man and marks it
2) Cats kick it lace out and hawkins marks hands stretched and kicks a goal (Cats win)
3) Cats kick it lace out and hawkins marks hands stretched and kicks a behind (meh)

Watching dangerfield kick it to hawkins' advantage is something all of our mids and forwards need to watch on tape and practice relentlessly for the next 10 days. If he's one on one, he can mark in a wrestle, but we don't have the forward power to be able to single him out and deny gibson a run at the ball

 

[Mr Meow]

Dangefield's left leg and Tom Hawkins chest have a special relationship, and I'd like to see them go the whole way.

 

[Saint]

When he's in front or at least beside his opponent, he's the type of player that can win a team a premiership.

When he plays from behind, he's insignificant to the point of being a liability.

 

[JUBJUB]

Dangefield's left leg and Tom Hawkins chest have a special relationship, and I'd like to see them go the whole way.

Did your parents not teach you about the birds and the bees ?
I don't think a leg and a chest can do that

 

[FredLeDeux]

Did your parents not teach you about the birds and the bees ?
I don't think a leg and a chest can do that

You need to watch more internet.

 

[fpm84]

Hawkins is actually going to be a huge barometer against Hawthorn. They look so shaky in the air at both ends of the ground.

Without the triple premiership bookends of Lake and Roughead, and minus Hale, they seem to have nobody to take a contested mark at either end.

Frawley is a spoiler, not a marker. Gunston is a leading forward.

The likes of McGovern, Kennedy and even Cloke and Jesse White have gotten hold of them in the last fortnight.

 

[SJ]

Without the triple premiership bookends of Lake and Roughead, and minus Hale, they seem to have nobody to take a contested mark at either end.

Frawley is a spoiler, not a marker. Gunston is a leading forward.

The likes of McGovern, Kennedy and even Cloke and Jesse White have gotten hold of them in the last fortnight.

I just hope we don't get too carried away with kicking long to big packs all day. Slick ball movement to good options always beats bombing to no one.

 

[RedVest4]

Very constructive... And I'm the troll...

Who in the media has stated that Hawkins is not in Geelong's best 22?

about a month ago around the Sydney loss, lots of people were saying he is out of form as the game has passed him by and should maybe get a run in the 2s. One of our good games this year was against North without him... Happy to be proven wrong, let's see how he goes in finals with some good defenders playing on him.

 

[JUBJUB]

Very constructive... And I'm the troll...

I never said you were a troll.I said you're an idiot.

 

[Hood007]

I never said you were a troll.I said you're an idiot.

It's like he can't even read or something Jub.

 

[JUBJUB]

It's like he can't even read or something Jub.

See,an idiot

 

[Saint]

In the wet, Hawkins' positioning will be additionally critical, he simply must get in front. If he does that consistently, he might break free and kick a bag.

I've got a hunch Hawkins will get on top of Frawley in the wet including an elusive free kick or two and the Hawks will be all at sea without anyone to go to him.

 

[Gavin Excell]

In the wet, Hawkins' positioning will be additionally critical, he simply must get in front. If he does that consistently, he might break free and kick a bag.

I've got a hunch Hawkins will get on top of Frawley in the wet including an elusive free kick or two and the Hawks will be all at sea without anyone to go to him.

Wet weather = Hawkins

I expect important game

 

[Mr Meow]

The very least we need to see from Hawk is movement and pack-crashing. When he's not mobile the rest of the forward line follows his (non-existent) lead and we get caught flat footed for the majority of I50 entries. With the likes of Menzel, Motlop and Linc we have some dangerous and crafty players once the ball hits the deck. A big bag of goals would still be nice to see, but just creating 50:50 situations instead of uninterrupted rebounds is what I really want as a starting base.

 

[DanA]

Stood up again in a big final. Not our best but arguably our most important.