Autopsy Hawks vs The Pusscats

[SHAKESPEARE]

We are coming up to a stage where we might as well rest 2 or 3 each week.

Stick in the rack...we're just preparing for the GF

 

[Roughies Boys]

Billie Smedts got his pants pulled down yesterday like many other Geelong players... Who cares if Sammy was trying to clothesline Selwood... Who would try it?

 

[grumbleguts]

A couple of observations:

1: In (I think it was) the 3rd quarter, lake went for a loose ball on the ground and was fairly clearly on his own. McEvoy decided to shepherd and lake grabbed the ball and had no one to give it to, so hand balled in Big Boy's general direction but aiming for there boundary line. Ideally had big boy cut his teeth at hawthorn instead of St Kilda (where the shepherd was probably necessary) he would have run off his man in stead of shepherding, giving lake a loose target to aim for. For me this is the difference between 1 season at hawthorn and 2. Players generally get used to the fact that their team mates will win the footy and instead of staying to help out they become the first link.

2: Taylor Duryea will be forgiven for thinking Bartel WANTED him to ram his face into the dirt. Let's face it, last season he saw Bartel do that very thing to himself when he dived into the dirt with no other impetus than him wanting to hit it with his face. Should it go any further, this should be Taylor's defense.

3: The kicking at goal issues will settle down and be what they were last season, in pretty quick fashion.

 

[beta_condition]

I was very impressed with Taylor Duryea's game, thought his pre season games were woeful at best and couldn;t understand why he was in the starting 21 but his game was fantastic on the weekend, looking every bit more and more like Brett Guerra.

 

[Argy]

I actually like the cats, and don't normally bag them out, but they seemed to be pretty heavy on the biff today, across the board, especially big dudes on little dudes, and Sam was copping it at all angles, all game.

Agree with this. I too enjoy playing the cats, but I thought there was a deliberate tactic to try to rough us up after we piled on a few goals. A sign of real desperation.

 

[MinerBoy]

Hawthorns last 6 games....

Hawthorn 14.10 (94) def. Geelong 11.5 (71)
Collingwood 8.8 (56) def. by Hawthorn 18.13 (121)
Hawthorn 15.14 (104) def. Geelong 10.8 (68)
Hawthorn 15.7 (97) def. Port Adelaide 13.16 (94)
Sydney 11.8 (74) def. by Hawthorn 21.11 (137)
Hawthorn 17.21 (123) def. Geelong 8.13 (61)

Geelong. Yawn.

 

[MinerBoy]

Unbelievable bit of play. Had me out of the couch

Haha, one, two, three strikes you're out........What a gun!

 

[arupist]

Unbelievable bit of play. Had me out of the couch

After the first tackle, all I could see was Hodgey lining up SookieJ. And as expected, the first thing SookieJ does is appeal to the umps for a free (which was probably there, I might add) instead of getting on with the play.

 

[JustKickIt]

Billie Smedts got his pants pulled down yesterday like many other Geelong players... Who cares if Sammy was trying to clothesline Selwood... Who would try it?

Live by the neck - Die by the neck

 

[beta_condition]

Oh btw 5 straight to Breust 24 to go.

 

[markr]

I was very impressed with Taylor Duryea's game, thought his pre season games were woeful at best and couldn;t understand why he was in the starting 21 but his game was fantastic on the weekend, looking every bit more and more like Brett Guerra.

I was thinking exactly the same. Ordinary in the pre-season, but back to his finals form. A guy like him has to bring 100% intensity to every moment of his game. As long as he remembers that Clarko will love him and he'll have a spot in the side. (I would love for him to tidy up his kicking a tiny bit though. He's a lovely kick, but misses a few more targets than he should).

 

[Brishawk]

We really did flex our muscles and physically intimidate the cats yesterday. It is why I really like having hodge play in the midfield (and Burgoyne and Anderson).

 

[Cynic]

Lewis was massive.
Ceglar is our best ruck.
We didn't play that well.
Suckling was god awful.

Johnson & Selwood are bloody pricks.

 

[Ram-Man]

Where are those couple of flog Geelong posters from the preview thread?

No idea.

GO HAWKERS !

Lewis was massive.
Ceglar is our best ruck.
We didn't play that well.
Suckling was god awful.

Johnson & Selwood are bloody pricks.

Great Poem ... at least you could attempt to make it rhyme.

Lewis was massive,
Ceglar our best ruck.
We didn't play that well,
but who gives a f***?

 

[Arkadia]

Work colleagues are a little reserved towards me this morning, I haven't mentioned a word towards them about the football, not one for gloating but I think my smirk has riled them about our performance yesterday.

I really enjoyed yesterdays game from a team aspect, every player across the ground gave 100%. The confidence we had in each other to back your teammate and go in for the 2nd and 3rd effort.

I know we are all excited, but to use the old clichés, "lets take it one week at a time", "its only rd 1", "you cannot read to much into the first round" .

Very satisfying beating the pussycats, time to gloat a bit at the water-fountain, "Good Morning", "did you see the Hawks yesterday, impressive don't you think"...

 

[hawksalltheway]

Unbelievable bit of play. Had me out of the couch

that is such good play....sums up how team focussed our boys really are...

 

[Great 2008]

Now for the sheer pleasure of it I'm going to talk about Geelong and why their era is finally over.


For starters their youth hasn't taken the next step. Smedts, Guthrie, Caddy, Murdoch, Duncan, Blicavs and Horlin-Smith are good average footballers. Too much is being left to their silverbeards who are beginning to show signs of being past their used by date. Its only one game but Kelly, Enright, Lonergan and Bartel are all looking decidedly crispy and Stevie J did nothing after half time and has chronic foot issues.

The core problem is their midfield. Without Varcoe and Christensen they are decidedly one paced. Playing Bartel & Kelly through there just makes it worse. Unfortunately they have little choice since their kids tend to get monstered in contested ball and aren't that quick anyway.
Motlop has become an excellent player but they desperately need him in the forward line where they lack crummers and X-factor in general, but if they do that they lose one of their few midfield linebreakers. This kills them because they still rely on run and carry through the center so heavily. You'd think Chris Scott would've been working on a "plan B" over the summer but I guess not!

Up forward Hawkins & Clark is a great combination in theory that is going to cost them in practice. Hawkins is most dangerous when they clear out the forwardline and let him engage his opponent one-on-one, what they really need is quality crummers at his feet not another lumbering brute like Clark who has never impressed me with his defensive pressure and will allow oppositions to waltz the ball out of their forward-line even easier. This is where they desperately miss Varcoe because they are seriously lacking forward pressure and his pace always had guys like Birchall & Suckling looking over their shoulders.

Their backline is still solid at guarding the high ball, its a pity most good teams are smart enough these days to lower their eyes and hit up leading targets which is something the Cats are ordinary at defending against. I feel like I'm repeating myself but Taylor, Lonergan and Rivers are not quick and they will really struggle against a team like Port.

Geelong remind me a lot of Hawthorn back in 2009 or 2010. Some big name champion players who need replacing, numerous kids who aren't ready and a gameplan that's been well and truly picked apart. They'll still beat plenty of decent teams on their day but the aura is gone and teams won't fear them.
The cracks are already wide enough now that I don't think landing Dangerfield will save them when a good three or four of their best players on whom they rely so heavily will probably depart at year's end, something that may even be necessary for them to afford to throw the kitchen sink at Paddy.

It'll be very interesting to see if they try to hang around the bottom half of the eight for the next few years or pack it in and start a full rebuild.
I'd love to get some thoughts on these matters from Geelong posters like Son of God who've been very active on our board the past fortnight.

I wrote them off end of last year. Yesterday, was a bad loss to have at the start of the year. Will be a few hyenas lining up to pick over the carcass imo.

 

[grumbleguts]

Great Poem ... at least you could attempt to make it rhyme. ]

The cat fans gathered at the G
They sensed something was wrong
They were playing Hawthorn
And they were just Geelong

Their players tried to weave and dodge
"Don't give me the pill!
I'd be tackled almost straight away
The thought just makes me ill.

Selwood he's their hero
So many teams he'll wreck
Not due to his footy skills
But his torso is all neck!

Stevie J among their best
Not because of stats
He tried to break our Sammy's ribs
Typical of the Cats

The Cats relied on Hawkins
The hawks destroyed his mood
When he marks the footy well
He thinks the ball is food.

Mitch Clarke, poor man, had joined the cats
That would have killed his semen
He went home from the ground and thought
I should have stayed a Demon.

Mortlop is Rioli? Bah!
To pussies, he's a pearl
But all he seems to do these days
Is a stupid finger twirl

Debutants, they had a few
Cockatoo and Bews
It's good to see them get a game
It accustoms them to lose.

The cats should have not shown up
They could have just gone fishin'
They only thing they achieved today
was accomplishing a mission.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Looked to me that Hawthorn needed to spend a quarter blowing out some cobwebs after the fortnight layoff between the last NAB Challenge match and round 1. A lot of players committed some skill errors that ordinarily they probably would not have, if they were match sharpened. Even so, there were periods in the first quarter when Hawthorn looked almost peerless and Geelong needed a lot to go right to go into the quarter time break a goal up.

After the resumption of play, Hawthorn collectively turned on the jets and played football reminiscent of the style that eviscerated Sydney in the 2014 grand final. The style that Clarkson and the coaching staff like the players to implement revolves around constant and relentless pressure from numerous players on the ball carrier, as well as strategic positioning of players further up the field to narrow the options available to the opponent in possession. It was telling that in the second and third quarters, Hawthorn restricted Geelong to under 10 inside 50 entries for the two quarters combined, while also having the defensive players available to cope with both entries seeking out the tall forwards and the medium and small forwards.

I also thought it was interesting that Gunston in particular seemed to spend a considerable amount of time playing on half-back. It appeared that Hawthorn decided to send Gunston to half-back to play a forward line revolving around Roughead, a resting ruckman (generally McEvoy) and a number of small and medium forwards (Breust, Puopolo and Rioli generally) to again create problems for the Geelong defensive set-up. Even with Mackie a late withdrawal, Gunston played a particularly quiet game that was consistent with his apparent instructions (at least watching from the outer).

Mitchell had one of his quieter games against Geelong (perhaps not helped by the hit to the kidneys administered by Steve Johnson) but Lewis again was allowed to effectively do as he pleased. After he missed targets early in the game, Lewis tightened up his disposal and was particularly creative picking out targets forward of centre.

It's been talked about through the off-season but to my mind, Frawley's recruitment to the club will have a significant and positive effect on Josh Gibson's play. As noted earlier in the thread, I have the feeling that it will probably be Lewis and Gibson fighting it out for Peter Crimmins Medal honours at the end of the season. Gibson I believe relished the opportunity to play as the third tall defender who could work out of a zone rather than having to mind a tall marking target. Gibson had the capability to kill contests with the "Golden Fist"(TM) but also to take plenty of intercept marks when possible.

I thought Frawley was at least serviceable. He was beaten early in the game on a Hawkins lead but not even the best full backs could have stopped that pass from being completed. He was also beaten by Mitch Clark early in the game but again that was probably due to the fact he was out of position on a Hawk turnover. But after those early hiccups, I thought Frawley held his own and tried at least to create opportunities to move the ball forward. There's probably a few Melbourne-induced bad habits to erase from his "programming" but, touch wood, he should be a good acquisition for the Hawks.

 

[MinerBoy]

Work colleagues are a little reserved towards me this morning, I haven't mentioned a word towards them about the football, not one for gloating but I think my smirk has riled them about our performance yesterday.

I really enjoyed yesterdays game from a team aspect, every player across the ground gave 100%. The confidence we had in each other to back your teammate and go in for the 2nd and 3rd effort.

I know we are all excited, but to use the old clichés, "lets take it one week at a time", "its only rd 1", "you cannot read to much into the first round" .

Very satisfying beating the pussycats, time to gloat a bit at the water-fountain, "Good Morning", "did you see the Hawks yesterday, impressive don't you think"...

I have the Hawks tie on in the office. Probably wear it again tomorrow too for those still on an Easter long weekend.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Good luck to opposition sides scoring more than 10 goals a game against the Hawks. We gave up some soft ones yesterday but that will improve.

 

[Crankyhawk]

So you are suggesting we can get better once he settles

At least 3 times in the second half Frawley would get the ball, run forward then stop, not give off initially, run in a circle then handball to player who gave initial option who is now stationary. Needs to have confidence in his teammates

 

[Davo23]

Apparently, the Cats had a run of 15 or 20 consecutive wins against us not long ago?
Anyone remember that? I can't. They've been our bunnies forever!

They're missing some players though. They'll be better when Ablett, Chapman & co return

 

[threesixpio]

Looked to me that Hawthorn needed to spend a quarter blowing out some cobwebs after the fortnight layoff between the last NAB Challenge match and round 1. A lot of players committed some skill errors that ordinarily they probably would not have, if they were match sharpened. Even so, there were periods in the first quarter when Hawthorn looked almost peerless and Geelong needed a lot to go right to go into the quarter time break a goal up.

After the resumption of play, Hawthorn collectively turned on the jets and played football reminiscent of the style that eviscerated Sydney in the 2014 grand final. The style that Clarkson and the coaching staff like the players to implement revolves around constant and relentless pressure from numerous players on the ball carrier, as well as strategic positioning of players further up the field to narrow the options available to the opponent in possession. It was telling that in the second and third quarters, Hawthorn restricted Geelong to under 10 inside 50 entries for the two quarters combined, while also having the defensive players available to cope with both entries seeking out the tall forwards and the medium and small forwards.

I also thought it was interesting that Gunston in particular seemed to spend a considerable amount of time playing on half-back. It appeared that Hawthorn decided to send Gunston to half-back to play a forward line revolving around Roughead, a resting ruckman (generally McEvoy) and a number of small and medium forwards (Breust, Puopolo and Rioli generally) to again create problems for the Geelong defensive set-up. Even with Mackie a late withdrawal, Gunston played a particularly quiet game that was consistent with his apparent instructions (at least watching from the outer).

Mitchell had one of his quieter games against Geelong (perhaps not helped by the hit to the kidneys administered by Steve Johnson) but Lewis again was allowed to effectively do as he pleased. After he missed targets early in the game, Lewis tightened up his disposal and was particularly creative picking out targets forward of centre.

It's been talked about through the off-season but to my mind, Frawley's recruitment to the club will have a significant and positive effect on Josh Gibson's play. As noted earlier in the thread, I have the feeling that it will probably be Lewis and Gibson fighting it out for Peter Crimmins Medal honours at the end of the season. Gibson I believe relished the opportunity to play as the third tall defender who could work out of a zone rather than having to mind a tall marking target. Gibson had the capability to kill contests with the "Golden Fist"(TM) but also to take plenty of intercept marks when possible.

I thought Frawley was at least serviceable. He was beaten early in the game on a Hawkins lead but not even the best full backs could have stopped that pass from being completed. He was also beaten by Mitch Clark early in the game but again that was probably due to the fact he was out of position on a Hawk turnover. But after those early hiccups, I thought Frawley held his own and tried at least to create opportunities to move the ball forward. There's probably a few Melbourne-induced bad habits to erase from his "programming" but, touch wood, he should be a good acquisition for the Hawks.

Really like Frawley's pace but needs to be in the right places more often if he is to replace Lake who is the best at it as a defender in my view

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Really like Frawley's pace but needs to be in the right places more often if he is to replace Lake who is the best at it as a defender in my view

Lake certainly outplayed Frawley yesterday (IMO) but Lake has had two seasons in Hawthorn's system compared to a few months for Frawley. There will be some teething issues that Frawley will need to overcome as he develops his understanding of Hawthorn's gameplan and where he and his teammates are expected to run to through the game. As I mentioned earlier, Frawley certainly played reasonably well but with scope for improvement.