Autopsy Hawks vs Tuggers

[Changa10]

This was another Masterstroke from Clarko. Let's face it Mitch could have played if it was crucial, but dropping Mitch was going to force the likes of Lewis,shiels,smith etc not to subconsciously rely on Mitch so they would have to do the heavy lifting without him, in turn give them so confidence and hopefully kickstart our season.

Great post. Ballsy of Clarko

I called it before the game to my Mrs and the people we went with.
Just a genius coach.
We are so lucky we just cannot possibly realise right now.

I tried to agree here, but as good a coach as Clarko is, you can't seriously think Clarko would 'drop' Mitchell (our clear best and inform midfielder this year) to lift the confidence and work rate of our 'out of form mids'!

It worked out well, but I very highly doubt this was in any way a 'masterstroke' of Clarko's.

Loved the way Lewis worked his way back into the game. Did the 1 percenters early, and found the pill in the second half. Kids stepped up, especially Billy, TOB, Brand and Howe. We just need them now to show some consistency.

Looking forward to next week at Aurora

 

[Gralin]

I tried to agree here, but as good a coach as Clarko is, you can't seriously think Clarko would 'drop' Mitchell (our clear best and inform midfielder this year) to lift the confidence and work rate of our 'out of form mids'!

It worked out well, but I very highly doubt this was in any way a 'masterstroke' of Clarko's.

Loved the way Lewis worked his way back into the game. Did the 1 percenters early, and found the pill in the second half. Kids stepped up, especially Billy, TOB, Brand and Howe. We just need them now to show some consistency.

Looking forward to next week at Aurora

I think it was sticking to the plan that was ballsy.
We've not risked players with an injury. Gibbo with hamstring tightness, Mitch with a sore calf, Chip with a concussion.
Sticking to the play it safe with injuries early in the year takes balls.
On top of that we got smashed last week, the temptation to play Mitch on a Friday night would have been huge, shows faith in the rest of the boys that they didn't and in the end the boys repaid the faith.
That is good coaching

 

[MadDawg]

I tried to agree here, but as good a coach as Clarko is, you can't seriously think Clarko would 'drop' Mitchell (our clear best and inform midfielder this year) to lift the confidence and work rate of our 'out of form mids'!

It worked out well, but I very highly doubt this was in any way a 'masterstroke' of Clarko's.

Yep, it wasn't even his call to leave Mitch out.

He said in the press conference that Mitchell had a fitness test Friday morning and he got a phone call telling him he was out, describing it as "not a call you want to get the morning of a big game".

 

[Thaihawk]

Media now trying to trend #freegoalhawthorn with this article, apparently we get bad free goals now when we need help to win
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/ha...d/news-story/9d01c434f82478c6026d13630c0ed177

This is typical of the B/S tripe we as Hawthorn supporters, and of course the club, has to put up with every week.

If the 29/19 free kick had have been reversed, today we would see countless articles about how Hawthorn were once again given the run of the green. However, with Richmond on the hand out end of the majority of umpiring decisions, the free kick count can simply put down to the fact that we play unsociable footy!

Before the goal that wasn't that wasn't incident, Richmond had received countless cheap and unwarranted continuous frees, some of which resulted in goals.

Once again we have to beat the system, silence the media, and beat the enemy to achieve our four-peat. The media aren't smart enough to realise that all their articles only fuel our fire, and make us stronger. I hope none of them change their tactics, as they have worked in the past for us, so why not again in 2016.

Bruce and Dennis continually even mentioned how Rance and Cotchin would have made a difference to the tigers. Mitch., Hodge, Chip, and Rough would have helped us a little too guys.

To think I don't like criticizing umpires, but I felt I had to get this off my chest.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I'm beginning to see Schoey as depth for TOB. Have never been a Schoey hater either - I just like TOB a lot.

Yep, TOB clearly ahead of schoey on 2016 output. Was impressed by his quick hands and composure in the clinches last night.

 

[threesixpio]

I tried to agree here, but as good a coach as Clarko is, you can't seriously think Clarko would 'drop' Mitchell (our clear best and inform midfielder this year) to lift the confidence and work rate of our 'out of form mids'!

It worked out well, but I very highly doubt this was in any way a 'masterstroke' of Clarko's.

Loved the way Lewis worked his way back into the game. Did the 1 percenters early, and found the pill in the second half. Kids stepped up, especially Billy, TOB, Brand and Howe. We just need them now to show some consistency.

Looking forward to next week at Aurora

I'm not closed to this possibility at all - when you take into consideration his press conference last week.

AND - if it was his intention it worked.

 

[extractasam]

or is following instructions

Yeah he is, no doubt. He still looks a bit timid though.

 

[Crankyhawk]

The Hill bashing astounds me.
Some have the courage to back into packs.
Some have the courage to leave their man to make the contest.
Some have the courage to split a pack.
Brad continuously shows the courage to gut run. Create options. Link up. His gut running blew up numerous finger pointing Richmond players through the latter stages of qtrs 3 & 4. Deflated blokes.

One game back and his first of the season...from a busted wrist... after a promising first qtr he copped a severe lower leg blow that would've sat a lesser bloke out for the rest of the match.
Instead he came back. We were able to use near our full rotation quota which helped us be running on top of the ground in our final minutes.
Yet all the critics bleat about a defender clearly holding size advantage in the last qtr pushing him off it.

Please start understanding blokes have roles. Brad has previously shown (2014 GF as a prime example on both Malceski & Tippett) he has the ability to pin someone. But this is not his primary role.

People who question this blokes courage and think their grandma could do better need to go out and show me she has the courage to gut run 200/300m continuous reps 90 minutes into a contest to the final siren.

Hill also won contested ball in the third, gave it to McEvoy who fumbled, turned it over resulting in tigers goal.

 

[Changa10]

I think it was sticking to the plan that was ballsy.
We've not risked players with an injury. Gibbo with hamstring tightness, Mitch with a sore calf, Chip with a concussion.
Sticking to the play it safe with injuries early in the year takes balls.
On top of that we got smashed last week, the temptation to play Mitch on a Friday night would have been huge, shows faith in the rest of the boys that they didn't and in the end the boys repaid the faith.
That is good coaching

Absolutely agree, and given our age profile we need to continue to 'rest' players with niggles/injuries. This is why the three, 3 point wins are so important. They have helped to set up our season.

I just can't agree that it was a master plan of Clarko's to get Lewis/Shiels etc into some form in Mitchell's absence.

 

[LuvMyHawks]

FF FA AF SC
1 Western Bulldogs 6 228.5 222.3 450.8 97.3 12.8 12.3 61.5 32.0 23.2 14.7 1766.2 1836.8. Average



Bulldogs have the most frees for 6 rounds, 139 for, against 88, will be interesting to see how many they get next game..

 

[Blueboy75]

A very nice polished win in the end& the Hawthorn way it seemed,being tested especially for three quarters but came home flying in the end.And all without Hodgey,Mitch,Chips&Roughy.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Great to get the win with so many inexperienced players in the side.

 

[beta_condition]

Media isn't going to mention the Gunston non mark in the first quarter? The worst decision in the AFL area.

 

[kimbopen]

Or why not talk about the 8m pass that resulted in a Richmond goal and the Richmond player that ran about 30m without bouncing .....,but no, hawthorn got another questionable free.... They can GAGF......# melt

#headf***ed

 

[Todman]

In: Mitchell
Out: Duyrea

 

[Changa10]

In: Mitchell
Out: Duyrea

Who did Duryea play on last night, out of curiosity?

 

[Billyc]

Media isn't going to mention the Gunston non mark in the first quarter? The worst decision in the AFL area.

Carey said it was the correct call. Seriously.

 

[kimbopen]

Carey said it was the correct call. Seriously.

Drugs are bad, mmmmmmmkay?

 

[Thaihawk]

In: Mitchell
Out: Duyrea

And for Chip?

 

[Mitchell54]

IN: Mitchell, Frawley
out: Frowns and losses

 

[Davo23]

I tried to agree here, but as good a coach as Clarko is, you can't seriously think Clarko would 'drop' Mitchell (our clear best and inform midfielder this year) to lift the confidence and work rate of our 'out of form mids'!

It worked out well, but I very highly doubt this was in any way a 'masterstroke' of Clarko's.

Loved the way Lewis worked his way back into the game. Did the 1 percenters early, and found the pill in the second half. Kids stepped up, especially Billy, TOB, Brand and Howe. We just need them now to show some consistency.

Looking forward to next week at Aurora

Good post.

Also Mitchell being out results in 2 things:
1. The midfield and half back structures are different. Other players share his responsibilities and everyone has to play differently
2. The others mids have to change the "give the ball to Sammy" plan. When he's there, Mitch is the obvious receiver for any other player with the ball (with damn good reason). When he's not there, players have to change their options, and bring others into the game.

And I have no doubt that Sammy was rested, he usually has a game or two off each year.

 

[Billyc]

Drugs are bad, mmmmmmmkay?

So are domestic violence, assaulting police, squeezing a woman's breasts without consent, sleeping with a mate's (and teammate's) wife, destroying a football club you are captain of.

The AFL and footy media can throw around all the token 'women's equality' and anti domestic violence rhetoric they like but while an insipid excuse for a man like Carey continues to be employed within the sport, such talk is all utterly meaningless.

 

[darcy tyler]

Carey said it was the correct call. Seriously.

Haha, that tells me all I need to know.

 

[Gralin]

Carey said it was the correct call. Seriously.

Yep and Bruce was the first to say he was wrong then ling backed up Bruce, when that happened Cometti started sucking up to Duck like his ego was too fragile to handle being wrong

 

[darcy tyler]

Exactly - he's played 20 games! Half of them as sub! I thought he was excellent last night , definitely earned his spot and worked well with smith and hill to out run them over the 4 quarters! Its no coincidence that all 3 players had probably their best games for the year last night as they worked well together to do that!

I think he's on 33, but i agree.

Also, 5 guys out there last night had an average of 6 games last night, while hartung and langers are about 35 on average. That's a third of the team!

Exactly - he's played 20 games! Half of them as sub! I thought he was excellent last night , definitely earned his spot and worked well with smith and hill to out run them over the 4 quarters! Its no coincidence that all 3 players had probably their best games for the year last night as they worked well together to do that!