Autopsy Hawthorn pipped at the post by Port Adelaide

[Walshawk]

Listening to Hinkley’s presser, Ginnivan’s post probably cost us that game.

The game plan needs a tweak, we were the hunted tonight. Not aggressive enough.
I would not have re-signed Gunston or Bruest. Neither will be in the team if we make a prelim or better in 2025. And Sicily should have kicked that goal. It hit the top of the post from 51m - there was no need to run around. We had a great crack but are still a fair way off winning three or four finals. I have no doubt we will do the work required to be better in 2025.

Pick 13 for Barrass straight swap, nothing extra needed. Let’s hope we good a good one with Pick 30.

Into tonight’s team: Day, Lewis, Barrass, Battle

 

[Simon Crawshay]

If we had Battle / Barrass tonight not only would we have limited Ports ability to score but we could have played Sicily up forward night.

Sic is just so strong for a guy his size he makes a contest which Chol and Dear struggled with all night.

 

[kazzooka]

We’re going to win the flag next year.

We must, need to make up for this missed opportunity.

Need to be top 4 for the next 4-6 years now and try and win as many as possible.

 

[jerry_atrick]

I am super proud of the team - the whole lot of them.. players, coaching staff, conditioning/medics, etc.

Port brought themselves to the game on their home turf with a day more between games than us. We had an orfinary day at the office - maybe it was the step up of a semi, but our decision making was pretty ordinary (e.g. Ginni handballing back into a contest as he is being run over the boundary line, in our defensive 50.. ).

So, us with an ordinary night, slighlty undermanned, and an underszed defence, a day less to recover from an elimination final, and we only just missed to, what is on paper, a good team and finished second on the ladder. A miss may be as good as a mile, but, F! me, I can't wait for next season, because if that is how we go with a bad day, there will be a lot of fantastic days ahead.

Apart from the loss itself, the other downer is it won't be us who buries Hinkley's career.

 

[Nugett]

View attachment 2110130

Much respect to sic for that

 

[peetoo]

Yep. This has a " We will not lose to these pricks again while I'm coaching" feel too it. And he's absolutely right. You don't mouth off to a player whilst we are chairing off a club legend. Sic should have smacked him in the gob and copped whatever punishment cane his way. Totally unprofessional immature reaction to some harmless comments. They deserve nothing but total irrelevancy as a club thanks to old Kenny.yep if you can’t control your dhit

If you can’t control your mouth in a chair off. Just take your team off and let us get on with it without them

 

[DodgeyRodge]

Congrats Sam, the players and all the Hawk staff for an unforgettable ride! Onwards and upwards in ‘25!

 

[Kuuz]

Really proud of the boys. Sucks to lose, but we have a super young team - they will be back next year!

The fact is, the boys have basically been playing elimination finals for months now. It was always going to be a tall order to keep it going - but to go until mid-September is bloody remarkable. Moreover, they nearly pinched it despite being below their best. All good signs.

Port - meh. They are the biggest faux side in the comp. They will get done by the Swans, but that will be enough for Ken to limp along another year. Let him chirp - his side won't win a GF so long as he's in charge.

Onwards and upwards. Boys will be burning to take it further next year, and another year of growth will be exciting.

Who's rise is next year - Weddle as a mid? Wiz goes to new heights? Or maybe a new player rises to the challenge.

Gah exciting stuff!

 

[checkraiseulite]

Completely forgot about Day. We really missed him tonight. Would have been the difference.

frost is much maligned but we really really missed him tonight.

 

[SA HAWK]

So much optimism now compared to 12 months ago.

Invaluable experience tonight.

Day & Frost injuries hurt us tonight.

 

[Endorphin Machine]

So 14 Days was the entire premise for their motivation.

We have to be better

Thats really just smoke. Their pressure and chip / mark tempo tactic is really what set up their win. We just couldnt get our usual speed and flow on the ball . The rest is just theatre.
And we had some howlers that we got punished on . The Hardwick kick into the man , and that risky Newcombe kick that set up their Rioli goal in red time just before the main break .
All that aside , im majority proud of the year and the team is transformed, were now going to be a force going forward .

 

[SA HAWK]

How good was the wiz in the finals?

7 goals in 2 games.

Big game player.

 

[badgrill]

So Ginnivan cost us. Hokball defo dead

Sleep it off, mate. It's embarassing.

 

[flamin_heck]

Nah man that's bullshit.

The main motivation for tonight for Port was that they embarassed themselves last week with an 80 point loss. The Ginni comment was a convenient thing to blame but all season Port have backed up their shitty cold performances with very good ones.

Blaming Ginni or that specific tweet is completely missing the point

I don’t disagree with you per se- the problem is, Ginny’s comment was perfect ammunition to feed to a mob looking for reasons to claw back some dignity- no matter how innocent Ginny’s comments were you don’t want to give the oppo any slight motivation. I hope he learns from it.

 

[Billyc]

I’m gutted but Port were better than us tonight. They stifled our best runners and ball users. We couldn’t get in sync all night. Actually staying close enough that we could have won it was testament to the group.

Watson Newcombe Scrimshaw Meek all terrific. Many were subdued but nobody lacked for effort.

Proud of the group after a super year.

Hinkley is a classless grub. 60 year old man abusing a 21 year old after his team wins a very close one while a champion of the game is to be chaired off. Embarrassing.

Plenty of great moments this year, plenty of lessons. We weren’t our best tonight and must learn from it

 

[Simon Crawshay]

frost is much maligned but we really really missed him tonight.

Frosty is if nothing else a supreme athletic specimen who would have been ideally suited to match up on Gerogiardis.

Scrimmers was awesome tonight but I feel he missed having Frosty as his backup a couple of times.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

Already marked in the calendar for next season, looking forward to port.

Unfortunate result, but overall could not be more proud of the boys and the effort this season. Exciting times ahead

 

[Leather Poisoning]

How good was the wiz in the finals?

7 goals in 2 games.

Big game player.

This guy is made for finals - even with low possessions - he took the big moments.

I was still reluctant to call it but this guy is amazing and would have happily given 2x first for him instead of the pick 5 we got. He's enormous

 

[Jethro!]

Sleep it off, mate. It's embarassing.

I took it as sarcasm

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Sam just teed off on Ken in the press conference, bit going on with someone

What did he say?

 

[Hawko1979]

Disappointed in the result but immensely proud of what we have achieved this season.

Seeing how devastated Mitch was shows that we are in good hands. He is such a competitive beast.

This loss shows that we still have some weaknesses that need to be addressed. Playing an away final under immense pressure will only hold us in good stead for next season and beyond.

Really proud of the boys, can't wait for 2025!

 

[Leather Poisoning]

We saw tonight what a lack of depth does.

I though Serong was awesome for a guy of his experience. He had some high quality finals moments. But lacking Frost and Day tonight meant we lacked creativity in the mid and solid-ness in the back. Port only kciked 75 which isn't a big night- but in a game of inches Frosty woudl have saved our bacon.

Hardwick had a massive night. Involved in everything. So many big wins, a couple of horrendous mistakes. Love the guy and woudln't swap him for the world.

 

[theiaofseed]

Clearly it was a huge theme of the week and it worked.

Some footy players are pretty simple. “This guy thinks he’s better than you” for some players is more effective than it being a cut throat final.

And?

As I said if a club needs that kind of thing for motivation it goes along way to explain why theyre a choking hazard.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

What did he say?

He was classy - but made it clear he was pissed off a that a season veteran of the game having a crack at a 21 year old after they've just lost a semi final is classless. (paraphrasing)

 

[eldorado]

Hinkley is a classless grub. 60 year old man abusing a 21 year old after his team wins a very close one while a champion of the game is to be chaired off. Embarrassing.

Utterly beyond belief what a classless, ****wit, display that was.