Autopsy Round 1 - Deja Vu

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Just back from the game - actually thought the atmosphere was great (full house behind the goals) and the first 50 minutes we showed something (just) resembling an AFL side.

As many have said here, having the 3 big men just didn't work. In particular CCJ looked useless - not sure what we saw in this guy and absolutely not sure why we let him force us to use draft capital to bring him across. He looks like a Glen Dugdale type to me - VFL standard at best - just looked like he had no clue out there and the MCG is where he has played his football.

My major concern is why were CZ and Sleevo picked for this game? Their pre season has been appalling and there performance today showed they should not have been picked.

If we are not prepared to raise the selection standards required at the club then we will be bottom 4 for a long while to come yet. Both must be dropped this week and not returned to the senior side until they dominate at VFL level - that could be 6-8 weeks away.

At the end of the day though most of us thought this would be a match between the bottom 2 sides in the comp and that is what it delivered - a very average match in terms of strategy, execution and overall skill level. We are going to cop some real hidings from the better sides this year. It could well be that we perform worse this year than last year given what we have seen over the past 3 weeks.

 

[Hojuman]

Actually picked crowd today, around 38,000.

But that shyte performance is gunna translate to no more than maybe 20k. next week. Just the rusted on's. Won't be many Weagles there.

 

[giantroo]

2. Kangas just had to cash in​

The Hawks had two players missing because of Covid protocols (Luke Breust

22

Luke Breust

Age

33

Ht

182cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.6

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

4.0

5star

G

1.9

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.3

1star

T

4.8

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

1.8

5star

and Ben McEvoy

7

Ben Mcevoy

Age

35

Ht

200cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.6

3star

K

4.7

2star

HB

6.9

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

3.0

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

8.5

2star

K

3.9

1star

HB

4.6

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

1.8

3star

G

0.4

3star

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.0

1star

), while CJ, Mitchell and O’Meara didn’t play in their final pre-season game. Yet, still, the Kangas couldn’t put the foot to the Hawthorn throat. In the second half, they were outscored 47-20 and six of those seven goals came from their direct turnovers, which tells us they were sloppy with ball in hand and sloppy in protecting the turnover. They just had to win this game because the opposition is not going to get much easier than the Hawks on Sunday. Very disappointing from a team desperately needing key defenders and goal kickers.

5. Faking handballs​

North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey

20

Nick Larkey

Age

26

Ht

198cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.5

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.5

3star

G

1.4

5star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.8

3star

K

4.2

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.8

4star

got one over Hawk Tom Mitchell, faking the handball with Mitchell on the mark, which caused Mitchell to move and give away a 50m penalty. The stand rule is a good rule, but the slightest movement prompting a 50m penalty is too big of a penalty. It was smart by Larkey, instinctively wrong by Mitchell and, as an aside, raises questions about the tactic being in the spirit of the game (whatever that means). True, the player with the ball is in control, and he could do whatever he likes, but that fake handball is going to catch out far more players than Mitchell — and that just might infuriate fans.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/the-tackle-mark-robinsons-likes-and-dislikes-from-round-one-of-the-2022-afl-season/news-story/971a84483b1ef607f845091a71b64d64

 

[Le Grille]

Found himself as the second tall back on either Gunston or Lewis when McKay went off. That's not why he's down back. Ideally, we'd have Walker, McKay and Corr with Ziebell playing off some spud.

Next week, with the side we had today, against a full strength Eagles, he'd be on Jack Darling. As it is he'll be on Oscar Allen. Luckily, Walker should take Kennedy, Corr takes Allen. I'd rather a midfield of Simpkin, LDU, JHF, TT and hopefully Cunnington and Anderson. Should have traded/drafted to cover Tarrant but understand taking the longer view.

The bigger issue is the forward line. Absolutely dysfunctional. No one moves, poor entries, easy exits. Bomb it in and expect a clunk mark from someone who can't, or a crumb from someone who can't. Larkey is quality but needs space. He never gets it. CCJ is more a ruck than forward. Our 'small forwards' have none of the qualities needed for the role/ Zurhaar is neither a tall forward or small. He's icing on a cake we don't have. Hall's disposal is ordinary, but he continuously gets them ball and sees nothing ahead of him. Totally schmozzle.

True it’s not on him to have to play on Gunston but at the end of the day if you are a defender you need to defend. The clumsy take outs of our own defenders isn’t negating the opposition and to be fair he’s too slow and in mobile to be a lockdown if he’s made to be accountable

 

[Roosurgence]

Wingard got a free kick that he goaled from in the 4th. What was that actually paid for?

It was paid because the umpire ****ed up.

Wingard dropped the mark and the umpire bailed him out with a shit call.

Not sure if they paid holding or in the back, but neither were there.

 

[danj]

From my observation they were structurally better and ran harder to make their own luck. Too often we'd kick to a contest and too many of our flew leaving an outnumber at ground level. We spent too much energy chasing and flying for marks.

I think your comments are valid, just curious if you were at the ground or watched on tv? I was at the ground and I think you get a different perspective live compared to screen.

 

[HBFlanker]

1. Didnt take our chances in front of goal

2. Too many high profile players were passengers

3. 3 talls didnt work

4. Too much over possessing of the football in critical moments

5. Thank god for Mcdonald

6. Really poor games from Thomas, Stephenson and Coleman Jones hurt us big time. Very disappointing.

Outs: Coleman-Jones, Mckay (inj)
Ins: Phillips, Walker

 

[Istanbul Roo]

Couldn't watch it, but noticed on the highlights replay we were a goal down with 8 minutes to play. That seems solid enough to me. Did watchers at the game feel like we were chance then?

 

[Dingster]

I think your comments are valid, just curious if you were at the ground or watched on tv? I was at the ground and I think you get a different perspective live compared to screen.

TV. It happened consistently enough to be able to see the pattern in the second half.

 

[Snojet]

Very disappointed with our clumsy skills having watched top teams looking so clean and precise.
I guess being a bottom team means we will have the worst umpires. Since when does head butting Goldy’s chest equate to a high tackle? Academy Award for that.
Forward entry has been ordinary for so long. Why do we keep kicking on the head of our big guys instead of making space for them to run into?

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

People are worried about our defence but structurally it held up well without a few key pieces. Our mids were fine and probably beat it’s Hawthorne counterparts. Our biggest issue is our forward line. 53 forward entries for 8 goals. We have absolutely no system going in. No leading. No structure. No crumbing. No ability to keep the ball in to create repeated entries. Blokes flying with other blokes. We are not despite being pumped up by the media an attacking team. We have averaged 8-9 goals a game under Nobel. It needs to be fixed or we are going nowhere.

 

[Roosurgence]

Couldn't watch it, but noticed on the highlights replay we were a goal down with 8 minutes to play. That seems solid enough to me. Did watchers at the game feel like we were chance then?

To be honest it felt like a game we lost more than they won.

We were structurally poor, which was exacerbated by losing McKay, we made too many mistakes and had poor work rate.

I left the ground feeling frustrated more than anything. I never felt like Hawthorn were the better side or were really putting us to the sword.

It really was two bottom 4 sides, where one took their chances and the other didn’t.

 

[Tiberius]

As plenty of people have already said, we were way too tall and stagnant in the forward line. We are crying out for a more mobile forward who can get up the ground and be the connector between defence and attack. That Tom Lynch guy from Adelaide was about the best I've seen at it in recent times.

 

[Hojuman]

Couldn't watch it, but noticed on the highlights replay we were a goal down with 8 minutes to play. That seems solid enough to me. Did watchers at the game feel like we were chance then?

No. Was in the nose bleeds and you could just see the end to end goals unfolding before they happened.

 

[Marstermind]

Couldn't watch it, but noticed on the highlights replay we were a goal down with 8 minutes to play. That seems solid enough to me. Did watchers at the game feel like we were chance then?

No.

If you can't score you can't win.

 

[Roosurgence]

Very disappointed with our clumsy skills having watched top teams looking so clean and precise.
I guess being a bottom team means we will have the worst umpires. Since when does head butting Goldy’s chest equate to a high tackle? Academy Award for that.
Forward entry has been ordinary for so long. Why do we keep kicking on the head of our big guys instead of making space for them to run into?

That shit decision was the start of a 15 minute period, that felt like #freekickhawthorn which really got them up and running.

If we had of equalised that period, I felt like we would have won.

 

[see see]

Couldn't watch it, but noticed on the highlights replay we were a goal down with 8 minutes to play. That seems solid enough to me. Did watchers at the game feel like we were chance then?

No, not really. We'd stopped running by then.

 

[koshari]

Jy a little lucky there

Bloke kicked half our first half total as a midfielder. Surely one of the better performers even if some of his 2nd half disposal was crap.

 

[schimma_20]

Who are our assistant, line coaches anyone know?

 

[King Corey]

I actually dont pin that result on 3 talls. That could and should've worked if they decided to not crash the same pack all at once.

Hawthorn played like they were settling into the 2nd year under their new coach. We played as if our list was assembled and had just met their new coach 20 minutes before the game.

The list management around KPDs appeared negligent a few months ago. Its starting to look criminal.

Several individuals did put in reasonable games. Jy, JHF, Mahoney, Young, Hall, Goldie, JZ, LDU.

Luke McDonald

11

Luke Mcdonald

Age

29

Ht

189cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.9

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

7.3

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

317.1

4star

D

14.1

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

4star

MG

205.0

3star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.2

4star

HB

9.0

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

3.6

5star

went one better and was outstanding. I queried in the offseason whether it had been time to refresh our leadership, hmm.

 

[Flawed Genius]

Re watching the first quarter.

Bad miss from Xerri. Should have been 2.0. JHF miss from 55, fair enough. Zurhaar's banana effort with Young standing by himself 30m out. Should have been another opportunity on goal. Jiath intercepting a Mahony kick to JHF with an exceptional effort. Then Taylor trying to hit CCJ again 20m out, punched away by Jiath. Realistically with a little better skill and touch, we should have had 5-6 in the first quarter and it wouldn't have been a game at all.

Yeah yeah, aunty had balls shed be your uncle etc. But Jiath probably kept them in the game if I'm being honest

LDU's first quarter is bananas.

 

[koshari]

It was paid because the umpire f’ed up.

Wingard dropped the mark and the umpire bailed him out with a sh*t call.

Not sure if they paid holding or in the back, but neither were there.

Moot really because Wingard was crap all day, kicked a couple of fillers Jack riewald style when the match was over

 

[tales129]

Re watching the first quarter.

Bad miss from Xerri. Should have been 2.0. JHF miss from 55, fair enough. Zurhaar's banana effort with Young standing by himself 30m out. Should have been another opportunity on goal. Jiath intercepting a Mahony kick to JHF with an exceptional effort. Then Taylor trying to hit CCJ again 20m out, punched away by Jiath. Realistically with a little better skill and touch, we should have had 5-6 in the first quarter and it wouldn't have been a game at all.

Yeah yeah, aunty had balls shed be your uncle etc. But Jiath probably kept them in the game if I'm being honest

LDU's first quarter is bananas.

Much like our aflw, create opportunities and work hard - then we don’t capitalise on them.

Need to up the classy, one touch, clean and leads to goal types

 

[Roosurgence]

Moot really because Wingard was crap all day, kicked a couple of fillers Jack riewald style when the match was over

The match wasn’t over when that was paid.

At the end of the day I said I expect us to be bottom 4 and am more interested in seeing where the improvement is going to come from?

Today I actually felt like it was a step back from the 2nd half of last year.

I guess I need to take a deep breath and realise it’s only Round 1 and need to judge us on a block of games.

 

[Flawed Genius]

The other little thing I remember from today.

JHF vs O'Meara, full contact, full speed. JHF just bounces off him