Autopsy Round 3, 2024 :Hawks fail against Cats

[The Jet From Poowong]

Am I the only one who thought Ward played well, even though the conditions certainly didn't favour his game style?

Seemed very busy in the final quarter when the heavens were at their heaviest.

The issue with Ward is he lacks urgency. He takes safe options and he isn’t the hardest when it comes to body work, be it a tackle or using his body in a 50/50 scramble

He had a decent game today and it was probably his best outing this year, but he needs to be quicker with decisions making and moving the ball. He plays wing so you want your winger being in attack mode when he gets it.

Just not sure wing is his position

 

[H00t]

Much better showing from our mids this week. Need to limit the oppositions easier clearances but they got their hands on the ball a lot more this week.

The big for me is the consistency between quarters. Nash finished the game really well but got torched in the opening quarter. Mackenzie had a wonderful first half then couldn’t get involved in the second half. Nuke came alive in the 2nd and 3rd but was quieter otherwise. Huss tackled well but just couldn’t get his hands on it before being subbed.

Worps though only one who has 4 really good quarters.

As our mids stay more involved in the game we will give our forwards a lot more good looks. I can see what we are building just going to take a bit of hard work to get there.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Just back after a wet and windy day.

Houston, we have a problem.

Coaching: I love Sammy, but for the first time, I'm having reservations.

How many times can you persist with poor positioning before it becomes a case of stubborness?

Amon and Weddle are not true defenders. I don't know why SM insists on this experiment...

You know why we won the 2nd quarter?

We actually had a goal-side sweeper who held position and prevented Geelong from breaking out unopposed as they did in the first.

The midfielder held position and forced a stoppage, and we fought our way back.

Q3 - Scott changed it up, and simply instructed the offensive goal-side mid to grapple our sweeper and stop him affecting play.

We were smashed again out of the middle.

Mitchell did nothing - no runner, no 2nd mid as a sweeper - nothing was changed, so nothing did change. We got belted again.

Any chance of telling Lewis to lead AWAY from his man Sam? Nope.


Too many soft Hawks.
Ward and Amon made a couple of pathetic 'attempted' tackles. Ward on 2 occasions didn't go when he had to. Sadly McKenzie (who was good otherwise) did as well for the second week in a row.
The forward pressure was pathetic. Lewis needed subbing at half time and a quicker more defensive player (Hardwick) moving forward.

Sam is slow to react, and it's a worry.

The biggest worry - we have no leaders. No-one to stand up. Sicily is a joke of a Captain, Moore doesn't say boo, and other senior players such as Breust and Impey don't seem to want to organise or lead.

Only Frost (another superb game) and Worpel seemed to give a rats behind.

This is the softest, rudderless Hawthorn outfit I have seen for 20 years.

I'd kill for another Luke Hodge right now.


Only Frost, Worpel, McKenzie, Chol and Scrimmers came away with any real credit - Meek was an improvement on Reeves - the rest ranged from average to poor.

Too many blokes drinking their own bathwater - and it shows.

Honestly, if Sam wants to get the ship back on course - he needs to draw a line through Breust, Impey, Ward, McDonald and Lewis and tell them to go back to box hill and earn their recalls.

Soft and leaderless.

ConorMac seems to be drinking his own bathwater. Getting around with that silly eshay hairstyle. Earn your stripes first before showing a bit of flair IMO. This seems to be one of the issues ATM. Not saying there all drinking their own bathwater. More a case of eventually we will come good and what's happening now is par for the course because it's a rebuild. General apathy. We certainly start games like the boys have been out on the piss the night before. Be nice if we actually take this concerning trend seriously because it's been happening for quite some time now. All I want to see is a good solid start next week because it's cost us 2 games this year already. Breath fire not meekly run around allowing unpressured goals.

 

[TAITA]

Sadly predictable result.

Same senior players way down on form- Lewis, Newk, Sis, Impey, Bruest...
Same players performing to expectations
Worps, Chol, Frost, Massimo...

We won't win many games with this being the case. We needed our best players to take a step forward for us to move up the ladder. They have regressed.

The kids shouldn't be carrying us but they are just going and the jury is still out on most.

Ginnivan has made his own bed and I have no sympathy for him. I don't think he is a great example to some of our impressionable youth either. Show bag handballs and FW celebrations are not acceptable especially when you're 0-3.

Are you for****enreal?

You smoke cokes mate.

 

[HedgeFund]

Chin up people.

Against the same three teams in 2023 we played 4 games:

Scored 31.33.219 -v- 66.45.437 - 0/4 @ 50.11%

That’s 64 scoring shots to 111

In our first 3 games:

Scored 26.35.191 -v- 48.18.296 - 0/3 @ 64.52%

That’s 61 scoring shots to 66

It’s clearly an improvement and the current record of our 3 opponents is 8 wins and 2 losses.

It ain’t that bad.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Maybe Sam Mitchell experimented too much in the pre-season as both Nash and Worps didn't play in the midfield for the 2 practice games and it showed in the first 2 rounds.

There has been a lot of experimenting going on.

Here is two standouts that Sam will need to find a way to get both involved.

Dimma has hardly had a kick after spending the pre season as a forward.
Amon last year when getting the ball on the wing/forward was really dangerous and is now playing further back and not having the same impact.

Also re Ginni, are people forgetting his final year at the Pies he never got a free?

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Think we will look much more threatening with all 3 in the side. Including Chad at his best. Multiple scoring options hopefully by later in the year.

I’m just scratching my head at the posters that are talking about us being better with Chad. He’s barely strung games and form together and as such has never been a factor in our side being in form. Plus he’s likely to have lost a yard with the Achilles that means he’s going to be right up against it.

 

[Mississippi]

Do you remember when, in 1999, Garry Hocking (the Geelong sniper) changed his name by deed poll to “Wiskas”?
Next week Ginnivan has to change his name to “Joel Selwood”.

Then he may get an even break from the umpires.

 

[triangulation_squared]

Was a better performance than last week. More than a few hawks supporters walked out at quarter time and I was able to get a nicer seat.

Chol is massive. Loving Frosty.
Mids were better shout out to number 5. Meek should get another game but we need an upgrade in the rucks. Watson in the wet was ridiculously skilled not sure why he started the 4th on the bench.

Wish we still had Sticks forward. Want to see more of what we had that day we beat Collingwood last year. May need to wait until Will Day is back for that.

Thinking O'Sullivan and Butler will help. Weddel to a wing/forward if Lewis is injured.

 

[TAITA]

Much better showing from our mids this week. Need to limit the oppositions easier clearances but they got their hands on the ball a lot more this week.

The big for me is the consistency between quarters. Nash finished the game really well but got torched in the opening quarter. Mackenzie had a wonderful first half then couldn’t get involved in the second half. Nuke came alive in the 2nd and 3rd but was quieter otherwise. Huss tackled well but just couldn’t get his hands on it before being subbed.

Worps though only one who has 4 really good quarters.

As our mids stay more involved in the game we will give our forwards a lot more good looks. I can see what we are building just going to take a bit of hard work to get there.

If Worps can train himself to look for options and lower his eyes, because he makes good space for himself to make good decision making - he can be the best of the best.

He never gets caught but he makes bad footskills decisions, never giving his option a 100% becuase he skies it too a 50/50.

When he get's past that he will be considered elite.

 

[TylerDurden]

Weddle was very good on Cameron. 2 goals today vs 7 in the same fixture last year.
The beauty of Weddle is that you can play him anywhere. Hopefully Phillips can fill the key defensive void until we get Blanck back, which then releases Weddle up the ground.

 

[In2theWild]

Seriously. When does the Geelong rebuild/teardown begin? When does this country bumpkin association club have their time in the AFL wilderness?
BTW their first beer having, bum fluff mustache and mullet wearing fans are prize flogs.

 

[Gut Runner]

Bruest needs a spell - Zero marks for a forward is terrible - means he is just not getting to the right places.

 

[eldorado]

Just not sure wing is his position

I'm reasonably certain it isn't.

 

[Billyc]

Some of our manning up and basic skill errors in the 3rd were dreadful.

Cats definitely put the foot down hard and the pressure was ramped up in the 3rd and we fell away again which was hard to watch.

Agree. The first quarter was bad for the errors but from about 10 minutes in, the third quarter was more disappointing. The inability to meaningfully pressure an opposition midfield when they put the foot down is a major problem three weeks in. Sides demolish us once they have a hot burst because our midfield does not defend.

 

[H00t]

If Worps can train himself to look for options and lower his eyes, because he makes good space for himself to make good decision making - he can be the best of the best.

He never gets caught but he makes bad footskills decisions, never giving his option a 100% becuase he skies it too a 50/50.

When he get's past that he will be considered elite.

I feel it’s something he’s worked on a lot this off-season. He’s been hitting targets inside 50 a lot more regularly than he did previously.

Still has the few sky balls but he’s also hit a lot more short targets as well.

 

[QuietB]

Hawks lack class - hopefully it comes. Cats scored so much easier and the Hawks fell over themselves.

One thing I did notice and has been a problem first three rounds was the centre clearance set up.

Hawks are happy with one pair defensive side and two pairs offensive side (so opposition has two pairs defensive side). And as a rule our blokes are smaller - McKenzie was the defensive side player one clearance we got smashed at and he just got shifted out of the way. When the ball does forward for the Hawks they two defensive side cats players competed - won - and used their one forward player to clear while our guy got sucked into the contest.

Hawks are getting smashed out the front of these stoppages. The opposition wins the ball, has numbers streaming forward and there is never anyone at CHB to stop them.

The ease that the opposition is scoring from these centre clearances is ridiculous. There was one today where they hit Henry up 35 out directly in front - that cannot happen. Our blokes never even look like doing that.

It has to be addressed.

 

[Newmo89]

Post match press conference - Sam was really positive about the game and what he saw in terms of effort and endeavour. Definitely a lift in this area from the first few weeks. Loved that the boys didn't turn up their toes and made a game of it. Have to stop the run on from opposition teams. Geelong had two surges. First surge we came back from, the second surge was just too much.

 

[Yardie]

We can't rely on ginny getting frees to win us games. Move on.

Sent from my SM-S901E using Tapatalk

For all the talk of protect the head and concussion the umpires are showing a lack of duty of care.

 

[Gut Runner]

Seriously. When does the Geelong rebuild/teardown begin? When does this country bumpkin association club have their time in the AFL wilderness?
BTW their first beer having, bum fluff mustache and mullet wearing fans are prize flogs.

When they stop being a destination club.

Would have been handy having Tanner Bruhn out there for us today. And Bowes (Pick 7).

I hope the new facilities at Dingley are a sight to behold because the lack of appeal joining us lately is starting to cost us big time.

 

[cryptor]

Something that I've noticed after 3 games is just how unequipped we are to self-correct when things aren't working. We just keep chugging along trying to do the same things over and over again until quarter time when things get adjusted. By then we've just about lost the game already given how far behind we've been on the scoreboard in the last two games.

I reckon that's where we're missing Day the most. Especially in the midfield. He has the footy IQ to see and know what needs to change from out on the field. But he also has the standing within the team to make those calls. It's a worry if we don't have anyone else who can step up in that space. Hopefully it comes with more experience and age for others.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

I'm reasonably certain it isn't.

If not wing, where does Ward play or fit in the side

He hasn’t got the physical tools to play as a defender or forward

 

[eldorado]

If not wing, where does Ward play or fit in the side

He hasn’t got the physical tools to play as a defender of forward

He strikes me as an 'in-the-guts' player first and foremost...

Of course, Worps and Newc takes those spots at the moment...

 

[NICE1]

Not sure whether having Breust, Ginni and Lewis in the same forward line is a good idea for us. Too slow, ball leaves the fwd line too easily. I'd almost add Moore to that list as well when he's playing inside 50.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

He strikes me as an 'in-the-guts' player first and foremost...

Of course, Worps and Newc takes those spots at the moment...

Okay but is he realistically going to get a go in the guts? I don’t think he is trusted in there.

Hence the wing. He might just be a slow burn on the wing but he definitely needs to play with more urgency.

He is one with a higher Footy IQ in our squad than most so I will give him that