Autopsy Round 8, 2024 : Hawks leash the Dogs

[Topiary]

Wow. What an amazing game to witness. We got off to the all too familiar start being 3 or 4 goals down without hardly even an entry into our forward line and thinking here we go again. Need to keep on working on this during the week so we dont always need to climb uphill and be working from behind to try to catch up from the very start.

But boy, when we do fight we showed we can fight hard and have what it takes to compete. The bulldogs should be a much better side than what they consistently show, eg. how they played and completely ran over the Saints. We had the belief to get ourselves back into it and we were the better side and deserved to win. Could have gone either way but the whole team stepped up when we needed them too and it was a win to remember.

Just a few mentions below:

C Dear - what a great way to start your career. Natural footballer and will only get better with more experience and muscle. Has a bright future ahead in Hawks colours.

C Mac - Has alot of doubters and he can be frustrating at times, has the ability but sometimes can be abit sloppy or goes missing, He was great today and he showed he can be a really strong contributor to the team.

D Moore - Just never gives up. Anywhere he is on the ground you know he will give it his all. So glad we have him in our side. Future captain.

J Ginnivan - Has added much versatility to his game, he has shown he is not just a goalsneak but can play a really important role all over the ground, Has real footy smarts and should grow into a leader for this side.

J Sicily - Showed alot of courage to come back on after dislocating his shoulder. Was surprised to see him forward, but it worked. He reads the play so well that and provides such a strong contested mark, it ended up being the player we really needed in the forward line in the last half. I hope Ethan Phillips can get some game time because it could free Sic to play up the ground even more. He can play anywhere.

N Watson - Its just nerves thats hurting his kicking in front of goal. Once he settles down he will be just fine, but Sic didnt hold back on his reaction and neither did I. He made up for it with his ferocity and tackling pressure in the last few minutes when the game was on the line. As long as he brings that every game then its all good, the goals will come in due time.

J Weddle - Is just an absolute gun. He can do it all. He is Mr Fix it, if there is any hole or plug to fill he can do it. Would love to see him more in the middle and delivering into the forward line, but we needed him to play down back and he shutout JUH excellently. Cant believe he is only 19 and only his second season. Was a masterstroke to trade up to get him at pick 18. Love watching him play.

If CMac had a little of Dylan Moore he would be a ripper.

 

[Topiary]

Me too! During those practise games where we were beaten convincingly in practise games yeah the way he was hopping around laughing his head off like a little kid playing at the park singing “Ring-a-ring-a-rosies” high fiving JUH after every goal wanted to reach through the TV to …….

I wonder if he was in Hawthorn colours you would feel that way?

 

[Kanga Commando]

Career best form. He has even become reliable with ball in hand. A remarkable transformation.

Whatever he has done for himself since last year should be bottled.

 

[matey]

I wonder if he was in Hawthorn colours you would feel that way?

True ……. probably wouldn’t be a big Siss fan if he wasn’t in Hawk colours either

 

[Topiary]

Hope Frosty is contracted for next year.
Rarely gets beaten one on one and is always there to inspire the other backs.
Am I allowed to say he is almost irreplacable

Two games to an automatic extension.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

The Clarko Sympathizer Squad real quiet on the main board today

 

[RobHawk]

Whatever he has done for himself since last year should be bottled.

Would our defence coach Kade Simpson deserve some of the credit for Frosty's transformation?

 

[SSSSSS]

It was actually the tackling and the pressure. First time it's shown up all year. Question will be, can we bring it week in week out?

100%.

We aren't good enough to play pretty football yet for 4 quarters.

We are going to have moments where we look like the Harlem Globetrotters and moments where we look like the Generals.

If we want to consistently compete we need to be prepared to win ugly.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Mondays are much easier to tolerate after a win.

 

[Dipper Here]

Calsher Dear’s goals. Weddle’s epic goal. Ginnivan’s one from the pocket. Sic’s captain’s goal.

I needed this

CMac would like a word.

Check side from way out ... Banggggg!!!

 

[Maybloomer]

Now that the euphoria, endorphins, and adrenalin have subsided, there was a lot to like about that game. On paper, a better side than us, but only Bont really was consistent against us.

How about Impey - the quiet achiever - just went about his work without any fanfare; Moore was a beauty.. And, oh Dear.. what a great debut. And great to see his family celebrating enthusiastically in the stands.

Weddle was showing he is growing well into the role, and his footy smarts are coming along nicely. Day was sublime; Ward great; and Sic - that was a captain's show, alright!

And, what has happened to Meek.. from someone who many had cast real doubts on, he held his colours up nicely. The quieter mids had a great day out; Dimma was great up front and behind, and while I would have preferred Gunston to have kicked more goals than points, he was solid as and provide a much needed option up front.

I am sure I have missed at least three others. Well, at least one - shout to to CMAC.. when did he learn to play like that? And the second goal he kicked was bloody great. Oh, and another.. Scrimma.. yes.. effin great game, too. Even Frosty, with that mark coming in sideways..

Even the umpiring gods were not too harsh on us today, well except for most of the second and early in the third. Was it Ginnivan that was simultaneuously pushed in the back, driven into the ground and taken high? OK, the nearest ump may have missed it, but how many times have we had a call against us from an ump off the ball? Or is that not allowed anymore?

Listening to the commentary, Jack Reiwoldt seemed to want us to win, which was interesting given where his beloved tigers are on the ladder.

We still have a way to go, but today was about giving it all for the team mates and the jumper. Loved it.

"And, what has happened to Meek..

I hope it's a case of true belief, he's strung together a few great games and realises he is no longer a backup, he can compete with the best with genuine around-the-ground impact. I remember many years ago when Tim English was this tall, gangly, unco, waste-of-height ruckman that was used as your ruck sub in Supercoach if lucky. Suddenly in one year he went "bang" and just started dominating and hasn't looked back.

I expect Meek will only get better.

 

[hawkermart_09]

What a win! Don’t think my heart could take much more of that but glad to get the points in the end. Great debut from Calsher, Sic showed lots of bravery, Newc almost back to his best, overall so proud of the boys. Let’s back it up with another win next week. Let’s go Hawks!

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I'd like to wish a good morning to everyone except this gimp who was carrying on like a bellend after the Wizard missed that shot. Eat a dick champ.

Hahaha, I was going to take a screenshot of that guy and make a post saying; imagine being a grown adult male and acting like that at the footy.

 

[Walshawk]

Hahaha, I was going to take a screenshot of that guy and make a post saying; imagine being a grown adult male and acting like that at the footy.

Was he taking about Sicily?

 

[lollihawk]

I wonder if he was in Hawthorn colours you would feel that way?

I’d like to go on the record and say that I would still genuinely despise him. He’s beyond being saved, even by brown and gold.

 

[killerspud]

I’d like to go on the record and say that I would still genuinely despise him. He’s beyond being saved, even by brown and gold.

Yeah nah - If he were to materialise in the nest and hold down CHB for us next year - freeing up all the tallish interceptors Sicily and Scrimshaw and Weddle to go beserk and push us towards the finals - I'd be growing my hair long and buying a ****ing headband

 

[cryptor]

100%.

We aren't good enough to play pretty football yet for 4 quarters.

We are going to have moments where we look like the Harlem Globetrotters and moments where we look like the Generals.

If we want to consistently compete we need to be prepared to win ugly.

I don't think any team can play "pretty football" for a whole game without their opponent not performing.

This was the best type of win because the Dogs did perform well, but we were better at playing our way.

Dogs are a stoppage team and they won that aspect of the game (clearances 44-28) and outscored us from stoppages by 45, which according to the AFL app was their 4th best total since the start of 2021 and their best in the last 2 years.

Whereas we were able to pressure them around the ground into turning it over, rebound quickly and be potent inside 50 (33 shots on goal from 49 entries). We outworked them and scored heavier on turnover.

That's why I think this is the best type of win. The players now know that if they put in the work and are consistent with their application of the gameplan that they can still get the result even when the opposition are getting goals from their own playstyle.

 

[Topiary]

I don't think any team can play "pretty football" for a whole game without their opponent not performing.

This was the best type of win because the Dogs did perform well, but we were better at playing our way.

Dogs are a stoppage team and they won that aspect of the game (clearances 44-28) and outscored us from stoppages by 45, which according to the AFL app was their 4th best total since the start of 2021 and their best in the last 2 years.

Whereas we were able to pressure them around the ground into turning it over, rebound quickly and be potent inside 50 (33 shots on goal from 49 entries). We outworked them and scored heavier on turnover.

That's why I think this is the best type of win. The players now know that if they put in the work and are consistent with their application of the gameplan that they can still get the result even when the opposition are getting goals from their own playstyle.

We worked for a win. We really wanted it. That is what I liked most

 

[hawkmang]

Did anything come out about Day being down late in the middle of the ground? I haven’t seen anything so hopefully just cramped up or winded?

 

[Roddy]

Depending on who may be coming back, some possible good selection headaches to have coming up for the coaches this week. If we play like we did yesterday, we'll do the Aints in Tassie I reckon....

 

[SammyC]

You can make a case for us in 5 out the next 7. With some players coming back you'd hope we win 3. Gets us closer to ~8 wins which I see as a pass mark for the year.

 

[bindas12]

Did anything come out about Day being down late in the middle of the ground? I haven’t seen anything so hopefully just cramped up or winded?

yea that was concerning. He was down for quite a while but then kept playing as a spare back so hopefully he's ok.

 

[bindas12]

The Clarko Sympathizer Squad real quiet on the main board today

If Clarko was the coach, we would have won by more!... happy ?

 

[Kanga Commando]

Would our defence coach Kade Simpson deserve some of the credit for Frosty's transformation?

Really interesting observation. Maybe I hadn't given Simpson enough credit.

 

[KermitJagger]

Would our defence coach Kade Simpson deserve some of the credit for Frosty's transformation?

Maybe, but I also think that Frost battling injury last year made everyone remember the caricature of Frost and not the actual player.

He has made one change, slowed down his decision making. The rest of his game has been as it always has.

Is Sam Frost Melbourne's best defender?

Is Sam Frost outperforming Steven May and Jake Lever?

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