Coach Sam Mitchell's direction for the club and 2024 news

[Strapping Young Lad]

If anyone wants to have a listen about what the data is saying in regards to whether we have actually gotten worse this year have a listen to this from the 9:15 mark.

I know a few people have already touched on it, but the data is also showing that our results this year have been slightly better despite actually putting out a younger team and dealing with some injuries.




And here.

 

[FB19]

It’s great we are headed in the right direction and totally understand the excitement as it’s hard rebuilding. That said I think finals in 2025 is realistic with another 40 games into our youth and some free agents given time to learn our game style. As much as competing in September is the aim, I missed the clarko rebuild as I was in the UK and social media, live apps to watch afl from abroad weren’t a thing, so I am really enjoying this time in our journey.

 

[naysayer]

If our development of players presently under 50 games keeps on the present trajectory it’s not as unrealistic as you’d imagine - particularly if by 2024 a couple of our best players at present establish themselves as absolute A-graders (Lewis, Day, Moore etc) and some of the up and comers are pushing towards that level (Ward, Mackenzie, MacDonald, Brockman, Weddle etc). If we build on this and play finals next year then take the bloody lid off.

Would be ahead of schedule. When I look at what the likes of Port and Fremantle are building, I don't see us troubling them in finals until that list of youngsters you've named are up around 100 games.

I'd be pleased but astonished if we played finals next year.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Would be ahead of schedule. When I look at what the likes of Port and Fremantle are building, I don't see us troubling them in finals until that list of youngsters you've named are up around 100 games.

I'd be pleased but astonished if we played finals next year.

Definitely ahead of schedule and I’m definitely not banking on it. Just saying the upside we are seeing is happening a lot quicker even this season than I’d expected so who knows how rapidly we might get up the ladder.

In terms of finals - I don’t think a 7th/8th finish is unfeasible next year if we stay fit and keep seeing the development of these players.

 

[Colloquy]

Definitely ahead of schedule and I’m definitely not banking on it. Just saying the upside we are seeing is happening a lot quicker even this season than I’d expected so who knows how rapidly we might get up the ladder.

In terms of finals - I don’t think a 7th/8th finish is unfeasible next year if we stay fit and keep seeing the development of these players.

Hopefully we can get another Forward

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Hopefully we can get another Forward

Or Kosi builds on the last few weeks and keeps improving. Would be massive if he turned it around.

 

[Hodginator]

 

[robiecampbellbrown]

He’s right. And we do need some more stars.

 

[TylerDurden]

He’s right. And we do need some more stars.

We do. But others will emerge.

Sicily is a star defender.

Lewis is on the cusp of being a star fwd.
Breust was a star.

McKenzie, Weddle, Jai, Day all have the potential.
Add another top 5 pick this year.

 

[matey]

Always remember Clarko saying you need 12 A graders to win a premiership. I think this is more important than having/getting an A+ player.

We are well on the way!

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Don't underestimate Mitchell using hale as a midfield coach.
Rather than having a ruck coach telling the ruckmen where to tap, he's teaching the midfielder where it will go. He's effectively 2 coaches in 1

 

[vaughnie]

Always remember Clarko saying you need 12 A graders to win a premiership. I think this is more important than having/getting an A+ player.

We are well on the way!

That's true. But the more I see of Newk the more I see a player capable of doing a Dusty in a GF. A lot of the pundits still don't rate him as a star but I think he is the one that could have a Norm Smith dangling around his neck one day.

 

[Brishawk]

That's true. But the more I see of Newk the more I see a player capable of doing a Dusty in a GF. A lot of the pundits still don't rate him as a star but I think he is the one that could have a Norm Smith dangling around his neck one day.

Will look good next to his Brownlow

 

[SSSSSS]

Always remember Clarko saying you need 12 A graders to win a premiership. I think this is more important than having/getting an A+ player.

We are well on the way!

Was it Malcolm Blight who was always adamant that you need 20 players who were top 30 picks? I've interpreted this to be not necessarily where they were drafted but rather where they would be drafted if retaken today.

I think we are on the way for both measures.

 

[grumbleguts]

You get the feeling Hawthorn is fast becoming a destination club again. Who'd have thought it just 10 rounds ago?

 

[matey]

Was it Malcolm Blight who was always adamant that you need 20 players who were top 30 picks? I've interpreted this to be not necessarily where they were drafted but rather where they would be drafted if retaken today.

I think we are on the way for both measures.

No Clarko never made mention of where players were picked so I have always assumed A grader in the position/role of the player.

How awesome has our drafting been last few years given some of the players we have considering where they were taken

 

[DogDaySonny]

Yeah, but he’ll want to fire Sam as soon as the extension is signed. He maintains commentary relevancy by always skating on the edge of common opinion.

 

[cryptor]

You get the feeling Hawthorn is fast becoming a destination club again. Who'd have thought it just 10 rounds ago?

Karl Amon probably did even further back than that.

 

[FisherHawk]

Feeling like 2006 for me with the 9 wins then. It was frustrating at times but could see the potential of our future premiership teams. This team is very capable of getting 10 wins this year and improve on that in 2024 so I'm bullish and expecting to squeeze into the 8 next year.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Next year will still be too soon for us regarding Finals, we'll still be trotting out the youngest team in the comp most likely in 2024.

But I love some of the things that Sam is doing with this group.

 

[almuz]

Big things for the group next season:

Consistency week to week. Right now we have to be up and about playing with our tails up to get a win. We’ll need to continue to develop a game plan that stands up when we are 5-10% off to bank a fair few more wins.

Being able to perform with expectations/going into some games as favourites. It’s a mindset thing to go from the hunter to hunted.

 

[DogDaySonny]

We’ve got two weaknesses in particular that we’ll have to work on to be a contender.

The first is that our forward line is hit and miss. If it runs hot, we’re in a game. If it’s not, we’re wasting far too many opportunities. That being said, the last two weeks are the first time that I found myself thinking that delivery was more of an issue than presentation. It appears that the forwards are starting to create space and provide opportunities. The mids will have better targets that they need to kick to the advantage of if we continue on this good path.

The second is that we are so daring when moving the ball forward that we’re caught out on turnovers and killed by disciplined, high-pressure teams. A bit of skill improvement under pressure and some changes to structure are the cure, I think, but it’s got to improve. Against Port they just tore us up with pressure and quick rebounds off the resulting turnover. Brisbane didn’t pressure as hard and our boys did very well. Still, to be a contender we need this to improve.

I think that the way we’re playing now puts us at the upper side of middle of the ladder. I take hope in the fact that we’re hitting this form before the bye, rather than in the last six games of the season during garbage time. We’re playing well against teams that need to win. It’s a very reassuring sign.

 

[DogDaySonny]

We’ve been noticeably increasing our hand balling through the middle (the media having repeat coronaries over this) and maybe that’s a way to deal with the pressure. It’s better to be fast and accurate than long. Still, against the most disciplined sides this increases the pressure we feel and it’s a couple more touches to break a defence open. I think this is more a tactical choice by the coaches to keep the team moving and daring with the ball. I think we’ll start moving it more by foot again next year (or against teams we think we can beat that way this year). Skills and positioning take a lot of practice and experience to get consistent and elite, after all.

 

[jenniferHAWKinS]

The missing pieces are a gun key defender (DGB or McCabe?), a goal kicking midfielder (draft a Duursma/Watson and trade for Hollands?) and another quality key forward (throw the kitchen sink at Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

at the end of next season). The rest of the pieces are already there, just a matter of player development and games experience.

 

[MrPremiership]

Still need another option when Lewis is out.

I still don't trust his body

 

[Mitchell Madness]

We’ve been noticeably increasing our hand balling through the middle (the media having repeat coronaries over this) and maybe that’s a way to deal with the pressure. It’s better to be fast and accurate than long. Still, against the most disciplined sides this increases the pressure we feel and it’s a couple more touches to break a defence open. I think this is more a tactical choice by the coaches to keep the team moving and daring with the ball. I think we’ll start moving it more by foot again next year (or against teams we think we can beat that way this year). Skills and positioning take a lot of practice and experience to get consistent and elite, after all.

Extra handballs are to allow the forwards time to lead. The last few weeks we have stopped the long kick inside 50 to a contest, instead giving them time to spread.

It has worked a few times, and looks amazing. If it doesn't work it's creating 1 on 1 or 2 on 2 contests. Once we get crumbers, watch the fear in opposition start