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.

 

[H00t]

Absolutely. We needed 2-3 players to stand up to that level and they have. Could you have foreseen Worpel going from a battler to a top five clearance mid? Nash going from a below average mid who tackled a bit to a physical force and ball winner? Day had obvious talent but could he stand up to the rigours of midfield life? Could he adapt to the demands? Huge doubts over those three but all three at the same time have exploded. We took the risk and are reaping the benefits.

We are still protecting the young players. We are running less players through the middle than last year on average based on cbas. But we still give players like Cmac, Cmac and ward a shot through there at times.

Also, our ruck division is far and away better than last year. Obviously reeves has improved but also he is playing every week. Meek has added a lot even if some weeks he doesn’t perform to the level we need.

All this has coalesced into improved performance. I still don’t think we handled Mitchell and his departure well and the deal probably won’t prove a decisive benefit for us unless stephens comes on (I’d did help us land weddle indirectly which alone might prove all the value we need from it!) but it doesn’t look like it will hurt our premiership chances in a few years time.

We’d have been in for a super tough time this had Day, Nash and Worps all not come on this year. Definitely a risk. But a risk well worth taking.

It’s the sort of risk that can end up winning a flag down the line.

 

[MrBeefSeven]

What I like about our current midfield is that Mitch seems to have played a big part in the development of all of them.
When Worps broke out and won the PCM is was well publicised that Sam spent a lot of time helping him out. He took over the number 5 as well so there is that link too.
Sam has the connection with Duke having coached him at Box Hill and helping identify him there. Also they both took non traditional pathways through the VFL.
He was also the one to identify that Nashy would be much more effective as a midfielder with his big frame and a more simplified style of play.
I guess the one who we always knew had the talent independent of Sam was Daysy, but by all accounts they have a great relationship as well.
Very happy with Sammy's coaching so far.

 

[Brishawk]

We’d have been in for a super tough time this had Day, Nash and Worps all not come on this year. Definitely a risk. But a risk well worth taking.

It’s the sort of risk that can end up winning a flag down the line.

Totally. It wasn’t looking that great for the first month of the season. But the last month makes that period feel like a long time ago!

 

[H00t]

Totally. It wasn’t looking that great for the first month of the season. But the last month makes that period feel like a long time ago!

Even the first month the signs were there it was the right choice. We just couldn’t get any cohesion between our players. Or consistent effort for long enough.

Now that we have that cohesion the sky is the limit. The players are now full of confidence.

And the start of the year really feels like a distant memory now. Even the port game was nothing like the start of the year.

 

[peetoo]

Good write-up here…

The Six Points: Zak Butters almost a top 5 player in the AFL; Eagles so awful they're re-writing record books

This week's Six Points features the hottest young player in the AFL, the latest instalment of the dire Eagles, why low-scoring football doesn't equate to bad football, and what might be the worst MRO decision in history.

www.espn.com.au

West coast arguably the club with the deepest pockets travelling like a club on bare bones and about to be shafted (Fitzroy)

 

[The Chad and I]

Absolutely. We needed 2-3 players to stand up to that level and they have. Could you have foreseen Worpel going from a battler to a top five clearance mid? Nash going from a below average mid who tackled a bit to a physical force and ball winner? Day had obvious talent but could he stand up to the rigours of midfield life? Could he adapt to the demands? Huge doubts over those three but all three at the same time have exploded. We took the risk and are reaping the benefits.

TBH yeah, i could.
I had long held the view that his form was impeded by both TOM and JOM, and he would return to his best this season.
Posted that through much of last season and in the pre-season.

 

[TheFourPillars]

TBH yeah, i could.
I had long held the view that his form was impeded by both TOM and JOM, and he would return to his best this season.
Posted that through much of last season and in the pre-season.

NO he was not impeded his form had nothing to do with Tom and Jom

 

[The Chad and I]

NO he was not impeded his form had nothing to do with Tom and Jom

YES, it was.

 

[TheFourPillars]

YES, it was.

You are basing this on what exactly circumstantial evidence?

Why did it effect him exactly? I mean he did play with them both in 2018. His form dropping off was entirely on worps. Its the reason he is uncontracted at the start of the year. He has put his best foot forward and good on him.

Besides all this i have worps himself speak about his form at the start of the season where he states it. And was dropped because of it

 

[Brishawk]

TBH yeah, i could.
I had long held the view that his form was impeded by both TOM and JOM, and he would return to his best this season.
Posted that through much of last season and in the pre-season.

He couldn’t win a contest or keep his feet going for the ball. Stop blaming Tom for Worpel being poor. Start praising Worpel (and Sam) for turning his career around.

 

[Elhawko]

We’d have been in for a super tough time this had Day, Nash and Worps all not come on this year. Definitely a risk. But a risk well worth taking.

It’s the sort of risk that can end up winning a flag down the line.

I reckon Cooper S
might have been brought in as insurance in case Worps and Nash didn’t come up.

 

[bigmaxi]

I reckon Cooper S
might have been brought in as insurance in case Worps and Nash didn’t come up.

I really like Long and Hustwaite jury still out on Stephan’s for me, but agree may have been insurance. Also in addition could have been best option on the board with Henry to the cattery.

 

[The Chad and I]

You are basing this on what exactly circumstantial evidence?

Why did it effect him exactly? I mean he did play with them both in 2018. His form dropping off was entirely on worps. Its the reason he is uncontracted at the start of the year. He has put his best foot forward and good on him.

Besides all this i have worps himself speak about his form at the start of the season where he states it. And was dropped because of it

my man we've had this discussion for years.
I'm not about to go over old ground.

 

[TheFourPillars]

my man we've had this discussion for years.
I'm not about to go over old ground.

Yes we r not

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[Brishawk]

Looking forward to David king eating humble pie after his garbage about us earlier this year

 

[eldorado]

Looking forward to David king eating humble pie after his garbage about us earlier this year

Montagna was the real weird one...

After pumping us up last year, how we were coming, our biggest fan in the media, always positive....

Then, after only TWO losses to start this year, he suddenly blurts...

"They might not play finals for 10 years!!!!"



Dunny door in the wind...

 

[Hodgey 15]

Montagna was the real weird one...

After pumping us up last year, how we were coming, our biggest fan in the media, always positive....

Then, after only TWO losses to start this year, he suddenly blurts...

"They might not play finals for 10 years!!!!"



Dunny door in the wind...

He became a little old sheep and followed all the other morons lead.
When he was questioned on radio about it earlier in season he still wouldn't back down even though it was obvious we weren't tanking. Love to see him have some balls now and say he was wrong but I doubt he will.
He's no different than all the rest of them.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

"They might not play finals for 10 years!!!!"



Dunny door in the wind...

Yeah that was so bad it was laughable at the time and just down right illogical
he wasn’t the only one making stupid statement. There was a glut of them each trying to outdo with the most sensationalist statement possible
Lloyd was another blabbing how it would take 5+ years to rebuild
and let’s not mention Caro’s words of wisdom

the hyperbole bad takes were off the charts

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

He became a little old sheep and followed all the other morons lead.
When he was questioned on radio about it earlier in season he still wouldn't back down even though it was obvious we weren't tanking. Love to see him have some balls now and say he was wrong but I doubt he will.
He's no different than all the rest of them.

He will when the Hawks fly past the saints within 2 seasons

 

[Steven Tyler]

He will when the Hawks fly past the saints within 2 seasons

Won’t take that long

 

[Brishawk]

Montagna was the real weird one...

After pumping us up last year, how we were coming, our biggest fan in the media, always positive....

Then, after only TWO losses to start this year, he suddenly blurts...

"They might not play finals for 10 years!!!!"



Dunny door in the wind...

They should all remember, things are never as good or bad as they seem, before saying anything

 

[DogDaySonny]

Looking forward to David king eating humble pie after his garbage about us earlier this year

It was his indictment that gave me the greatest confidence about our inevitable on-field performance. There's no better sign that you're about to see greater things from a club than when King announces the opposite.

One thing that always got me about the "drain of talent" argument from the media was that it never considered the talent relative to Hawthorn's performance in the last couple years. Gunners had struggled with a bad back for years, barely playing more than half of any one season. Shiels had been a warrior for a long time but was clearly on the slide in even the Hawk's middling midfield. Howe struggled to get a consistent game even under Clarkson. And while JOM and TOM were very good players, the midfield was bottom third of the AFL.

Four of those five were very good players, some revered champions of the club, but weren't making a difference to Hawthorn's performance. They were either in their twilight or not surrounded by the type of support they needed to shine on the pitch. If they were all still in the side, how much different would Hawthorn's record be? Would we have avoided the blowouts to Essendon and Sydney? Maybe. Would we have won those games? No.

My point is, our team last year was already playing at its ceiling. It couldn't get better. Knowing that, commentators like King never considered that the only way for Hawthorn no matter what action they took was down. Sure, the hard rebuild is risky but strategically it is the only option you have to remove the ceiling. The challenge with rebuild programs, like Carlton or the Saints or Freo, is that they go to the bottom but then get cold feet as soon as they get near the eight, more afraid of going backwards than excited about continuing to move forwards. You need to stay aggressive clear to the top of the ladder.

 

[DogDaySonny]

Looking forward to David king eating humble pie after his garbage about us earlier this year

I went to the pre-season practice game down in Geelong with my daughter this year and this is what I wrote to some Hawthorn-supporting friends afterwards. I think it holds up pretty well. We were opened up a bit more than I expected at the beginning of the season but we’re getting here now. On the plus side of our early season form, it gets us a much better chance of a top 5 pick as the boys play out the year with their best efforts and trying to win every game.


“We got spanked. As badly as Sydney in the GF. On the plus side, the boys had some daring and were quite feisty. They took no s*** from the senior Geelong players, especially Newcombe and Ward. Those two were particularly ready to hand out shirt fronts.

I say we can have a mid table finish. We play a move up the corridor at every opportunity style that will serve well against undisciplined teams but will be opened up like a can of sardines against squads like Geelong.”

 

[Randy Campbell]

Don’t know if anyone listened to Jack Fitzpatrick on Hawks Insiders today. But he gave Sam a really big rap. Basically confirmed what we already know, Sam has the highest IQ in footy. According to Ash Browne, after a single, last minute interview with Sam, Jack Bowes was so impressed he nearly reneged on the Cats offer. As his reputation grows, we‘ll start to see out of contract players wanting to come to Hawthorn to be coached by Sam.

He’s probably to best performer at post match press conferences and he’s not given to emotion in the coaches box, which I like. It’s easy now to see, why the club was falling over itself to jettison Clarko and get him in, when there was a very real prospect of him being snapped up by another club.

I remember watching Sam with Clinton Grybas on Fox Footys 'White Line Fever' and thinking I hope he coaches the Hawks one day.