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.

 

[ViperV10]

Mmm not sure it’s really working maybe we need to get Dunstall or a ex player from us or another club as a GK coach that had a great routine and set shot to work with them.

From memory it was Dunstall who was brought down to give some tips to a young lad named Lance Franklin. Next game he kicked 2.11...

 

[threesixpio]

Kane is the ticket inspector, conductor, driver and engineer of that train.

And more

 

[peetoo]

From memory it was Dunstall who was brought down to give some tips to a young lad named Lance Franklin. Next game he kicked 2.11...

And buddy reckoned he missed with one of the 2

 

[Flukey!]

14 games in, I have to say my view of the team and its general outlook has changed enormously. It probably has for many here.

I didn't expect much this year other than improvement over last. I wanted to see growth.
After 5 rounds I had zero confidence in the team and was struggling to see where the improvement would come from. It looked to be another, long tough year.

The squad hasn't changed enormously since then although we have had a few back from injury.

I would put the improvement down to the team gelling. Everyone looks to be playing at their best because they are playing their role. How much better does every player on our list look now?
And look at the quality of the guys stuck in the twos?

Earlier in the year they would all have been automatic inclusions.
Not now.

Well done to Sam and everyone at the HFC.
We are in very good hands and look much closer to success than I would have believed a few months ago.

 

[CHUBBSS]

14 games in, I have to say my view of the team and its general outlook has changed enormously. It probably has for many here.

I didn't expect much this year other than improvement over last. I wanted to see growth.
After 5 rounds I had zero confidence in the team and was struggling to see where the improvement would come from. It looked to be another, long tough year.

The squad hasn't changed enormously since then although we have had a few back from injury.

I would put the improvement down to the team gelling. Everyone looks to be playing at their best because they are playing their role. How much better does every player on our list look now?
And look at the quality of the guys stuck in the twos?

Earlier in the year they would all have been automatic inclusions.
Not now.

Well done to Sam and everyone at the HFC.
We are in very good hands and look much closer to success than I would have believed a few months ago.

One thing that’s been playing with me from the early rounds and seeing how sluggish we started games. I reckon we came in under a huge block/load of training and the fitness base wasn’t really seen until we caught up with running conditioning as the season started.

That loss to the bombers did a number on us mentally to.

Now we actually have a break to reset and target the back half the year, it will be interesting how we manage loads but we look in great shape.

That belief isn’t going away and we have a sniff and the players know it, the amount of confidence that will create is huge.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

100%.

One huge difference between Mitchell and Clarko though IMO is that Mitchell wants our defenders to mark the football. It is so important, it is pretty much Geelong's whole game plan.

Clarko was happy for Gibson to punch it 10 rows back. It seems that Mitchell has identified that the Hawks are much more dangerous when they mark the ball in D50 which allows them to transition quickly before the opposition has set up.

Turnovers are the most dangerous thing in football because the opposition are simply not set up defensively which allows teams to slice straight through them. A stoppage is not a turnover - a defensive intercept is.

it's actually a really lazy comment from Kane to attribute Sam's philosphy of great ball use to Clarko.

Like any coach doesn't want elite user off halfback in today's footy.

 

[QuietB]

it's actually a really lazy comment from Kane to attribute Sam's philosphy of great ball use to Clarko.

Like any coach doesn't want elite user off halfback in today's footy.

Melbourne certainly don’t rate kicking as high, and I see it as one of Carlton’s biggest weakness as well - I don’t know who they have that can slice teams up with kicking (or running).

And there is also the issue of risk. Carlton play so carefully. Clearly our guys have a license to take risk.

 

[MrPremiership]

Even during the 0-5 start, you could see we were doing a lot right, but we were just off and it was mainly cohesion letting us down.

It's starting to click now.

 

[QuietB]

Even during the 0-5 start, you could see we were doing a lot right, but we were just off and it was mainly cohesion letting us down.

It's starting to click now.

Inclusion of Will Day cannot be understated either. Freak. And Calsher Dear has straightened them up a bit.

 

[DogDaySonny]

it's actually a really lazy comment from Kane to attribute Sam's philosphy of great ball use to Clarko.

Like any coach doesn't want elite user off halfback in today's footy.

Incorrect. No one ever recognised the value of accurate kicking before Clarko and no one thought of it again until Mitchell showed up.

Kane has been doing pretty well with some Hawthorn insight that has made him look very clever. He’s trying to stay ahead of the pack now and clutching.

 

[DogDaySonny]

Sarcasm aside, one thing Clarko did was use a lot of lefties. I always wondered if the advantage of the lefties was that they could easily go up the other wing which was rarely used, most players being righties, and challenge teams defensively in a usual way. I know people always talked about the accuracy, obviously important, but I wondered if the less used approach to the forward line was a large challenge.

 

[wahawk]

Sarcasm aside, one thing Clarko did was use a lot of lefties. I always wondered if the advantage of the lefties was that they could easily go up the other wing which was rarely used, most players being righties, and challenge teams defensively in a usual way. I know people always talked about the accuracy, obviously important, but I wondered if the less used approach to the forward line was a large challenge.

Not trying to cause or want an argument but wasn’t the lefty thing a Chris Pelchen idea ?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[QuietB]

Sarcasm aside, one thing Clarko did was use a lot of lefties. I always wondered if the advantage of the lefties was that they could easily go up the other wing which was rarely used, most players being righties, and challenge teams defensively in a usual way. I know people always talked about the accuracy, obviously important, but I wondered if the less used approach to the forward line was a large challenge.

Not trying to cause or want an argument but wasn’t the lefty thing a Chris Pelchen idea ?

I think there was some research around that concluded players naturally defended assuming everyone was right handed and lefties had an advantage from this.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Top work Dom. When’s your apprenticeship at Box Hill start?

you tell me

 

[bigmaxi]

Diamonds and Triangles

A look at the structure behind the rapid rise of the Baby Hawks

bit.ly

Fantastic explanations. Many many thanks. Can’t sleep now running patterns in my head.

 

[FB19]

I think there was some research around that concluded players naturally defended assuming everyone was right handed and lefties had an advantage from this.

Also if you have options either side you have multiple ways to release the ball from stoppage and obviously move it far more directly and quickly.

 

[FB19]

Shout out to the coaches on all lines but especially the forwards they have gelled far quicker than I expected. Is that Mackay?

 

[Mercy Seat]

it's actually a really lazy comment from Kane to attribute Sam's philosphy of great ball use to Clarko.

Like any coach doesn't want elite user off halfback in today's footy.

I think he’s just likening it, not attributing.

Lots of coaches want elite kicks off half backs, but how many are willing to move an AA level wingman to defence, despite being defensively weaker, because of their elite footwork?

It’s ballsy by Sam but paying off.

 

[The Chad and I]

Shout out to the coaches on all lines but especially the forwards they have gelled far quicker than I expected. Is that Mackay?

The mids/hff and smalls are connecting really well. Chol and Dear brining the ball down. Good footy.

 

[Sixpence]

Shout out to the coaches on all lines but especially the forwards they have gelled far quicker than I expected. Is that Mackay?

Hickmott

 

[Roddy]

Just reading the VFL report now, the sheer number of players putting their hand up and clamouring for a spot in the ones is simply astonishing. This will keep enormous pressure on the players currently in the side to keep performing, and this is nothing but a good thing.

I’m trying to keep a lid on things, as we’re still a young and developing side and, as Sammy keeps saying, far from a finished product, but man, is it hard not to get excited about things at the moment…

 

[Brishawk]

It has been a few weeks since I last posted these charts but we have reached a bit of a milestone for the club so I thought it was a good time to post. I think for most of us, the eye test is telling us that we are a good team. But it really is starting to show up in our stats now.

Attack: You can see that since our 10th game we have been trending up in attack, which means we are performing at an above average level v our opponent relative to the rest of the league. We are still below average for the season but we are closing the gap.




What has me really excited is the defence

We are now in a six week straight weeks of above average defensive performance!! And we were only just off that in our win v the bulldogs. We are also now just above average defensively across the entire season!! This has been a tremendous turnaround and all credit goes to Sam and the players.

 

[TheFourPillars]

We r focused and in sync in that backline. Great team defence all of them cover for each other. It's the one thing that has made me blow the lid off

 

[Brishawk]

We r focused and in sync in that backline. Great team defence all of them cover for each other. It's the one thing that has made me blow the lid off

Yep, its pressure all over the field. Everyone is buying in.