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.

 

[Newmo89]

Hawthorn Development and Box Hill Head Coach - Zane Littlejohn by Talking Hawks

Tim chatted with Zane Littlejohn to discuss the development of the AFL and VFL sides, his own personal growth as a coach and the importance of consistency as a football club. Player sponsor experience: https://bit.ly/3x7frj6 Give TH a 5-star review...

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Zane Littlejohn interview

 

[Brownbird]

I wonder if this was a development thing and Day returning or they changed the game plan as it wasn’t working, like Clarko used to do at bye time.

the mids were well below their usual standard in the first 5 rounds which made life difficult for the defence. the forward line had not yet gelled and were all learning their roles, running patterns etc . the rucks were very much works in progress then, and that area is now a real positive - i noticed at both the Melbourne and Sydney games there were some promising signs - a couple of passages of very good pressure, some patches of good ball movement etc but we didn't often enough turn those efforts into scores on the board. Except for inaccurate kicking we probably should have beaten Essendon. and yes certainly the Gold Coast game was awful -- and now i am so glad it was that bad as it served to demand adjustments and snap the mids particularly, out of their rut. and yes we didn' t have Day then and Moorey was still coming out of a pre-season affected by illness.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Everything was an issue at the start of the season:

• Frost and Scrimshaw learning how to play KPD
• Forwardline coming together: Chol Ginni Gunston, Watson had never been on the same ground together .
• Day and Moore out
• Wingard and Lewis injured
• Blanck injured
• Newcombe and Nash very quiet start to the season
• Ruck rules and Ned's drop in impact
• Amon and Mass learning how to be rebounding players rather than upfield wingmen

Bit by bit each of these got covered off and improved on and had flow on effects.

 

[peetoo]

Yeah just having a recap of the season up to now. Only one team not already played…carlton

With the current ladder:
Bottom 6 - lost 2 won 5 2 still to play only outplayed by Gold Coast
Middle 6. Lost 3 won 3 played all teams now only outplayed by Melbourne perhaps by Essendon if inside 50 etc
Top 6 lost 3 won 3 2 still to play only outplayed by Sydney, but stats closer than we rememeber, and Geelong at the cattery. Our stats were OK v cats at MCG

 

[The Chad and I]

Everything was an issue at the start of the season:

• Frost and Scrimshaw learning how to play KPD
• Forwardline coming together: Chol Ginni Gunston, Watson had never been on the same ground together .
• Day and Moore out
• Wingard and Lewis injured
• Blanck injured
• Newcombe and Nash very quiet start to the season
• Ruck rules and Ned's drop in impact
• Amon and Mass learning how to be rebounding players rather than upfield wingmen

Bit by bit each of these got covered off and improved on and had flow on effects.

Thanks for putting that together.
Makes you realise what an outstanding job the coaches and players have done to step up and solve so many concurrent problems.

Yeah just having a recap of the season up to now. Only one team not already played…carlton

With the current ladder:
Bottom 6 - lost 2 won 5 2 still to play only outplayed by Gold Coast
Middle 6. Lost 3 won 3 played all teams now only outplayed by Melbourne perhaps by Essendon if inside 50 etc
Top 6 lost 3 won 3 2 still to play only outplayed by Sydney, but stats closer than we rememeber, and Geelong at the cattery. Our stats were OK v cats at MCG

We’re looking good.
Confident we can be competitive with Sydney and Carlton atm.

 

[Flukey!]

I know everyone will be disappointed after today but don't be disappointed with the year to date. 11 wins with 3 games to come is better than many would have predicted.

Personally, i thought 9 wins would be a good year for us and a sign of progress.
We are actually miles ahead of that.

We should finish with 13 or 14 wins which would be an unbelievable year for us and set us up for a real run at it next year.

Keep the heads up Hawk fans.
We should be super excited, regardless of the result today.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

I know everyone will be disappointed after today but don't be disappointed with the year to date. 11 wins with 3 games to come is better than many would have predicted.

Personally, i thought 9 wins would be a good year for us and a sign of progress.
We are actually miles ahead of that.

We should finish with 13 or 14 wins which would be an unbelievable year for us and set us up for a real run at it next year.

Keep the heads up Hawk fans.
We should be super excited, regardless of the result today.

THIS

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I know everyone will be disappointed after today but don't be disappointed with the year to date. 11 wins with 3 games to come is better than many would have predicted.

Personally, i thought 9 wins would be a good year for us and a sign of progress.
We are actually miles ahead of that.

We should finish with 13 or 14 wins which would be an unbelievable year for us and set us up for a real run at it next year.

Keep the heads up Hawk fans.
We should be super excited, regardless of the result today.

I can be both things. Proud of what we’ve accomplished this season but I couldn’t be more deflated that finals are out of reach now. If we make it next year that’s 7 years between finals games - that’s hard to cop.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I know everyone will be disappointed after today but don't be disappointed with the year to date. 11 wins with 3 games to come is better than many would have predicted.

Personally, i thought 9 wins would be a good year for us and a sign of progress.
We are actually miles ahead of that.

We should finish with 13 or 14 wins which would be an unbelievable year for us and set us up for a real run at it next year.

Keep the heads up Hawk fans.
We should be super excited, regardless of the result today.

Finals or not, we've taken a huge step in our development and that makes it a successful season.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Sam's heading in the right direction.

And through these 3 high performing months he's consistently said we need to improve a lot to compete with the best teams. He's feet are on the ground.

Some of best talent is very young/raw (Watson, Dear, D'Ambrosio, Newcombe, McKenzie and Day). They've all got another level to go to with consistency and impacting games.

 

[Hawkk]

Sam's heading in the right direction.

And through these 3 high performing months he's consistently said we need to improve a lot to compete with the best teams. He's feet are on the ground.

Some of best talent is very young/raw (Watson, Dear, D'Ambrosio, Newcombe, McKenzie and Day). They've all got another level to go to with consistency and impacting games.

I knew we threw it away when Newcombe blazed away at a goal instead of passing to Gunston just before 3QT (would have extended the lead past 5 goals).

In many ways I think this is the perfect result for our development, better than getting belted in a EF or SF

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I knew we threw it away when Newcombe blazed away at a goal instead of passing to Gunston just before 3QT (would have extended the lead past 5 goals).

In many ways I think this is the perfect result for our development, better than getting belted in a EF or SF

Newcombe got SO MANY huge clearances - but mostly did the big bomb instead of hitting up a lead (which he is awesome at when he has space). A great, but not great game from him

 

[Mrzohs]

I knew we threw it away when Newcombe blazed away at a goal instead of passing to Gunston just before 3QT (would have extended the lead past 5 goals).

In many ways I think this is the perfect result for our development, better than getting belted in a EF or SF

The sky is the limit we still have 3 very winnable games to come.

I agree a season or two ahead of time but exposure could only help not hinder.

The Richmond and Collingwood games in front of big bumper crowds was a great learning curve.

Next week we go again in front off 90k+ with finals on the line.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Starting to get alarm bells, dropping games after holding decent leads. Teams start thinking we are gettable, so we can't ice the game.

 

[SSSSSS]

Newcombe got SO MANY huge clearances - but mostly did the big bomb instead of hitting up a lead (which he is awesome at when he has space). A great, but not great game from him

That's the next development for Newk. Working on his delivery I50 like Worps has this year.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

Newcombe got SO MANY huge clearances - but mostly did the big bomb instead of hitting up a lead (which he is awesome at when he has space). A great, but not great game from him

agreed. 2 score involvements in a day where we had 22 doesn't scream best hawk for me.

 

[Hawkk]

Starting to get alarm bells, dropping games after holding decent leads. Teams start thinking we are gettable, so we can't ice the game.

That said, we’ve also chased down leads too (GWS and Fremantle)

 

[Sixpence]

Starting to get alarm bells, dropping games after holding decent leads. Teams start thinking we are gettable, so we can't ice the game.

2 games we've failed to hold a lead. We've iced games against Brisbane, Adelaide x2, Richmond, North, WC and Collingwood. Not really a concern.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

2 games we've failed to hold a lead. We've iced games against Brisbane, Adelaide x2, Richmond, North, WC and Collingwood. Not really a concern.

Couple of games last year also

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Couple of games last year also

We have won games with teams trying to run us down - we have lost a couple. It's not really a problem - sometimes the result just doesn't go your way.

 

[Sixpence]

Couple of games last year also

Last year is irrelevant. No team is looking at our form from last year. Why the **** would they? We're a different side.

 

[Flukey!]

I can be both things. Proud of what we’ve accomplished this season but I couldn’t be more deflated that finals are out of reach now. If we make it next year that’s 7 years between finals games - that’s hard to cop.

It’s hard to cop because you follow Hawthorn.
For any other club, it’s not long at all.

We are spoilt as Hawthorn supporters.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

It’s hard to cop because you follow Hawthorn.
For any other club, it’s not long at all.

We are spoilt as Hawthorn supporters.

We are spoiled for success - however the current finals drought is long and only Gold Coast, Norf, Adelaide have longer droughts at present so it is a bad one and I would really like it to be done with. Sick of meaningless Septembers.

 

[Topiary]

I know everyone will be disappointed after today but don't be disappointed with the year to date. 11 wins with 3 games to come is better than many would have predicted.

Personally, i thought 9 wins would be a good year for us and a sign of progress.
We are actually miles ahead of that.

We should finish with 13 or 14 wins which would be an unbelievable year for us and set us up for a real run at it next year.

Keep the heads up Hawk fans.
We should be super excited, regardless of the result today.

I agree, but we need to improve the List. Sam knows it. We have to do it.

 

[Topiary]

We are spoiled for success - however the current finals drought is long and only Gold Coast, Norf, Adelaide have longer droughts at present so it is a bad one and I would really like it to be done with. Sick of meaningless Septembers.

But we have to have these standards or we become just like everyone else.