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.

 

[Sixpence]

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.

And of those with shorter droughts, how many have won three-peats? We'd all like to be back in September action, but we really can't complain. We're on the right track, that's the main thing.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

And of those with shorter droughts, how many have won three-peats? We'd all like to be back in September action, but we really can't complain. We're on the right track, that's the main thing.

I can complain - having the worst finals drought outside of 3 other sides, two of those being laughable clubs like the Suns and Norf, isn't fun. The threepeat is close to being a decade ago. Yes, it was fantastic, but I don't want to be sitting here close to two decades since that time going 'well at least we had the threepeat'. This club looks towards winning its next flag, not just cherishing its last flag.

If we go into next year being 7 years into not having played a final and 9 years since winning our last final that is not befitting of this club. Happy to be on the improve - but I want more.

 

[DogDaySonny]

I can complain - having the worst finals drought outside of 3 other sides, two of those being laughable clubs like the Suns and Norf, isn't fun. The threepeat is close to being a decade ago. Yes, it was fantastic, but I don't want to be sitting here close to two decades since that time going 'well at least we had the threepeat'. This club looks towards winning its next flag, not just cherishing its last flag.

If we go into next year being 7 years into not having played a final and 9 years since winning our last final that is not befitting of this club. Happy to be on the improve - but I want more.

Apparently, I’m not disappointed with yesterday unless I throw ALL my toys out of the cot AND hold my breath until I’m blue in the face.

Apparently, if I can moderate my disappointment with yesterday AND enjoy the progress this team has made then I just don’t realise how ****ing bad Hawthorn are and I have no perspective on how they suck worse than any other team.


If our players were as unhinged as the posters here we would play like Gold Coast or Essendon, inconsistent and unstructured. This is the most senseless meltdown yet on BigFooty and there have been some doozies. These young, green players have implemented a great system that has overcome a very fragile start to the year and put us in the game against the best in the league, beating four of the top eight in the last three month while dropping only three against the top 8 in that same timeframe.

Get a fricking grip. This team is playing very good ball. And the boys on the field owe you nothing but their best efforts, which they gave. Sometimes you still lose. Learn to deal with it like an adult.

 

[Topiary]

I can complain - having the worst finals drought outside of 3 other sides, two of those being laughable clubs like the Suns and Norf, isn't fun. The threepeat is close to being a decade ago. Yes, it was fantastic, but I don't want to be sitting here close to two decades since that time going 'well at least we had the threepeat'. This club looks towards winning its next flag, not just cherishing its last flag.

If we go into next year being 7 years into not having played a final and 9 years since winning our last final that is not befitting of this club. Happy to be on the improve - but I want more.

THIS.

 

[Topiary]

Apparently, I’m not disappointed with yesterday unless I throw ALL my toys out of the cot AND hold my breath until I’m blue in the face.

Apparently, if I can moderate my disappointment with yesterday AND enjoy the progress this team has made then I just don’t realise how ****ing bad Hawthorn are and I have no perspective on how they suck worse than any other team.


If our players were as unhinged as the posters here we would play like Gold Coast or Essendon, inconsistent and unstructured. This is the most senseless meltdown yet on BigFooty and there have been some doozies. These young, green players have implemented a great system that has overcome a very fragile start to the year and put us in the game against the best in the league, beating four of the top eight in the last three month while dropping only three against the top 8 in that same timeframe.

Get a fricking grip. This team is playing very good ball. And the boys on the field owe you nothing but their best efforts, which they gave. Sometimes you still lose. Learn to deal with it like an adult.

No one is talking about throwing the toys out of the cot.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Apparently, I’m not disappointed with yesterday unless I throw ALL my toys out of the cot AND hold my breath until I’m blue in the face.

Apparently, if I can moderate my disappointment with yesterday AND enjoy the progress this team has made then I just don’t realise how ****ing bad Hawthorn are and I have no perspective on how they suck worse than any other team.


If our players were as unhinged as the posters here we would play like Gold Coast or Essendon, inconsistent and unstructured. This is the most senseless meltdown yet on BigFooty and there have been some doozies. These young, green players have implemented a great system that has overcome a very fragile start to the year and put us in the game against the best in the league, beating four of the top eight in the last three month while dropping only three against the top 8 in that same timeframe.

Get a fricking grip. This team is playing very good ball. And the boys on the field owe you nothing but their best efforts, which they gave. Sometimes you still lose. Learn to deal with it like an adult.

as supporters our reactions to games have literally no bearing on the results now or going forward. so everyone's entitled to their own reactions – some fans being happy or complacent with the season does not mean that Sam and the club will suddenly stop trying to improve because we outperformed expectations

everything that's been said from the club and Sam is about how we want to set up a "sustained" run at success. we are clearly still trying to improve our list with targets like Barass, Perryman, Battle, Smith etc.n there are no signs of complacency coming from the coaches, players or management and that is enough for me.

footy is about more than finals and premierships – it's about culture, having fun, community and so much else. this has been the most enjoyable season since probably 2016 and I'm nothing but grateful the club has provided me with so much joy and optimism

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Apparently, I’m not disappointed with yesterday unless I throw ALL my toys out of the cot AND hold my breath until I’m blue in the face.

Apparently, if I can moderate my disappointment with yesterday AND enjoy the progress this team has made then I just don’t realise how ****ing bad Hawthorn are and I have no perspective on how they suck worse than any other team.


If our players were as unhinged as the posters here we would play like Gold Coast or Essendon, inconsistent and unstructured. This is the most senseless meltdown yet on BigFooty and there have been some doozies. These young, green players have implemented a great system that has overcome a very fragile start to the year and put us in the game against the best in the league, beating four of the top eight in the last three month while dropping only three against the top 8 in that same timeframe.

Get a fricking grip. This team is playing very good ball. And the boys on the field owe you nothing but their best efforts, which they gave. Sometimes you still lose. Learn to deal with it like an adult.

Where have I thrown my toys out of the cot? Have I gone on rants in the game day/autopsy threads? No. Have I threatened to microwave my membership or burn my scarf? No. I have endured a hell of a lot worse than yesterday and I have been philosophical throughout the rebuild - and my posting history shows that.

I, personally, am not thrilled at our current finals drought. We had given ourselves every chance of ending that this season but due to other results and the loss yesterday it is likely not going to happen. Nuance is possible - I can be happy with the progress of the side but be bitterly disappointed we likely won't factor in the finals. If we could have made it this year it would have been massive for our young squad to play in a final - even if we didn't win.

I also don’t love resting on laurels. I am not content making up the numbers – and this club hasn’t been for a long time also. I follow sports teams that have prevailing fan sentiment and club sentiment of ‘well at least we didn’t do as bad we thought’ and I am infinitely more rewarded as a supporter of this football club because it strives for more. The Scum not having won a final in so long is an ongoing item of parody. They are a laughing stock. Their supporters who cling to ‘well at least we have won 16 flags’ the vast majority of those they haven’t watched nor is their even a DVD they can buy of it makes those claims so pathetic. We aren’t that club. I don’t want to be that kind of club. If wanting more from this season makes me hysterical in your eyes than so be it. Congratulations – you win the most patient supporter award. I am not going to get all misty eyed over doing better than we were predicted to this season. We know this club, and now we know this particular list, is better than that. If our supporters don’t expect and demand a ruthless winning mentality from our club then we are doomed for mediocrity.

So I will still be there next week (already have my reserved seats ready) and I will be cheering just as loud as I have the entire way through this rebuild. But I will be damned if I will just sit there and think ‘oh well a 7 year finals drought isn’t so bad, just think about how much better we have had it than X supporter’. To hell with that – I want the other supporters to hate us, fear us and dread us all over again.

 

[DogDaySonny]

Sure, fine, apparently no one else wants Hawthorn to dominate and be hated. Especially no one at the club who have put Hawthorn on exactly the path to do that.

Clarkson and his unfortunately uninspired gameplay gone? Check.
Dynamic, driven and motivating coach in? Check.
Youth-centric team? Check.
Attacking, high-pressure gameplay that challenges the best teams despite the youth? Check.
Massive year-on-year and in-season play improvement? Check.
Very public campaign to attract talent into our weakest spots? Check.

Lose a close game to a more talent-balanced and experienced side who is also fighting for their finals berth? The losers at Hawthorn have no anmbition and are no better than GCS. I’m sick of those jerks not wanting excellence like I do.


No toys out of the cot? I would expect long time and team connected posters to have a far better grip on calm.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The losers at Hawthorn have no anmbition and are no better than GCS. I’m sick of those jerks not wanting excellence like I do.

Except I never said that or anything like it.

 

[DogDaySonny]

And, if you can put away the rage blinders for a moment, the GWS game was lost in a completely different style than the Port game. Against GWS we threw everything into going forward, but GWS overcame it. In the Port game we tried to run out the clock. Against GWS we doubled down on attack. Sicily forward. Harwick forward. Everyone running forward at the slightest sight of a turnover.

GWS were just better able to turn on the pressure.

Disappointing? No doubt. In need of improvement? Surely. A sign that the club is happy with losing and mediocrity? That’s just stupid.

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

And, if you can put away the rage blinders for a moment, the GWS game was lost in a completely different style than the Port game. Against GWS we threw everything into going forward, but GWS overcame it. In the Port game we tried to run out the clock. Against GWS we doubled down on attack. Sicily forward. Harwick forward. Everyone running forward at the slightest sight of a turnover.

GWS were just better able to turn on the pressure.

Disappointing? No doubt. In need of improvement? Surely. A sign that the club is happy with losing and mediocrity? That’s just stupid.

We didn't get it deep enough in the last as well unfortunately. Easy to run the ball out of def 50 when you intercept 40 out, hence the 5 goals from def 50 we conceded in the last.

 

[DogDaySonny]

“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.”

“Yes, it was fantastic, but I don't want to be sitting here close to two decades since that time going 'well at least we had the threepeat'. This club looks towards winning its next flag, not just cherishing its last flag.

If we go into next year being 7 years into not having played a final and 9 years since winning our last final that is not befitting of this club.”


Who are you talking to if not the people running the club? Randos on the internet who are, just quietly, parroting Sam Mitchell’s disappointment at a win that got away while staying focused on the prize of building a team that can play and win finals football?

Who exactly is the person you see yourself arguing with that is advocating for 20 years of GCS, Norf or Adelaide performance?

 

[Ned Ryerson]

“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.”

“Yes, it was fantastic, but I don't want to be sitting here close to two decades since that time going 'well at least we had the threepeat'. This club looks towards winning its next flag, not just cherishing its last flag.

If we go into next year being 7 years into not having played a final and 9 years since winning our last final that is not befitting of this club.”


Who are you talking to if not the people running the club? Randos on the internet who are, just quietly, parroting Sam Mitchell’s disappointment at a win that got away while staying focused on the prize of building a team that can play and win finals football?

Who exactly is the person you see yourself arguing with that is advocating for 20 years of GCS, Norf or Adelaide performance?

It's a supporter forum mate - where else am I meant to take my disappointment about my football team? I would like to be done with this finals drought and I am sick of meaningless Septembers - this really sounds like toys out of the cot to you? You really haven't been around here long enough.

Apologies if staring down the prospect of our second-worst ever finals drought is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow despite the improvements this year. As I said - I don't lose my mind in gameday threads or autopsy threads. But in a thread about the general direction of the club I am going to wax a little philosophical about the current finals drought of the side. I know that Sam wouldn't be happy with it either - but he has an entire footy club to talk to today about the disappointment. I have bigfooty. If you want to avoid people who aren't happy about likely missing out on playing finals this year then this probably wasn't the best location for it. Maybe someone needs to bump the blue sky thread.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Yes disappointing to lose but we are not out of it and still have evrything to play for. And Sammy will have them wound up for this weekend. Stick with it boys.

 

[QuietB]

Season has been amazing. I’ve loved it and love Sammy’s direction. Have we lost games because of coaching - yes. Have we lost games we shouldn’t - yes. But they are so young. Including Sammy.

Hawks are in this to win premierships and they are not ready for that yet. I honestly don’t care if they make finals - I’ve seen enough to know everyone at the club is working in the right direction.

 

[The Chad and I]

I'm with Ned on this one.
Hawthorn has high standards and expectations.
As supporters, we also know what it takes and have patience for it.

But also, we are impatient if we don't see the right things being done at the right times.
I see Sam Mitchell and the club steering the club astutely through a necessary phase of learning and development.

Losing occasionally is part of that.
Provided the lessons are learned, I'm OK with that.

So far, this group has outperformed.
We've had a stretch of 3 months where we've been among the best 2-3 teams in the competition.
Do we get a couple of weeks underperforming now?
Is it a let down to have the air taken out of us with a disappointingly close loss?

Whatever happens, it's part of the experience we must take to develop into contenders.

We must respond to this loss.
If losing form persists, that would be a different lesson that we must learn from.
Every single time we have a set back, we must grow from it and calcify the fractures to become stronger.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

With regards to how to respond to the loss on the weekend I find myself torn TBH.

On the one hand we have had an incredible run of form the second half of the year and really there is no shame in losing to GWS (who are a very good, very experienced team) by just 2 points at Canberra.

But on the other hand given the importance of winning the match to pretty much guarantee of first finals appearance in 7 years to lose it after leading by 28 points at the end of the 3rd quarter really is a kick in the nether regions (especially after going through the same scenario against Port).

Also I feel torn about considering this year just a development year for 2025 which makes sense but on the other hand in AFL these days you really have to take your chances when they are presented to you as you never know if you can replicate the same form the following year.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I know Collingwood’s list composition was different but let’s look at Collingwood’s rise to the flag. They start shaky after finishing 17th the season before. They then storm home winning 11 of their last 12, finish 4th and come bloody close to beating Geelong in the first week of finals, comprehensively knock off Freo and then come within a point of making a grand final. They then take this into the next season and win the flag with a side that’s used to the hard fought contest and tight wins.

Personally I would want this for our current list. A commendable 9th or 10th is better than finishing 17th - that’s obvious - but storming into the finals and taking a scalp or two would have supercharged this side’s confidence. This is a confidence side in the making and I think players like Watto are going to thrive playing finals, not feeling satisfied having finished a noble 9th.

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

It is a development year. You take any opportunity that presents but let’s not lose sight of where the team has come from. There are never any guarantees in future performance but our team is driven by the younger core, not by oldies. That is worth remembering.

 

[mustang]

It is a development year. You take any opportunity that presents but let’s not lose sight of where the team has come from. There are never any guarantees in future performance but our team is driven by the younger core, not by oldies. That is worth remembering.

There are teams like what Adelaide and Saints did last year then struggled second year then there are teams who kick on, I know we all want to believe we will kick on but we could drop back also.

 

[peetoo]

1992-2006 hawks were the worst performing apart from freo.
Had to man the barricades in 1996
But guess what, that period fits within 1970-now when easily the best performing team. Next one is carlton who have an almost 30 year drought right now

 

[mustang]

1992-2006 hawks were the worst performing apart from freo.
Had to man the barricades in 1996
But guess what, that period fits within 1970-now when easily the best performing team. Next one is carlton who have an almost 30 year drought right now

There was other factors also then broke, merger, terrible recruiting which comes back to broke.

 

[offtherails9]

There are teams like what Adelaide and Saints did last year then struggled second year then there are teams who kick on, I know we all want to believe we will kick on but we could drop back also.

Progress isn't always linear which makes it hard to judge sometimes. We could very well stagnate next year.

 

[peetoo]

There’s only one gap on the ladder biger than one win 15th-16th so progress might very well be disgused

 

[Suntory Boss Coffee]

This comparison to Adelaide and St Kilda is off the mark IMO.

Adelaide were carried by their vets last season and St Kilda is in no mans land.

We are the second youngest list in the AFL. Completely different list compositions.