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.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

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.

Our average list age and experience is very similar to Adelaide's. Again I believe our list is better but the example remains relevant that progress isn't guaranteed to be linear.

 

[Buckemenico]

GWS have already been conditioned by multiple finals over the last 5 years and many wins in finals. Only 1 point from Grand Final last year. A loss to them by 2 points actually means we are very much on track for a side with the 2nd youngest list and not dependent on ageing superstars.

 

[Blackhawk42]

GWS have already been conditioned by multiple finals over the last 5 years and many wins in finals. Only 1 point from Grand Final last year. A loss to them by 2 points actually means we are very much on track for a side with the 2nd youngest list and not dependent on ageing superstars.

We were also the better side for 3 quarters on Sunday. Every time they controlled play for 5 minutes we'd turn the tide and score a goal.
We did this for 3 straight quarters and even twice in the final quarter, to the point where I was convinced we were home when Breust scored that left footer from the goal square.

That's the sign of a quality side. You lose nothing from a development perspective when you win 3 quarters of football then fall agonisingly short at the finish line against a more experienced side higher on the ladder.

I was disappointed to spend the weekend in Canberra and lose the way we did, but the boys looked a total level above the side I watched play Collingwood in Gather Round. I left the Adelaide Oval that day satisfied with the comeback.
Perspective suggests that I should (and I do) feel just as satisfied with winning the first 3 quarters instead this time.

Might catch a live victory soon. Should probably plan my attendances around some weaker opposition next year. Haven't seen us win since West Coast in 2022.

 

[wahawk]

Couple of games last year also

& the year before
& the year before
& every year before that.

Seriously man, every team gets chased down every year

 

[SSSSSS]

The gap between our best and our worst is still too large to be a serious contender, especially when it can fluctuate from quarter to quarter let alone game to game.

We're a very inexperienced side and have made great strides to address this. Consistency comes with experience and with consistency comes a chance at sustained success.

 

[Sixpence]

The gap between our best and our worst is still too large to be a serious contender, especially when it can fluctuate from quarter to quarter let alone game to game.

We're a very inexperienced side and have made great strides to address this. Consistency comes with experience and with consistency comes a chance at sustained success.

Every side fluctuates from quarter to quarter. Most games against two good sides, the momentum swings back and forth, you rarely have one team on top all game.

Can't be up all year, look at Sydney now, Carlton now, Geelong had their dip, Brisbane and Dogs at the start. Difference between their best and worst has been pretty contrast.

 

[cryptor]

The gap between our best and our worst is still too large to be a serious contender, especially when it can fluctuate from quarter to quarter let alone game to game.

We're a very inexperienced side and have made great strides to address this. Consistency comes with experience and with consistency comes a chance at sustained success.

We're a more serious contender than Sydney by this logic.

 

[CHUBBSS]

The gap between our best and our worst is still too large to be a serious contender, especially when it can fluctuate from quarter to quarter let alone game to game.

We're a very inexperienced side and have made great strides to address this. Consistency comes with experience and with consistency comes a chance at sustained success.

I think it’s more the need for seasoned bodies, it’s a long season and we need the ability to be a bit stronger as teams naturally eb and flow in performance. And all the little decision making improvements that will allow us to reach a grand final and win it.

 

[mustang]

I think it’s more the need for seasoned bodies, it’s a long season and we need the ability to be a bit stronger as teams naturally eb and flow in performance. And all the little decision making improvements that will allow us to reach a grand final and win it.

The game showed how much we need another top midfielder in there if Day is tagged.

One with pace as we are one paced, and Daniel’s showed us what a player with pace can do to a one paced midfield.

 

[TylerDurden]

The game showed how much we need another top midfielder in there if Day is tagged.

One with pace as we are one paced, and Daniel’s showed us what a player with pace can do to a one paced midfield.

Moore is that player for us.
In fact, he should've gone in late to mix up the balance.

 

[SSSSSS]

Moore is that player for us.
In fact, he should've gone in late to mix up the balance.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sam starts to throw Wiz in the centre when we need some spark.

 

[Roddy]

If I went back to the start of this season and told myself we'd finish on somewhere around 13 wins (after 7 last year), even with at least a couple of heartbreaking losses along the way, I'd have fallen all over myself taking that...

 

[FB19]

I would have expected in a year of balancing focus between development and performance there would have been more player rotations. The lure of finals probably lessened that plan I hope that’s not detrimental long term. Would like to see some players get a look in final games of the year.

 

[Roddy]

If I went back to the start of this season and told myself we'd finish on somewhere around 13 wins (after 7 last year), even with at least a couple of heartbreaking losses along the way, I'd have fallen all over myself taking that...

If I went back to when we were 0-5, even more so...

 

[rei154]

I wouldn't be surprised if Sam starts to throw Wiz in the centre when we need some spark.

Wouldn't be surprised if Wiz starts to throw himself in there more with time.
Of all his impressive work so far this year, that centre clearance against the Wobbles was a work of art, once his confidence is up at the level, he's going to be hard to stop!

 

[cryptor]

Wouldn't be surprised if Wiz starts to throw himself in there more with time.
Of all his impressive work so far this year, that centre clearance against the Wobbles was a work of art, once his confidence is up at the level, he's going to be hard to stop!

I don't think he has the license to just throw himself in there yet. Sounds like the only reason he went in there against the Pies was because we were 10 goals up and Dylan Moore was a little cheeky applying the transitive properties of his role when he got Wiz to play his for a bit.

 

[marklar]

We don't have all our chess pieces on the board yet. Sam is building us for future success and trying to manage the graceful retirement of a couple of his former teammates. We have overachieved this year already, and still have a chance of making an appearance in the finals.

The direction is clear, the ability is building, we know what we need to do to get there.

Exciting times ahead in the next few years!

 

[flinchfree]

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.

It's aint over till....

 

[KermitJagger]

We don't have all our chess pieces on the board yet. Sam is building us for future success and trying to manage the graceful retirement of a couple of his former teammates. We have overachieved this year already, and still have a chance of making an appearance in the finals.

The direction is clear, the ability is building, we know what we need to do to get there.

Exciting times ahead in the next few years!

Can't agree we've overachieved. Clearly Sam thought we were significantly underachieving over the first half of the season and that the second half was more where we're at, he thought we could play finals, he was targeting them and it is more likely to not happen at this stage.

As he always says, it's later than you think.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

There is no such thing as overachieve.

You either achieve to your potential or you do not. It’s that simple.

The human body and the mind cannot over achieve more than its capable of.

 

[rjslcM]

There is no such thing as overachieve.

You either achieve to your potential or you do not. It’s that simple.

The human body and the mind cannot over achieve more than its capable of.

Actually, in the context of genetics, I think 'overachieving' is plausible, particularly in competitive events or even comparing against one's own baseline.

For example:

	Genetic non-aptitude	Genetic aptitude
Works hard	High test scores on a particular subject (overachieving), but low IQ test scores Great performance on a 100m sprint in the best physical shape of their life, physically peaking, using an enormous amount to get there comparatively to a genetically different athlete	High test scores and high IQ test scores Unbeatable performance in a 100m sprint due to sound training and fast-twitch muscle fibers
Doesn't work hard	Low test scores on a particular subject and low IQ test scores Poor performance on a 100m sprint due to lack of training and more slow-twitch muscle fibers	Low test scores on a particular subject (underachieving) and high IQ test scores Poor performance in a 100m due to a lack of training but comparatively better than the other on the left due to fast twitch fibers (underachieving)

Then I guess, epigenetically, the harder we work, the more we adapt our biology towards that which we direct our efforts.

Regardless, I don't think that Hawthorn has overachieved this season. I think we've got talent that works hard and this bodes well for the future

 

[FisherHawk]

Missing FF and FB but Sam has them on the path to being the complete team. Interconnected, playing for each other and overflowing with enthusiasm. No passengers here.

 

[Bugs1977]

What a turnaround Sam has guided the team to in 2024. His team has already won 5 more games (could end up being 7) and the percentage is up 26.76%. I am biased but Sam Mitchell should win the coach of the year.

Easy to forget that just 8 months ago he was laying in a hospital bed in New York not in a good way. If this team goes on a tear the rest of this season what a story that would be.


AFL Ladder 2024 Round 22




AFL Ladder 2023 Round 22

 

[Tanami]

I always look forward to the Fathers Day video for the players and their Dads.

This one is going to be a beauty.

Watson's father might be more "lippy" and agile than his son.

The "stare down" with Hardwick and his Dad is a pisser.

He always loses to the old man.

 

[KermitJagger]

It's funny to see supporters of every other club finding ways to be critical of the Hawks because it always boils down to 3 things:

• Too system oriented
• One dimensional
• No top end talent

The first one I don't even understand as a criticism. Having coachable players who can follow a game plan this well seems like the best thing you could have, especially in striving for consistency.

The second one, what is our one dimension? Ever since David King came out and said Hawthorn's stoppage work is our only real asset we've been 1st for scores from turnover, 3rd from kick ins while being 2nd in scores from the defensive half. We've actually been quelled a little bit in terms of score from stoppage and centre bounce, but have recorded 3 of our biggest wins for the season in that period.

The "no top end talent" bit may be what annoys me most because what it really means is no established top end talent, and even then it's still kinda wrong. We've got a young group with some absolute gun young midfielders intentionally playing a game plan that demands an even contribution. You can look at last year and see that we have a midfield unit who can play starring roles, but it doesn't help us win games.

Hope we can continue to push through and win despite being one dimensional and lacking in top talent!