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.

 

[Roddy]

This came up in my feed just now. Interesting to watch in the light of where he's taken things since....

 

[Flamin Joe]

I would like to see more of Weds in the ruck next year to give Meek a chop out and let Nash focus on getting the ball or clearing a path for Day/Nuke/French

No way, more of Chol in the ruck is what I would like to see. Everytime he goes into the ruck I'm excited to see what he can do as so many times he's given us first use by winning the bounce with pure athleticism.

 

[Brishawk]

No way, more of Chol in the ruck is what I would like to see. Everytime he goes into the ruck I'm excited to see what he can do as so many times he's given us first use by winning the bounce with pure athleticism.

He is hood in the centre but less good around the ground.

 

[grumbleguts]

I am one of those Hawthorn supporters who you would have called 'sad'. But you are wrong. I was not rusted on to the old regime, just sick of the lack of respect shown Alistair Clarkson. I am still sick of the lack of respect for a Hawthorn great. Four premierships and our most successful coach of all time. I hope Sam eclipses Alistair, but I am not going to trash Alistair's achievements or his huge contribution to the Hawthorn tradition which has been a significant part of 70+ years.

For someone harping about showing no respect, you could have looked up how to spell his name.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

I don't think it's a different game style type of plan B, it's more when we're stifled and not able to put speed on the ball, having a semi reliable bail out option either on the wing or in the forward line, and having a tall defender that can win 1 on 1 contests against the dangerous KPFs when we're facing repeat entries if we're stuck in a territory battle.

Lewis' return and Barrass' inclusion go a long way towards a functional plan B.

Dear's natural improvement as well as Battle being able to replicate (potentially even improve upon) the intercept marking of Weddle (who could be pushed to a wing or forward) will also help.

It's crazy to say since the season hasn't even ended yet, and we have already seriously addressed the main concerns, and in my opinion, we look really balanced and strong going into 2025.

worth rewatching the games vs Freo and GWS (both times, to be honest) to see examples of where our "Plan A" was stifled but we managed to win (or almost win). We can do it, just not consistently and that's to be expected given our smaller contested marking options and relative inexperience in those types of scenarios.

Better teams will make it harder to play "your game" through increased intensity, their own ball-winning ability and breaking our excellent defensive press with marking options down the line.

We won't win every game we don't have on our terms – no team has or can. But if we can go 50/50 or better it puts us in a great spot to look at top 4-6 going into 2025.

 

[scrim reaper]

worth rewatching the games vs Freo and GWS (both times, to be honest) to see examples of where our "Plan A" was stifled but we managed to win (or almost win). We can do it, just not consistently and that's to be expected given our smaller contested marking options and relative inexperience in those types of scenarios.

Better teams will make it harder to play "your game" through increased intensity, their own ball-winning ability and breaking our excellent defensive press with marking options down the line.

We won't win every game we don't have on our terms – no team has or can. But if we can go 50/50 or better it puts us in a great spot to look at top 4-6 going into 2025.

Yep completely agree and you've chosen great examples. GWS game 2 in particular was probably the day we had a lot of Barrass converts.

No shame in our forwards being thoroughly beaten by Buckley and Taylor at the other end but Lewis would've probably been the difference in that one had he played.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Mitch Lewis, in our current evenly spread game, would only have to play just above average to make a huge impact on the scoreboard for us. He plays against port, we win. I'm just a tad worried whether if we'll see him much next year, did his ACL which is on the real messy side as he pretty much smashed all ligaments that a athlete can in Rd 18 . İt could be a Sicily type management in that may be extra cautious and give him the whole season off in 2025! Hope not but let's be prepared for the worst.

 

[Flag08]

Mitch Lewis, in our current evenly spread game, would only have to play just above average to make a huge impact on the scoreboard for us. He plays against port, we win. I'm just a tad worried whether if we'll see him much next year, did his ACL which is on the real messy side as he pretty much smashed all ligaments that a athlete can in Rd 18 . İt could be a Sicily type management in that may be extra cautious and give him the whole season off in 2025! Hope not but let's be prepared for the worst.

We had time on our hands with Sicily as we were not contending at the time. We are now. Docherty took 6 months. McStay took 9 and looked fine. Even we gave him the full 12 months from date of injury, he’d have 7 games left in the season before finals. That has to be the aim given how badly we need a quality tall forward.

 

[Bugs1977]

This came up in my feed just now. Interesting to watch in the light of where he's taken things since....

We're in good hands

 

[Bugs1977]

Mitch Lewis, in our current evenly spread game, would only have to play just above average to make a huge impact on the scoreboard for us. He plays against port, we win. I'm just a tad worried whether if we'll see him much next year, did his ACL which is on the real messy side as he pretty much smashed all ligaments that a athlete can in Rd 18 . İt could be a Sicily type management in that may be extra cautious and give him the whole season off in 2025! Hope not but let's be prepared for the worst.

IMO something doesn't sit right with that ACL that he originally hurt the prior preseason. The initial diagnosis was that is was only sprained but by the way he moved the last 10 or so months I reckon the diagnosis probably should've been a partially torn ACL. We'll never know but he just never moved the same way like we all know that he can up and down the wings and back again into the forward line.

I reckon the full reco is going to solve all his issues and he'll return with a vengeance. He'll be one of the guys that you see go up to go get his premiership medallion and shed a tear or two. I for one am backing him in.

 

[Roddy]

We're in good hands

The best.

What’s the bet he finishes in 20 years from now with 4 flags to his name as a player and another 4 as a coach.

 

[Bugs1977]

The best.

What’s the bet he finishes in 20 years from now with 4 flags to his name as a player and another 4 as a coach.

Nothing is guaranteed but you can totally see why everyone speaks so highly of him especially oppo players

 

[Simon Crawshay]

For me the biggest test to see if we are a legitimate flag chance in 2025 will be how we start the season.

It's just too hard to win a flag when you start slow and need to scramble to win enough games to finish 5th - 8th. Sooner or later having to play a quasi elimination final every week catches up with a team (no team can be up for that many weeks in a row).

We need to take a leaf out of Geelong's book, start the season strong and bank wins, have a mid season lull then come home strong.

 

[unitedhawk]

For me the biggest test to see if we are a legitimate flag chance in 2025 will be how we start the season.

It's just too hard to win a flag when you start slow and need to scramble to win enough games to finish 5th - 8th. Sooner or later having to play a quasi elimination final every week catches up with a team (no team can be up for that many weeks in a row).

We need to take a leaf out of Geelong's book, start the season strong and bank wins, have a mid season lull then come home strong.

That's going to be the key to how we go in 2025. We've started badly for the past couple of years and can't afford to do so again.

A strong start and the added confidence boost that'll provide, will do wonders for our fast-improving side.

 

[offtherails9]

Tigers were the best at absorbing the pressure by way of two things;
İf they got their hands on the ball first, they would always handball frwd over or under the oncoming tackler/so, teammates know this so were on the move to where the ball would go immediately.
Or , if the Oppo mids got the clearance first, they would ' Hunt' in numbers till they ripped the ball off their opponents.

We will play very similarly very soon. Didn't even lose by much to worry about .

It's been a feature of our game and I remember someone mentioning it here after a game that we often take on the tackler and then try and get a handball loose. Didn't work Friday, their tackles stuck.

 

[lyger]

The best.

What’s the bet he finishes in 20 years from now with 4 flags to his name as a player and another 4 as a coach.

That would be unreal, if Mitch can replicate Lethal’s feat of 4 as player and 4 as coach.

 

[Roddy]

That would be unreal, if Mitch can replicate Lethal’s feat of 4 as player and 4 as coach.

And if he does it all for the B&G, even better.

 

[Holy Rioli]

The club was very disappointed with the shape Lewis presented to start of pre-season last year, and on top of that his pre-season efforts. With that said, the club have been wrapped with mentally how he's wrapped his head around how he has to rehab and how diligent he has been with it to this point and expect him to be available mid 2025.

 

[Brant]

IMO something doesn't sit right with that ACL that he originally hurt the prior preseason. The initial diagnosis was that is was only sprained but by the way he moved the last 10 or so months I reckon the diagnosis probably should've been a partially torn ACL. We'll never know but he just never moved the same way like we all know that he can up and down the wings and back again into the forward line.

I reckon the full reco is going to solve all his issues and he'll return with a vengeance. He'll be one of the guys that you see go up to go get his premiership medallion and shed a tear or two. I for one am backing him in.

Had pre-season injury issues & hip injury in-season (first few rounds of 2024), from memory - as well as the knee problem(s).

12 months off-line should help him fix the knee + whatever else may have troubled him recently.

 

[Bugs1977]

Had pre-season injury issues & hip injury in-season (first few rounds of 2024), from memory - as well as the knee problem(s).

12 months off-line should help him fix the knee + whatever else may have troubled him recently.

Yeah all that stuff is connected. Hopefully it all get's sorted for him from here on out.

 

[KermitJagger]

Finished the season strongly, game plan held up in finals and we were really only pushed out due to leaving our run too late and suffering a few really inopportune injuries at the wrong time of the year. Even then it took Port's best contested game and highest pressure game of the season to scrape a win against us. Another year older for our youngsters, another year playing together. Barring tragedy, hard to imagine any other way than up for us atm.

 

[FB19]

For me the biggest test to see if we are a legitimate flag chance in 2025 will be how we start the season.

It's just too hard to win a flag when you start slow and need to scramble to win enough games to finish 5th - 8th. Sooner or later having to play a quasi elimination final every week catches up with a team (no team can be up for that many weeks in a row).

We need to take a leaf out of Geelong's book, start the season strong and bank wins, have a mid season lull then come home strong.

Thankfully this didn’t age well…Lions slow cats fast starters and look at them now!

 

[mustang]

We had time on our hands with Sicily as we were not contending at the time. We are now. Docherty took 6 months. McStay took 9 and looked fine. Even we gave him the full 12 months from date of injury, he’d have 7 games left in the season before finals. That has to be the aim given how badly we need a quality tall forward.

One reason to bring in another so he can full recover, we want him fully healthy his been injury prone for a while, hopefully this time off repairs his body to get fully fit.

 

[Roddy]

I understand, and agree with, the notion that Sic, as a floating interceptor, is unquestionably one of the elite defenders in the league.

But I have to say that, with Barrass and Battle (hopefully) coming in, I'm completely tantalised by the idea of him going forward. He did that multiple times this year with great success.

 

[cs61]

I listened with interest to what Cornes had to say post Port losing on his TRSF. Not surprisingly, gave them a free ride and excused the state of their list, compared to the Hawks last week who were apparently 'stacked' (with no Day, Lewis, Frost, or Blanck, basically our whole spine). It is interesting the media ride our boys will go through. Last year Cornes was on the panel where Wilson and Co were accusing us of putting the competition in a poor state due to our list decisions, and insinuated the AFL had contacted us because it would make an unbalanced competition.. Now apparently we have a stacked list, and should have beaten Port Adelaide away in our second final, just 1 year later.

None of it makes any sense. They have no accountability and what they said yesterday is forgotten. Cornes was Mitchell's pal all year and turned on him for merely sticking up for his players post match just after a heart breaking loss. But Hawthorn weren't allowed to get offended over a coach berating a losing side during a champions 300, a coach that has prior form but media aren't interested in digging that up, but Port were allowed to get offended about an IG post that wasn't directed at the team. The narrative is we have been 'dishing it out all year'.... how, by celebrating our goals? What they really meant was they took offence to Ginnivan sticking it up them the week about the pub so they are going back at us 10 times harder. The media didn't like to made to look foolish.

They have now got many in the public believing Hodge is a very Hawthorn biased commentator, which is pathetic as he is similar to Dunstall in that he goes too far the other way. Shame on Cornes for turning on a colleague who is far more honorable than he is in terms of football and media, and making it out the Hawthorn ones are to blame, not the Cornes Fox News type gossip that twists reality to suit whatever narrative they are trying to make.

Our guys are going to have to learn to ride the media wave ups and downs as part of Sam's journey. Next year it is already 'they should start premiership favourites' talk. They clearly showed their true colours when we lost after pretending to enjoy our brand this year and then potting us for behaviour and also trying to bring back FreeKickHawthorn. So we are back to being public enemy number 1, which is a pretty good sign that things are on track in terms of our performance.

Sam fully understands what the media is like and will be prepping them to deal with this, and to 'be happy to play the villain role'. The media is making out like we have been a bunch of teenagers making fun of the opposition all year, but we have leaders like Day, Moore, Newcombe, Nash, Hardwick, Impey, that sides like Saints can only wish for, and will be coming in hard again next year.