Autopsy The Grand Final - Take it apart here

[Arc1]

LMFAO at people criticising Hale, Jesus wept you are turnips. Beat up Mumford, got us a goal when the GF was sliding into oblivion, got yet another snapped goal... if NicNat did half of that Bruce would blow his load so hard the commentary box windows would shatter.

Lot of time for Hale's efforts, and yeah, he missed a sitter and that sucks, but at least he had a red hot go.

Our delivery into 50 was clumsy, we let Sydney transition end to end too easily just like Adelaide, and end of the day we got stiffed by some bad luck in front of goal. Take away an accidental and generous 50m, a total fluke first goal, and some of our posters, and we might've won.

Dropping our bundle in Q2 ultimately made it too hard, sucks complete donkey **** to be a Hawks fan right now, but shit happens. I don't like losing to anyone but hey, at least it wasn't Geelong.

Ps. Shout out to the Schoe man, picked the right game to put in a good one.

 

[jordanrobbo3]

Shit happens. We blew it. Bring on 2013.

 

[WillowSF]

We lost in the dying moments...can't be too harsh on the players. We just didn't capitalize during those periods where we had the ascendancy. Kicking for goal ultimately cost us and Sydney were able to turn the game into a rugby scrum which suits their style. At critical moments they were just that bit better at getting numbers to the ball. Again I thought we were too Buddy conscious. He had his chance to bury them in the 4th quarter but didn't have his kicking boots on. Bitterly disappointed but there's no point in singling out players who did not perform.

 

[jordanrobbo3]

Jack Gunstons goal kicking routine / technique to be drilled into every player for the entire off season. Same old crap kicking cost us dearly, not good enough.

I've noticed at training that Gunston spends a huge amount of time practicing his set shots & snaps. It's no coincedence that hes our best kick at goal.

Take note others.

 

[Bremner20]

I thought his first ten minutes were excellent, and he lasted longer than I expected, but to be quite honest we did not have enough depth to have any better option than playing him. Whitecross or Goo would have been great to have - but thats footy.

IMO Cheney has been the man that has been overlooked by the selectors at the teams expense. They made their decision to get as much gametime into X and Murphy as possible, at the expense of giving any experience to Cheney. So when Goos hamstring goes bang, its too late in the season for the man most likely to be a good like for like replacement to get a run.
Would it have turned the GF - dunno. The main thing that cost us this GF was bad kicking, they were kicking goals out of their backsides in the H&A games, the rot started to set in against the pies (though we arrested it), then it nearly cost the Crows game... unbelievable really that the goal kicking wheels can collectively fall off that quickly. Not just Roughead and Franklin goal kicking efforts either, some of the more experienced guys field kicking skills seem to have deserted them at the point end of the season. We were getting plenty of the ball and just burning it.

For 2013 i am hoping for some shrewd recruiting, and development in our second tier players. At one point this season we had almost 30 players that could have played in the 1s, in the end it was mainly injuries that shaped the final 22.

Ellis is still a fringe player, and despite having talent he is too unreliable physically to persevere with in the long run. I certainly do not think he was the reason we lost though.

Agree on Cheney he was a tailor made replacement for Guerra and if he is not going to get a game ,why the fu$k did we recruit him in the first place? Trading J.Kennedy is going to haunt us too. We have really made some big recruiting /trading blunders of recent times which might just cost us big time as history unfolds over the next couple of years.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Jack Gunstons goal kicking routine / technique to be drilled into every player for the entire off season. Same old crap kicking cost us dearly, not good enough.

Absolutely, and well said. It just amazes me how so much attention to detail is poured into football, and yet we still can't be bothered getting players to devise a routine when kicking for goal. Kicking for goal? Not THAT important is it?

 

[Rioli2Gunstall]

Not gonna win letting the other team kick 8 in a row. Congratulations to Brad Sewell what a mighty effort. Lots of players can hold their heads high for a great effort and a great year. We lost last years GF, thats all, now get to winning some. I can see Breust developing into a RoK type player, look forward to watching him over the years. Well done mighty Hawks i love you all.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Massive respect for Sydney. Never say die.

 

[Upgrayedd]

It ****ing hurts.

I've never witnessed a lost grand final, i hate it. Sydney are a brilliant team but ****

I wont single out guys because sydney were brilliant, i think were about 2 top line stars from taking apart brilliant teams like Sydney, Kicking cost us, not goal wise but some field kicks were lazy.

 

[mrcurly]

There are watershed moments in every GF ,for me today i thought when Jetta made our quickest player look slow ,did Rioli's head in IMO.It's not the end of an era and the window is still open (maybe starting to be wound closed) but i think after today a few players need to have a red line drawn across their name.Young ,Ellis ,Shoenmakers for starters with Roughead to be put on notice.Work on bringing Hill in for more games next year (we looked slow)and FFS we do need a quality KPD not just a 3rd man up professional spoiler.

Put your shotty back in its holster. I thought Shoey played easily his best game of the final series, Roughead is losing a lot of his forward potency (IMO) because he is having to handle ruck duties around the ground, and although one Young error cost us a goal - should we sack Mitchell too? Young has been a solid contributor for most of the year, i thought he was totally shot, but his tackling and general field kicking have been better than ever in 2012.

We lost this game because our world beating forward line could not handle the defensive flooding tactics Sydney use so well, and because at key points in the game they just could not kick straight. How many goals did Sydney kick? they hardly missed.

No, i changed my mind, lets get rid of Ellis.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Sydney were the better team on the day so they deserved it. Dissapointed but it could be worse

Yes, very true. The only thing that concerns me is a missed opportunity that we may rue in years to come. Whereas we've shaken off the Geelongs of this world (they won't be near the top 4 for many years to come), in 2012 we saw the emergence of a couple of teams who could be very difficult to beat next season.

I hate to say this, but maybe we will need to think about trading some players with real currency if we hope to win the flag in 2013.

 

[gardiner stand]

could be worse you could be carlton, all talk no action,suburban standard coach and pres.
hawthorn are well led on and off the field and clarko is a gun coach,you'll be there in 2013

 

[Jiggystoon]

It threatened to bring us undone last week, it bought us undone this week.... Inaccurate kicking, the Swans nailed them when they had the run of the grain, we didnt, dont know what we have to do to learn, but thats the reality, need to get stuck into pre season and make amends, dont think big changes are required, we are on the right track, with age on our side, Schoey, Breust, Smith, Shiels, Gunston, etc will all be another year older with another pre season under there belts, we will have our turn again,

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Yes, very true. The only thing that concerns me is a missed opportunity that we may rue in years to come. .

Well everyone was saying that about Geelong in 08 and they recovered ok!!!
Very suprised about how undissapointed I am. I was twice as shattered against Geelong in R17.
I reckon we have pretty much the right squad for next year with maybe one or two tweaks
ALWAYS HAWTHORN

 

[SSSSSS]

Bit off topic but when can we expect to see Whitecross back? He was really important for us this year and we missed his composure and workrate through the middle. He was also always there to kick a goal or two out of nowhere.

 

[PottSie2]

Thought Hale had a great game, and a great season.
Buddy, frustratingly awesome.

Lost it in the 2nd quarter. 1 point to 6 goals.

Wish Sewell would land his snaps more often.

 

[Southern Urchins]

Bad kicking = bad footy. We worried about it all year and it happened again when it mattered most.

Too many passengers, beaten at our own game plan.

Ride the bumps with a grin, some passengers were exposed and the sun will still rise tomorrow. Great season, didn't get the choccies. Way she goes.

p.s. Prelim crowds > GF crowds.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Well everyone was saying that about Geelong in 08 and they recovered ok!!!

Stuff Geelong.

 

[jordanrobbo3]

I hope Brad Sewell goes on forever. Someone with alot of money seriously needs to figure out a way to stop him ageing.

 

[Tuck In]

Not a lot to say. Footy is shite when you lose and great when you win is too simplistic but it how I feel just now. Players will know who did and did not perform, coaches will assess and hopefully make the right changes. Some players need less twitter and outside activities and more practise at the job that gave them fame.

Sewell was immense ; Hale was very good .....otherwise how many played their best games?

Need the whole club to watch the 2nd quarter tomorrow before any holidays and be the last thing they remember from this season.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Piss Off

No need to be like that. If an opposition supporter posts a constructive comment they shouldn't be abused

 

[mrcurly]

Bit off topic but when can we expect to see Whitecross back? He was really important for us this year and we missed his composure and workrate through the middle. He was also always there to kick a goal or two out of nowhere.

..not really off topic. I thought Lewis was a major bonus for us in the forward half during the H&A, losing Whitecross meant pushing him more into the middle - another avenue to goal gone. There is always a ripple down effect when a player is lost to injury beyond the ability of their replacements. I thought our backhalf also lost its mongrel when Goos hamstring popped, certainly seemed a less imposing back six in the finals.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

Horrible game and I'm utterly gutted. Even after a long walk I'm still a mess.

We played flat-out horrible. H+A season meant naught all because of two crap games. Where were the Hawks that won the McClelland Trophy? I couldn't see them.

From the middle of the ground to the forward line the players effort and skills were shocking. I expect the blokes in my local granny next week to play with better ball skills than what was shown out their for most of the time. Constant fumbles, handballs going awry, pathetic attempts at tackling and ****ing dreadful tracking back or marking the man. When we did finally kick it the Hawks who were made famous because of their kicking were shamed because of it. Our entries into the forward 50 were downright woeful. No good getting it in there if you're going to waste possession. Then our kicking at goal...deplorable. Hale, Franklin, Gunston all ****ed it up today when given the chance and don't get me started on Roughie. Worst player in last two games by far. What the **** did he do?

We nearly, nearly rallied back, which was great to see. Hodge and Sewell were awesome, Mitchell kept quiet as seems the norm. Birch and Suckling anonymous. I feel sorry for Clarkson and the coaches. They can't kick, handball, tackle, play the bloody game for them, most those errors were skill errors, the players ****ing up, be it from the pressure or incompetence. Ugh, what a mess of emotions.

Sydney deserved to win, they have an impressive list, mainly because its not made of to many stars and they all play and buy into the system up there, its great. Played like Grand Finalists today.

Here's to looking forward to 2013.

 

[FancyNancy]

Need the whole club to watch the 2nd quarter tomorrow before any holidays and be the last thing they remember from this season.

maybe you can add in the shots on goal

 

[muff73]

Surprised nobody has mentioned how good Shoenmakers was today, don't think he lost a 1 on 1.

I Did! ;-) Mind you Reid isnt a monster like Cloke (who Schoey actually beat twice this season and lost to once) and Tippett (who had the game he should have), but Schoey is going to get bigger and will beat even those types in time.

Still, I wouldn't be disappointed if we did bring in a big KPD for a year or 2 to help. Definitely wasnt what cost us. Morton walking around mid sized defenders who stood like statues, had nothing to do with not having a big tall defender.