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ROUND 16: HAWTHORN 14.10 (94), WEST COAST 6.13 (33)
📝 Main recap:
What did we learn? We are the big birds. And we are the kings of the big game.
It was billed as a danger game as we headed across the Nullarbor to take on the Eagles, who had arguably their best team named on paper for more than 12 months.
But much like the Dusty game pre-bye, our young Hawks not only lived up to expectations - they smashed them to smithereens.
We don’t need to be worried anymore. We don’t need to be concerned about whether or not we will win games we should, or if the mirage is ready to be exposed.
This is no mirage.
Yes we are still a young young side still learning and developing a craft - a brand of football that will “not just get us into finals, but make us competitive once we are there.”
Yes we will still lose games that we are ‘expecting’ to win.
But as we continue to gain experience in all facets of this journey, one thing is clear - we are good. The brand is good. The kids are good. The coaching is good. Our media department is good. Life is good.
And while we could easily have won this game by a much greater margin, the second half performance alone was a wonderful sight to see. Fans of all clubs - not just ours, are talking about what a wonderful brand of footy we are playing and it is exciting.
The good times aren’t coming - they are here. Let’s just take a second, ponder it, and enjoy the now.
🧐 Things we like to see — Air Mabior
When it all comes together, Marbs in full flight is a vision of beauty. Such a great natural spring and in the second quarter he used it to fly over Tom Barrass and Josh Rotham to take this absolute hanger. Will definitely be nominated for mark of the week / year and while it was a shame he couldn’t convert the set shot, was one for the end of year highlights reel.
🧐 Things we like to see — You cannot fend off Jai
It went to pass that on at least three occasions heading into the final term, Harley Reid was tackled and given the type of latitude that mere mortals can only dream of. But it wasn’t to be early in the fourth when he looked straight at Jai Newcombe and decided to charge him, rather than dispose of the footy. Newcombe’s subsequent tackle and vice like grip together with Conor Nash coming in from behind was heaven. And hopefully like us, you will enjoy watching it again, and again and again.
🕵🏻♂️ A dozen observations from Prinsy:
Plenty to like from the first half, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect the dominance the Hawks had over the contest. Important to remember that this young side won’t be perfect in every game, or in every facet of their games, all the time. Enjoy the ride this team is on and don’t focus on the could haves and the should haves. That pressure will come later.
It was a game that Hawthorn went into expecting a win, which in itself shows the progress of this team, but to come off the bye, travel west and assert themselves the way they did, the football department will be quietly impressed with what they saw.
The turnaround in clearances from the beginning of the season to now is a sight to behold. The Hawks were beat up early in the year, but have beat down on teams during the current win streak. James Worpel was the catalyst for it against the Eagles with 11 clearances of his own (West Coast as a team had 21).
Staying with the midfield, Jai Newcombe has found the kind of form he enjoyed last season. Slow to start the year (he wasn’t alone) Newcombe is only down 1.5 disposals per game on average from last year, and if he continues the way he is playing, his season might almost do enough to put his name under the All-Australian selectors noses once more.
This unheralded Hawthorn backline continues to get the job done week after week. Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen presented a clear and obvious threat and yet they were easily outpointed by the combination of Sam Frost, Jack Scrimshaw and Josh Weddle, with the Eagles talls contributing 1.2 from 14 combined possessions.
This was the Changkouth Jiath the Hawks have been waiting for. His first quarter was elite, starting with a goal from eight disposals, but it was his work rate and defensive positioning and running that stood out. The team is better when CJ is in it, especially when he contributes the way he did this weekend.
Let’s talk about our small forwards. Dylan Moore is a star, and the competition is starting to take note. Jack Ginnivan is a jet, and despite what Collingwood fans are saying to help themselves cope, he was a steal for the Hawks. Connor Macdonald’s development this season lines up with every metric about playing 50 games and exploding. He’s averaging a touch under 18 disposals and 1.5 goals per game over the last four games. Plus the Hawks can rotate Nick Watson, Luke Breust and Blake Hardwick through there also. Impressive.
You will not find a Hawthorn supporter who doesn’t enjoy Meek Monday, but this weekend I feel like Meek Sunday was even better. 16 disposals, five marks, six tackles, four clearances, 37 hit outs and a goal was a monster outing for the Hawks undisputed number one ruck.
The kick from James Sicily to Jarman Impey. That’s all.
Speaking of the skipper, he was massive again on Sunday evening, and despite only playing three quarters, was one of the teams best. His shoulder is a serious concern, and with finals still a chance, the Hawks will be hoping he can continue to soldier on, but a second dislocation is never a good sign for the strength of the shoulder.
A 10-goal win was the final margin, but this one felt a lot like it could have been 100 points if the Hawks were cleaner. It looks so impressive when it clicks, and some of the transition football should come with a NSFW warning.
It might be time to see the return of Mitch Lewis next weekend. The Cats. GMHBA Stadium. A couple of quiet weeks for Dear. The stage is well and truly set.
⭐️ Best on ground — James Worpel
It was a tough decision this week, and it could have been Newcombe or Moore here, but we’ve gone with Worpel. His ferocity in the contest and ability to get first hands on the football set the tone for a dominant midfield display. He was ably supported by Newcombe and Day, but Worpel got the ball rolling the Hawks way (literally and figuratively).
💫 Rising star — Jack Ginnivan
Ginnivan doesn’t turn 22 until December, and that’s young enough to sneak into this category for us. People often forget how young Ginni actually is, but the young forward is flying at his new club playing a different role for Hawthorn than he previously did for Collingwood. He’s averaging 16 disposal (six more than his career high), over a goal a game and he has left a few on the table.
👼 Unsung hero — Dylan Moore
I’m not sure if Moore is still considered unsung, but he is a bloody hero. Moore’s work-rate is unmatched throughout the league for high half forwards. He is, without a shadow of a doubt playing his way into the All-Australian team. 29 disposals, 12 marks, three goal assists, 11 score involvements, six inside 50s and two goals show just how broad Moore’s impact on a game is. His ability to go into the middle when needed is the icing on the cake.
🤯 Under pressure — N/A
If you can find someone under pressure right now, you’re better than us. Dear was well held but still played his part, and with the massive hit he took and Mitch Lewis’ impending return, it might be time for Dear to become the ‘man’ at Box Hill again. Luke Breust was managed and his deputy, Harry Morrison was immense as sub. Despite his performance, if Breust is fit to play next week, his experience could be vital against the Cats.
🪜 The ladder check-in
The Hawks were unlucky with every other result going against them in their late tilt for finals glory. Two points outside the eight and the form team in the competition is a fair badge of honour though.
😡 Bintang Brad’s early call
👀 Box Hill watch
A disappointing defeat for Box Hill (Brad might call it pathetic?) considering what has been building at Fenjiu Stadium over recent weeks. The Hawks were missing some seasoned veterans (Cal Brown, Chad Wingard, Ned Reeves and Morrison) for various reasons and were unable to get the job done. There are a number of Hawthorn players to return through the VFL in the next few weeks, so it will be an interesting watch.
Mitch Lewis played the majority of the game, kicking two goals from seven disposals. Jasper Scaife has an almost identical game. These were reasonable returns considering the conditions.
Max Ramsden continued his fine VFL form, gathering 14 disposals, six tackles, seven clearances, 48 hit outs and kicking a goal.
Seamus Mitchell, Jai Serong and Ethan Phillips had solid outings, collecting 21, 19 and 22 disposals respectively.
Josh Ward continued his good VFL form with 29 disposals (18 kicks), nine tackles and eight clearances.
Henry Hustwaite was arguably Box Hill’s best player and had his best game of the season, finishing with 34 disposals, 12 tackles and seven clearances.
🎤 Sammy said what!?
Mitchell seemed impressed by his Hawks and their win over the Eagles. Singling out the midfield group, the groups growing maturity and toughness, and the importance of winning.
“A lot of it was around the pressure and even if we didn’t win the first possession, being able to nullify what they were trying to do. I think Meeky (Lloyd Meek) had a good day today, got his hand on a lot. I thought our fast feet and it wasn’t necessarily a perfect ruck hit out to a perfect play, it was a lot of craft that they do and winning the body work. Being able to get after a loose ball was really important for us. I thought we were clean, I think when you travel interstate and play on a surface you haven’t played on before sometimes your ball handling can lose its way a little bit, particularly early but I thought our boys were really clean.”
“So that’s a step forward for our maturity today, to be able to get a win on the road. Hopefully that’s the first of a run, because we’re going to have to play more interstate games coming up and we need to be able to win them on the road. That’s what the best sides do, doesn’t matter where they play they perform, we haven’t’ been that just yet but that’s what we’re working towards.
I just thought we looked like a tough side today. There was a bit of physicality in the game, and I thought we handled that pretty well. A lot of missed opportunities, especially early but I think anytime you go to Western Australia, and you play against West Coast on their home deck it’s a tough day.
🗣️ Final words — Cam Mackenzie
Hear from Cam Mackenzie who spoke exclusively to HI’s Andrew Weiss from the rooms after the win.
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What was learnt:
1. The “Big 4” came to play – For the first time this season, the Big 4 – Day, Newcombe, Worpel and Nash – played at their individual best as well as combining in the stoppages, clearances and linking the forward half with the back half. It was the first time that they all worked with clean hands and their disposal by foot was consistent across the group. One concern going into the game was the Eagles may be able have a midfield impact with Kelly, Yeo & Reid playing at home, however from the opening bounce, it was evident that the Big 4 were not going to allow them to have any impact on the game or for the home side to gain any momentum in their ball movement. The other aspect of their performance was that they hunted in packs as well. The other aspect to this has been the gradual integration of Mackenzie into the inside mid rotation as evidenced by his goal in the last quarter where he was in the beginning of the chain to end up kicking the goal.
2. The team is playing “complementary football” – Some NFL analysts use the term “complementary football” where in their game, the offense and defense play complementary to each other, particularly the offense. An underlying starting point to an NFL game is that each side should have 30 minutes in offense and in a game with automatic handover of possession if your team isn’t effective in attack, it can create issues for your defense. If an offense can maintain possession of the ball for more than 30 minutes, say 32-35 minutes, this not only allows them to have a greater opportunity to score, but also means that their defenders only must play 25-28 minutes of defense, which allows the defenders to remain fresh and better able to pressure the other team when they have the ball – this is “complementary football”. For the Hawks, being able to start from the midfield clearances going forward, this not only gives the forwards a cleaner opportunity to create a scoring chance, but when the forwards don’t capitalise on the opportunity, as happened in the first half, they work hard to keep the ball in our forward 50. This then allows the back six and defensive midfielders to set up the wall to keep the ball forward of centre. It was noticeable how often Hawthorn players were able to push back to create the outnumber when the Eagles did come forward as their mids were coming from very deep in their own back half and even some of their forwards had pushed too far forward to help out their defence.
3. Meek made his mark – Since having the chance to press his claims, Meek has made the most of it with his ruck work and impact on the ground ball contests in support of his other mids. The area of his game that has been a watch has been his marking and for the first time this year, it was important to see him take the marks he set himself for. Too often this year, he has either misjudged or had “hard hands” in marking contests which meant that his impact on games whilst solid was still a watch. This game demonstrated that he can impose himself in this important area of the game for a big man.
4. When looking at Box Hill games, watch for AFL standards/values and not VFL stats – With the selection of Morrison as sub, who slotted into the team seamlessly and more than effectively, it would appear to be mindful when watching BH games to look for players exhibiting AFL standards/values rather than racking up the stats. Leaving aside direct replacements due to injury on a like for like basis, players at BH who work within the game plan and don’t make unnecessary/unforced errors appear to be the next in line when you also consider that Maginness went across as the emergency cover.
5. Watson needs to work within his limitations – This is not a knock on him, because when you consider that Rioli and Breust rarely took shots for goal from 50+ metres out, it may be better for him to work within his current skill set rather than placing himself under undue pressure. As his body develops and he strengthens his core strength, Watson’s capacity to kick from 50+ metre may well develop, but for the moment, his capacity to work to his strengths would be the sensible approach.
6. Why the time and resources were put into Jiath – If the first half demonstrated anything else, it was that it can be seen as to why the club put so much time and effort into the rehabilitation of Jiath and to get him on the park. Since his return, some supporters have been judging Jiath on his disposal stats, his contribution has been more nuanced than that to this game. In terms of disposal stats, this was his breakout game and from the TV coverage, when Hardwick went forward in the 3rd quarter, he looked to be the one to go back, possibly in a rotation with D’Ambrosio & Morrison. Jiath is another who has the capacity to work well in close quarters with dancing feet.
Observations:
• Again, the tackling and pressure on the Eagles when they had the ball was first class, particularly I50 where we had 12 tackles.
• If we are having a shot from 50m out, Hardwick is our man to take it. Similarly, if we are having trouble kicking it between the big sticks, Dimma has to go forward and get on the end of it.
• The best four quarter performance by Mackenzie, which as noted earlier, had a more significant inside role.
• Disposal count by quarter:
1st: 101/72; 2nd: 108/73; 3rd: 117/56; 4th: 110/77
Inside 50 count by quarter:
1st: 17/8; 2nd: 13/9; 3rd: 16/7; 4th: 14/9
• The drive off half back from Impey and Weddle again had a significant contribution to the ball movement throughout the game, more particularly in the second half.
• Use of left foot by Mackenzie and Newcombe would’ve been handy at times. In Mackenzie’s case, Gunston had a good break on his defender.
• Nash’s capacity to break even in the ruck contest is underplayed externally e.g. thrown in contest in the 3rd quarter in their forward pocket which was nullified as was the following ball up. I don’t think that it is a sustainable strategy in the longer term – see below.
Starting 4:
1st qrt: Newcombe (15) Nash (10) Day (16)
2nd qrt: Worpel (14) Newcombe Day
3rd qrt: Newcombe Nash Day
4th qrt: Mackenzie (9) Nash Worpel
(Meek 21; Moore 2; Chol 1)
Play of the Day:
10:05 to go in 3rd quarter – Moore’s goal
The lead up to this demonstrated Points 1 & 2 in “What was learnt” where Amon was able to win a free kick in the Eagles forward half, Newcombe was able swoop on the spillage, take the advantage to a running Worpel, who connected by hand to Nash in the centre square; who hit up Gunston wide out; from where he took a couple of bounces to hit Moore who was able to get out the back at the top of the goal square.
Issue for the week:
Given that the focus of the club and team has moved to a performance focus rather than a development one, I think it may be time for Dear to be given a managed rest, particularly with Lewis now being able to play four quarters. There is no doubt that Dear has exceeded expectations, however his core body strength, particularly in one-on-one marking contests, is an area still to be developed. When he can run at the ball or float in from the side, his marking skills are up to AFL standard, however when standing under the high ball landing on his head, his ability to stand his ground is understandably a work in progress. In high intensity games, it is more likely that the high balls into the forward 50 will become more the norm. For this reason, I would bring Lewis in for the run home. This is not to say that Dear may be part of a rotation with Gunston through this period.
The other aspect of this switch should also provide a structural improvement to the team as it would allow Chol to become the around ground ruck option rather than Nash when giving Meek a chop out. In the run home, if we want to improve the capacity of the team, I’d suggest that this would be one way to do it.
Watching on tele just doesn’t give the perspective that watching live does. To see the boys live was absolutely beautiful. I’m cautious not to read too much into the win as the opposition was awful but watching us play, we looked like a good team. We often outnumber, have a nice balance in our game between attacking from stoppage and going quickly from half back and the diabolical errors that plagued us for 2023 and the early stages of 2024 have reduced significantly. It will be a great challenge this Saturday and fascinating to see what Chris Scott throws at us. Beating Geelong at Geelong would be a very sweet victory.
There is an evenness about our team that is a real feature – while we have Sicily in defence and Will Day in the middle who we'd classify as our 'stars', there isn’t a reliance on two or three players to really play well and there isn’t a steep drop off in quality. It’s very difficult to pick our bottom five players – it’s possibly Nash, Frost, Watson, Mackenzie and CJ but each is making a good and consistent contribution (Nash was excellent on Sunday, Frosty would be top 5 in the PCM, Watson is quite incredible for an 8 game player, Mackenzie is developing very nicely, and CJ is only getting better with continuity).
Not that it matters, but is our midfield under rated. We went into that game against Kelly, Yeo, Reid, Flynn and Ginbey ,which on paper, most analysts would have viewed as an even contest against Day, Nash, Worpel, Newc and Lloyd. Well, we took them to the cleaners. Mick, I know you've described Lloyd as a meat and potatoes ruck, but I think he's better than that and his record against all comers suggests that is the case. The trade with Freo to acquire Lloyd now looks like an inspired decision.
Our small forwards are a major asset. Each player offers a point of difference, but each is high quality. It is rare for a team to have multiple high quality small forwards and we have four who will play many games together. With the value of the high quality small / general forward now rivalling that of the key position forward, having four such players is an enormous advantage. In time, this will become a defining characteristic of our team and if we are to have success, it will in large part be underpinned by this quartet.
We often seem to have an issue in dealing with opposition intercept marking defenders. Weight of numbers eventually told, but in the first half especially, too many of our forward 50 aerial contests were neutralised by McGovern and Barass. The addition of the big-bodied Lewis may help in this regard.
Watching Sicily live is quite something. He always seems to be going half pace, but appears to always be in control and is generally in the right place at the right time. If he is unavailable, it will obviously be a significant loss and it’s hard to know what to do replacement wise. For this week against Geelong, it would make sense to bring Seamus in and get Scrim to play the Sicily role, assuming that Weddle will take Cameron.
While a little under sized, the whole back line works very well together – they are very effective in killing off the aerial ball and are very composed when the ball hits the ground, regularly able to foil what looks like a dangerous situation with short kicks and handball combinations to exit.
CJ may not be racking up huge numbers, but he covers an enormous amount of ground and it was noticeable how hard he would work to provide support in our defensive 50. Mick, you're dead right - the basis of the investment in CJ was there to see on Sunday, just as it was in Q3 against GWS.
Mick's point about the lack of a left side was noticeable several times on Sunday, in particular Mackenzie, who several times had good options on his left side, but had to do the big U turn to get back on his right foot.