Hawks yet to anchor a win in Perth
Despite falling short of securing the victory, it was another competitive trip out to WA for our young Hawks
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ROUND 3: HAWTHORN 3.4 (22), FREMANTLE 5.5 (35)
📝 Main recap:
Our young Hawks team, playing in their second season, travelled across the Nullabor to take on Fremantle. For those of us who only really jumped on board AFLW since the Hawks joined, Fremantle has been part of the AFLW since its inception and are no strangers to AFLW finals football, with season 7 being their only blip since their first made finals in 2019 (season 3).
Something that has been highlighted in recent weeks, is our record at the coin toss. How were the Hawks and Tilly Lucas-Rodd going to fare on the side of the 50/50 chance this time around?
Thankfully we saw a turnaround in fortunes and TLR won their firs as captain of our great club. It was celebrated by all and there was even a cheer from the sidelines.
Onto the game and the Hawks struggled out of the blocks and failed to register a score in the first quarter putting them on the back foot going into quarter time. After quarter time though, the Hawks actually won the game 3.4 to 2.4 showing fight, determination and putting together some brilliant pieces of play. While it’s nice to win three quarters of football, the statement is regrettably mute, as we all can only but wish we could erase a scoreless quarter.
The second quarter was brilliant from the Hawks, and score wise, almost an opposite affair. There were some great defensive plays from our team and clearances were being won. There was pressure around the contest and we kicked two goals while ensuring Freo only registered a single point. Some running prowess from our Rising Star nominee Jas Fleming was a particular highlight.
What was most impressive was the wall (aka Akec Makur Chuot) set up just outside of forward 50 to give ourselves multiple repeat entries — nine to be exact — before our first goal. Freo looked like they forgot that Makur Chuot no longer played for their team. It was a wonderful purple patch from our number 34 and an absolute joy to watch.
From the second quarter alone, the Hawks had more forward half intercepts (14-3), and inside 50 entries (10-6). Hawks fans, we need to look forward to the day when our team will put together efforts like this across all four quarters.
The third quarter saw us grind it out in another arm wrestle style game. Our team was standing up in defence and doing everything possible to try to get the ball forwards. To give you an idea how well our backs were reading the play today: we have averaged 12 intercept marks per game this season but had already taken 14 by midway through the third quarter.
While we went goalless in the final quarter, it was not for lack of trying. We had so many opportunities in the final quarter to really put the Dockers under pressure on the scoreboard, but the defensive efforts from Freo were intense and we couldn't convert. The Hawks did so well to give ourselves every chance to win, and it is painful that we just couldn’t pull it off.
The supply to our forward line was plenty overall today as our team amassed 38 entries inside 50s for the game. In the first two weeks of this season, that would have seen us kick a much bigger score. The story of the day is we lacked a lot of connection with our forwards for the most part and it is our contested marking in this area of the ground that needs some work. Freo brought the heat to our forwards and in high pressure games, holding on to these is going to become important.
While it was not a great result, it’s always great to see our young, second season Hawks take it up to an experienced team. There are some amazing decisions being made with the footy, it really is the lack of polish in those fatigue moments that need development.
✂️ Snippet of the match #1:
Gilroy to land out first for the day. After applying immense pressure to keep the ball locked in our front half with repeat entries, this was a great reward for effort and what is now becoming a signature kick from Gilroy.
✂️ Snippet of the match #2:
Coast to coast! The run and gun for out of the backline for our second goal. Kashie from full back, to Gilroy with a brilliant contested mark.
Handball out to Fleming, to Smith, to Gilroy, to Bates.
Back to Fleming who delivers a pinpoint kick to Bodey! Love on a football field, that passage of play.
✂️ Snippet of the match #3:
Bodey’s snatch and lookaway handball to set up McDonagh’s goal was a masterclass from our experienced campaigner. It came from nowhere and was just great footy smarts to set up a much needed goal.
🍔 Key takeaways:
Saturday was a hot day in Perth and there were a lot of reports of cramping throughout the game, what was pleasing to watch is that the Hawks were running all day and never giving up.
Kirsty Stratton is a contested beast. She was impacting the game at the source and was around it all day laying tackles and getting to the ball first when in dispute.
Catherine Brown was solid in defence again today. She reads the play well and positions herself to get the ball. Spoils effectively and helps her teammates find space…. The team are keen to use her booming left boot with an attempt at a running goal in the final quarter that didn’t quite come off… oh, and 8 positions, 3 intercepts and a team high 87.5% disposal efficiency, thank you ver much.
Charlotte Baskaran has some wonderful running power and finds space through the middle of the ground. She found the ball 16 times with 13 kicks and three handballs and had a team high six inside-50s.She made good decisions with the ball to give us an advantage, the challenge comes with her efficiency (37%) with ball in hand, something I know she will work hard to rectify.
Midfield guns TLR and Emily Bates were both impressive again with 21 and 22 disposals respectively. They are the engine room of this Hawks midfield and simply phenomenal hunters of the footy.
Tamara Smith was great again in her return to the team. She had 11 disposals, five of which were intercepts, and laid seven tackles.
Louise Stephenson is a tough customer. Solid as a rock in defence throughout the second and third quarters and threw herself at a smother which saw her cop a nasty one to the face.
Jenna Richardson has to get a mention. She was given the impossible task on BOG Aine Tighe and finished the day with 19 disposals, six marks, two tackles and nine intercept possessions. She was solid today in defence and did all of this while playing on someone who was simply unstoppable.
Mackenzie Eardley was one of the players who stood out with her defensive efforts. She finished the game with 13 disposals, four marks, five tackles and seven intercept possessions
Emily Everist had five intercept possessions, four tackles to go with her 13 disposals. Again, another player to stand up in key moments and help give us some composure when the ball was surging forward.
Seven intercept possessions, 81% disposal efficiency for her 11 disposals and six marks on top of that … when will Laura Elliot land a Rising Star nom?
Our ruck stocks are solid — Lucy Wales and Tamara Luke are such a good combination. It is a joy to watch these two develop and as we play more games as a team with this midfield, the hits to advantage will come
⭐️ Superstar - Kaitlin Ashmore
Kashie really stood tall when we were under siege in the first quarter and helped set up a lot of our good plays throughout the game. She took some amazing contested marks with her match highlight being the one handed mark in the third quarter, it was pure class. She has been solid all season and today was a reflection of how vital she is for our team. 19 possessions, 13 kicks, 6 marks and 79% disposal efficiency.
💫 Rising star - Jasmine Fleming
Literally, for a second time. Congratulations to Jas Fleming on a well deserved nomination for the Rising Star for a second season running. She is tough in the contest, while her second, third and fourth efforts are there all game. And what a highlight her running game is! With 18 disposals, four marks and a disposal efficiency of 83%, you can see why she was given the nod this week.
Falling star - Sophie Locke
Sophie is a clear fan favourite (at least for this fan). The past two weeks have seen her really struggle to impact the game and this week didn’t register a disposal and some hesitation when chasing the ball. Hopefully she can turn this around and get back playing with the competitive flare we know she has.
🪜 Ladder check in
The Hawks sit in 11th place with a percentage of 79.7. Next week we take on second placed Melbourne — the reigning premiers — out at Kinetic Stadium. This is truly going to test our team and give us all an idea of what it takes to win silverware. To quote our fearless coach: “To be the best, you have to play the best.”
🎤 Bec and Jas’ press conference highlights
Bec: “You don’t want to have to wait until quarter time to deliver a message like that to get going. If we had gotten going right from the start, the outcome could have been different.”
Bec: “I thought Jas had a really fantastic game. We need all of our young players to keep doing that and doing that for longer parts of the game.”
Jas: “Today was a hard loss, we take a lot of positives, we are a young team, we showed glimpses.”
Bec: “We’ve got a five day turnaround and Melbourne are a formidable team.”
🗣️ What they said - Charlotte Baskaran
“I think we were in it the whole way, played three quarters and didn’t come out how we wanted in the first quarter and that smacked us in the face a little bit. We gained some momentum, fought really hard and wanted to play our way.
“Getting it out the back to use our speed to get it forward, we have done that and gone wide, we looked really dangerous. If we can do that, we can get a couple of more wins.”
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Thanks. Agree 100%. Lots to like about this despite the result