Thanks for the update Weiss senior and junior. Love your optimism. Loath to make any comments of note in February, but the things that have stood out for me in the two games to date were:
1. Our skill level in both games has been well off. The biggest improvement after round 7 in 2024 was our ball use and that, as much as anything, was behind our rise last year. No matter the personnel, if we use the ball poorly, we'll struggle.
2. We wondered how the back line would line up when all were available, and it's clearly a work in progress. The ability to nullify small/medium forwards looks weak without Hardwick there. While we were undersized last year, this was also an advantage as it gave us speed and run from the back. At some stages yesterday, we had Barass, Sicily, Scrim, Battle and Frost in our back 6. This just won't work and using these players, together with Impey and Amon to maximum effect is Sam's first challenge of 2025.
3. Again, we were superior in clearances but failed to turn this into territory dominance, as was the case last week.
4. Two weeks in a row, we've started very poorly, with very little intensity and but for poor kicking by the opposition would have been facing a near insurmountable deficit.
This time next week, the heart rate will be really starting to pick up. Thanks again for the article.
Andrew and Ethan ... first of all, it's great to have another Hawthorn father/son combination in the mix and you were both spot on with your summaries of the game.
Secondly, after watching the Hawks play, do you both as a rule usually spend time together "talking footy" to discuss and analyze the game and the team's performance?
Hi Tammy! Very excited to get to work with dad on articles like this! We usually in the regular season watch the games at home together or go to the games, and usually chat all about it on the train/in the car on the way home. Last night we actually both watched the game on delayed, at different times 🤣🤣.
Thank you for your reply Ethan .. it’s so cool 😎 that you and your Dad (Andrew) get to do this “work” together ... you can really tell how much you both love doing what you’re doing so keep up the great work 👍👏🏻😊 … Go Hawks 🏉💛🤎 !!!
Stuart expressed most of my sentiments very well but further analysis based on the footy we saw and forgetting the, "oh, it was just a practice match" excuse ;
1. Frosty had a stinker and no, I don't think we can play him as well as the other big boys.
2. Hardwick has to be back....to the backline.
3. Newk had an absolute stinker of a first half and MacKenzie was poor all day.
4. Ward is an inside mid and not a winger
5. Morrison was given a bath by a Vfl player - does not play
6. Our fwd 50 entries were absolute crap.....I mean...so predictable....lob to Chol ( who cant contested mark to save himself), bring ball to ground.....where we were always outnumbered anyway cos we are so predictable.
7. On that performance one thing is very clear - we were on a roll last year because the boys played above themselves over a sustained period.
Take it back just a notch and we fall from being a finals side to a bottom 4.
While none of this isn't 'true', there are some very glass half empty takes here Mac! Practice Matches are exactly that, practice. I have faith they will give us a better showing against Sydney.
I mainly saw the second half, but I saw Frenchie and Morrison very involved in the play and generally using the ball well. So I'm surprised at your perspective and wonder what I missed (I'm no expert at analysing footy).
Morrison played on the wing, and in modern footy, wingers don’t play defensive, so Mac’s comment that Harry was given a bath isn’t 100% accurate. Yes, Davidson had an enormous game, probably the Doggies best player, but Harry wasn’t anywhere near our worst player, always bobbing up doing some very nice things around the ground. Mackenzie on the other hand was unseen in the first half, although he did improve in the second half…
Thanks for the update Weiss senior and junior. Love your optimism. Loath to make any comments of note in February, but the things that have stood out for me in the two games to date were:
1. Our skill level in both games has been well off. The biggest improvement after round 7 in 2024 was our ball use and that, as much as anything, was behind our rise last year. No matter the personnel, if we use the ball poorly, we'll struggle.
2. We wondered how the back line would line up when all were available, and it's clearly a work in progress. The ability to nullify small/medium forwards looks weak without Hardwick there. While we were undersized last year, this was also an advantage as it gave us speed and run from the back. At some stages yesterday, we had Barass, Sicily, Scrim, Battle and Frost in our back 6. This just won't work and using these players, together with Impey and Amon to maximum effect is Sam's first challenge of 2025.
3. Again, we were superior in clearances but failed to turn this into territory dominance, as was the case last week.
4. Two weeks in a row, we've started very poorly, with very little intensity and but for poor kicking by the opposition would have been facing a near insurmountable deficit.
This time next week, the heart rate will be really starting to pick up. Thanks again for the article.
Spot on
Andrew and Ethan ... first of all, it's great to have another Hawthorn father/son combination in the mix and you were both spot on with your summaries of the game.
Secondly, after watching the Hawks play, do you both as a rule usually spend time together "talking footy" to discuss and analyze the game and the team's performance?
Hi Tammy! Very excited to get to work with dad on articles like this! We usually in the regular season watch the games at home together or go to the games, and usually chat all about it on the train/in the car on the way home. Last night we actually both watched the game on delayed, at different times 🤣🤣.
Thank you for your reply Ethan .. it’s so cool 😎 that you and your Dad (Andrew) get to do this “work” together ... you can really tell how much you both love doing what you’re doing so keep up the great work 👍👏🏻😊 … Go Hawks 🏉💛🤎 !!!
Stuart expressed most of my sentiments very well but further analysis based on the footy we saw and forgetting the, "oh, it was just a practice match" excuse ;
1. Frosty had a stinker and no, I don't think we can play him as well as the other big boys.
2. Hardwick has to be back....to the backline.
3. Newk had an absolute stinker of a first half and MacKenzie was poor all day.
4. Ward is an inside mid and not a winger
5. Morrison was given a bath by a Vfl player - does not play
6. Our fwd 50 entries were absolute crap.....I mean...so predictable....lob to Chol ( who cant contested mark to save himself), bring ball to ground.....where we were always outnumbered anyway cos we are so predictable.
7. On that performance one thing is very clear - we were on a roll last year because the boys played above themselves over a sustained period.
Take it back just a notch and we fall from being a finals side to a bottom 4.
While none of this isn't 'true', there are some very glass half empty takes here Mac! Practice Matches are exactly that, practice. I have faith they will give us a better showing against Sydney.
I mainly saw the second half, but I saw Frenchie and Morrison very involved in the play and generally using the ball well. So I'm surprised at your perspective and wonder what I missed (I'm no expert at analysing footy).
Morrison played on the wing, and in modern footy, wingers don’t play defensive, so Mac’s comment that Harry was given a bath isn’t 100% accurate. Yes, Davidson had an enormous game, probably the Doggies best player, but Harry wasn’t anywhere near our worst player, always bobbing up doing some very nice things around the ground. Mackenzie on the other hand was unseen in the first half, although he did improve in the second half…
Good to see we’ve got 2 Josh Battles playing in our defense from the look of that squad you put up near the end…😂