Butler has been a great addition to the midfield. He has shown an unflinching demeanour and is a clever footballer. Butler's tackling is a weapon and is also contagious amongst the team. What an amazing story after the cruel blow he was dealt last year.
Couldn't agree more. 20 touches and 6 tackles, at least three of them crucial (helps his cause that they were played almost consecutively on the Kayo mini...). The clear standout of players rotating up from Box Hill.
1. The coach was courageous – Whilst he has been labelled a “genius” by some, there is little doubt that Mitchell is courageous in his tactical decisions. To sub out Hustwaite, as a midfielder, from an already weakened line within the team at half-time with Jiath, another running defender, took courage to recognize that what was on offer wasn’t working. The immediate implications of this was to: a) move Amon into a high half forward role – not one he has played recently nor trained for but also assisted in countering the dominance of the Crows wings; and b) bring Watson and Moore into the centre square rotations in the second half which gave us some speed away from these contests.
2. A centre square ambush gave us momentum after half-time – Following on from this, starting Watson in the centre square to start the quarter may well have caught the Crows off guard. Whilst he has had some fleeting visits to the centre clearances, Watson hasn’t started a quarter in there. If you believe that you start your best clearance players to begin a quarter, Watson may not have been on the Crows’ “what if” questions for this scenario. Watson’s impact was immediate in the first contest, he flashed across the ball drop attracting the attention of two Crows, which gave Nash time and space for a clean clearance which had been lacking in the first half. This led to the entry for the McDonald goal. Watson then followed up at the next contest with a deft tap to Newcombe which gave us territory on night it was important. As to playing more as a midfielder, the contest in the Crows’ forward line where Rankine goaled, demonstrated how his size may not work for him in more congested contests.
3. Making assessments at ¼ time are always fraught with danger – At ¼ time, it looked as though Gunston’s age was catching up with him as he looked to battle with the tall Crows’ defenders who are al quite mobile. However, as he has shown since coming back into the team, his football IQ allowed him to reset and have a major impact on the game, particularly ensuring that we didn’t go into half-time facing an insurmountable lead. This was not helped by our other forwards looking slow as the Crows exited their defensive 50.
4. This was a game that Barrass was recruited for – When you look at the goal kicking table, the Crows have two tall forwards equal to our leading goal kicker, so the role played by Barrass to quell Thilthorpe was particularly significant. Thilthorpe’s one good look was generated by a breakdown in our centre square work rather than Barrass’s efforts. Similarly, Barrass’s chase on Thilthorpe just before half-time demonstrated his commitment to the cause.
5. Impey learnt from an earlier contest for the key moment – Having been caught out in the 2nd quarter, where he lost his feet in a contest when the Crows had a clean break and they goaled. Then in the last quarter, when we had regained the lead, he found himself in a similar contest and was able to kill that contest. With Amon going forward in the second half, Impey’s run off half back proved to be vital in the win.
Observations:
• Watson’s impact on the game aside from his centre clearance work was important. Ward was another to go under the radar for his defensive grunt work.
• Newcombe’s ability to work through the tag as the game progressed – finished top 10 disposals for us - was a sign of progression.
• Whilst Ramsden’s kicking for goal isn’t a toss of the coin, but a roll of the dice, his work in contesting marking contests was another important contribution to the game. He has an athletic profile in an awkward body which can make him difficult to defend.
• Hustwaite being subbed off at half-time for the second time this season looks like it will be hard for him for the remainder of the season as others take their chances.
• Mitchell’s disposal can still be an issue – in the 2nd quarter, we had he set up the kick out to the open side and he missed the outlet kick; then later he worked hard to create the overlap run, but his handball went behind Ginnivan which stopped the flow.
• The “small” wingers were under pressure early, but as stated above the changes at half-time provided assistance to both for the later part of the game. Morrison had a vital 1 on 2 win on an exit from our defensive half late in the game.
• Meek worked his way into the game after O’Brien dominated the early going – matching him for marks and the hit out count went: 3/9; 11/10; 12/7; 14/17 matched by clearances going: 6/11; 8/10; 11/9; 14/14.
3rd Qrt: Newcombe Nash Watson (3/1 – all 2nd half)
4th Qrt: Newcombe Nash Moore (5/0 – all 2nd half)
Meek 15/0 Hustwaite 2/0
(Impey 0/1 Weddle 0/1 – the overlap run from half back as an outlet is handy.)
With the low goal count, CBAs were a season low and reflected in how few players went through the centre square. The fact that Watson and Moore had more CBAs than Hustwaite is a indicator of concern for him. Butler’s work rate around the ground with his tackle pressure associated with his leg speed puts him on safer ground at the minute even with some managed workload issues.
Issue for the week:
With Jiath providing the energy, pace and enthusiasm associated as the norms for a sub, it does create a team balance issue playing another defensive option. The last two weeks with a midfielder being subbed out, it has meant that the back half had to be re-arranged with Impey last week and Amon this week being the one shifted to accommodate Jiath. Considering that Sicily will return at some stage after the bye, will Jiath be the best option as sub, purely on how he is best used on the ground as against the structure of the team?
I txt a friend during the game “Rama must be told to NEVER handball again” Seen better in Auskick!!!! Given is age, height & athleticism, I don’t want him traded but has a long way to go. Whilst Butler’s DE isn’t great, I like what he brings, he looks a likely type & should improve with continuity.
The 2nd part of the year will be interesting as the real teams set up. Without key forwards, I don’t think we stand a chance. We need Lewis to return to his best & remain healthy. Think Calsher needs a pre-season in order to return to the promise of 2024. Will McCabe is a watch for me, starting to show a bit, but maybe not 2025.
What a roller coaster of emotions this game was with a frustrating first half followed by a complete turnaround showing some hope in the third quarter to then feeling the nervous excitement after Newk kicked (as it turned out to be), the winning goal to hold on and get the win and four important points heading into the bye.
It certainly was freezing in Launnie on Friday night sitting in the grandstand but a great atmosphere was provided with 15,129 that attended the game that included quite a few crows supporters that had travelled over from Adelaide. It's a winter sport so you just have to dress appropriately according to the conditions forecast and expect the players to try and adapt to the playing conditions too as best as they can. I'm just grateful that I get the opportunity to watch and barrack for my Hawks throughout the season whether they win, lose or draw or where they play with a roof or not.
I totally agree that Dylan Moore should be considered for our next captain with Will Day following after that. Dylan has stepped up nicely in James Sicily's absence and over the past few years I've been very impressed when he's spoken to the media and obviously "bring your mouthguards to training" moment was a turning point that changed our team for the better. Also, off field he has been a wonderful leader in the mental health space which is so important as well in today's society.
I will miss not being able to watch the boys for another two weeks .... but, in the meantime, I hope all the HI team and the HI community enjoy the bye round doing whatever else they like to do.
Then bring on the next part of the season ... GO HAWKS!!!
A win on a Friday going into the bye sure makes for a top weekend.
Perhaps it's overstating things, but Ramsden and Butler have been more important than they are perhaps being given credit for. Given his time on ground, Butler's possession rate is excellent as is his tackling numbers and as many have noted, he does give our midfield a different dimension with his pace. It has however meant that Mackenzie is now stuck in the reserves, where he's doing well, but hard to see where a spot opens up for him right now. While Ramsden is still raw, he offers several points of difference - he can take a mark, with 3 contested marks in his two games , he allows us to retain a forward structure when Meeky has a rest, he commands a tall opponent which can mean Gunston or Mabior get an under sized defender, and he has an unusual athletic profile for a ruck/forward which potentially makes him a difficult match up.
It's hard not to feel for Hustwaite and Seamus who are not given any time to adapt to the faster pace and higher standard of senior footy, but each has recently struggled. If they could be given a run of games, there's good reason to think that they would show that they can perform at the level, but that's unlikely given the selection pressures. You'd think that Worpel comes in for Henry and Sicily for Seamus against North.
The point Mick makes about our short wingers is a good one, especially when you look at Geelong's aerial threat with Blicavs and Dempsey. If we had a pace advantage, we could live with the height disadvantage, but neither Morrison nor D'Ambrosio has leg speed. It will be interesting to see if other teams seek to exploit our wingers by using taller players. It also means that we should perhaps have a look at Serong as a winger and another try at CJ playing that role, particularly given our abundance of defenders.
The hard tag on Jai is likely to become a permanent thing, at least until Day returns. It left a real hole in our midfield possession numbers and relying on Josh Ward with 20 possessions as our leading midfield ball winner is not going to work, especially in better conditions. Jai has shown real capability as a forward and it would be good to see this move made from time to time while Jai works through a tag. With Sicily and Worpel available for the North game, and Lewis and Dear to play post bye and others such as Mackenzie, McDonald and Serong playing well with Box Hill, selection will be very interesting in the coming weeks.
The first half was one of those 'why do I watch football' games. God it was awful, with 8 minutes to go to half-time and Chol was shockingly lazy in two contests my dog was cowering in the corner of the couch. Agree with Hustwaite and Ramsden and Mitchell. Just because you dominate VFL these days doesn't mean it relates to AFL. I would add that Morrison was badly exposed - not through lack of effort (although there was one contest where he pulled up short) but sheer size. I think as good as CJ is as the sub I think he might be a better bet than Harry. He is just bigger and more physical and despite his sometimes wayward disposals I would prefer him there.
Moore was brilliant in the second half, he is showing real leadership when it counts. Chol probably won us the game - he is what he is - if we can get Dear (or Lewis) to take some of the pressure off he will probably improve even more. Agree on Hardwick down back - would have been five goals further away without him. A big win in the contest of the season.
The biggest winner of the night was the AFL - you don't want to be playing games in Tas in winter at night without a roofed stadium. Our third lowest winning total in history - and for those of us who remember going to Glenferrie in the 60s and 70s that is really saying something.
The Curtin on Morrison match-up was like watching a man v boy (no disrespect to Morrison). I was a huge advocate for the Hawks to draft the kid as I thought he would develop as a key bookend. To play him on the wing is a master-stroke or just luck as the Crows are spoilt with key positions. We should look at Serong on the wing (193cm) before list management run the ruler over his name.
Enjoy Tassie Lyne & rug up. Hawks will need to start hot as North are definitely showing signs of improvement. I can’t stand that footy club, losing to them will P me right off.
Another of the Chol = Lazy remarks? What other player gets branded lazy every time he isn't dominating? What other player gets called 'laconic' as some sort of racially charged stereotype? Honestly, look at the blokes journey - is it any wonder that self-belief might be lacking at times given all the rejections, stereotyping and LAZY character assessments that are made purely on the basis of physical appearance. I come here to get away from the laziness of the main stream supporter/punditry but this stuff keeps cropping up.
The fall off in the attack is clearly evident - 5 goals worse off from our peak thus far. Also reflective of the opponents through this period, however, the defenders are certainly no dropping their standards.
Why do you think that is Mick? Certainly, conditions played a big part in Friday's lower scoring, but even before Friday, there was a trend in place. The 5 weel rolling average for points against has been very consistent.
I think that over the past 5 weeks the opposition has been a contributing factor (Crows, Dogs, Pies, Lions & Suns) and as you say the conditions in the Crows game didn't help. There are three scores of 60 points or less in this run.
Having said that the forward half hasn't really connected this season - evidenced by the fact that we've only kicked 100+ three times this year and only kicked 90+ 4 times.
The small/medium forwards probably haven't hit the scoreboard as much as they did this time last year i.e. Moore & Macdonald as Watson didn't have his kicking boots until post-bye last year.
Butler has been a great addition to the midfield. He has shown an unflinching demeanour and is a clever footballer. Butler's tackling is a weapon and is also contagious amongst the team. What an amazing story after the cruel blow he was dealt last year.
Couldn't agree more. 20 touches and 6 tackles, at least three of them crucial (helps his cause that they were played almost consecutively on the Kayo mini...). The clear standout of players rotating up from Box Hill.
What was learnt:
1. The coach was courageous – Whilst he has been labelled a “genius” by some, there is little doubt that Mitchell is courageous in his tactical decisions. To sub out Hustwaite, as a midfielder, from an already weakened line within the team at half-time with Jiath, another running defender, took courage to recognize that what was on offer wasn’t working. The immediate implications of this was to: a) move Amon into a high half forward role – not one he has played recently nor trained for but also assisted in countering the dominance of the Crows wings; and b) bring Watson and Moore into the centre square rotations in the second half which gave us some speed away from these contests.
2. A centre square ambush gave us momentum after half-time – Following on from this, starting Watson in the centre square to start the quarter may well have caught the Crows off guard. Whilst he has had some fleeting visits to the centre clearances, Watson hasn’t started a quarter in there. If you believe that you start your best clearance players to begin a quarter, Watson may not have been on the Crows’ “what if” questions for this scenario. Watson’s impact was immediate in the first contest, he flashed across the ball drop attracting the attention of two Crows, which gave Nash time and space for a clean clearance which had been lacking in the first half. This led to the entry for the McDonald goal. Watson then followed up at the next contest with a deft tap to Newcombe which gave us territory on night it was important. As to playing more as a midfielder, the contest in the Crows’ forward line where Rankine goaled, demonstrated how his size may not work for him in more congested contests.
3. Making assessments at ¼ time are always fraught with danger – At ¼ time, it looked as though Gunston’s age was catching up with him as he looked to battle with the tall Crows’ defenders who are al quite mobile. However, as he has shown since coming back into the team, his football IQ allowed him to reset and have a major impact on the game, particularly ensuring that we didn’t go into half-time facing an insurmountable lead. This was not helped by our other forwards looking slow as the Crows exited their defensive 50.
4. This was a game that Barrass was recruited for – When you look at the goal kicking table, the Crows have two tall forwards equal to our leading goal kicker, so the role played by Barrass to quell Thilthorpe was particularly significant. Thilthorpe’s one good look was generated by a breakdown in our centre square work rather than Barrass’s efforts. Similarly, Barrass’s chase on Thilthorpe just before half-time demonstrated his commitment to the cause.
5. Impey learnt from an earlier contest for the key moment – Having been caught out in the 2nd quarter, where he lost his feet in a contest when the Crows had a clean break and they goaled. Then in the last quarter, when we had regained the lead, he found himself in a similar contest and was able to kill that contest. With Amon going forward in the second half, Impey’s run off half back proved to be vital in the win.
Observations:
• Watson’s impact on the game aside from his centre clearance work was important. Ward was another to go under the radar for his defensive grunt work.
• Newcombe’s ability to work through the tag as the game progressed – finished top 10 disposals for us - was a sign of progression.
• Whilst Ramsden’s kicking for goal isn’t a toss of the coin, but a roll of the dice, his work in contesting marking contests was another important contribution to the game. He has an athletic profile in an awkward body which can make him difficult to defend.
• Hustwaite being subbed off at half-time for the second time this season looks like it will be hard for him for the remainder of the season as others take their chances.
• Mitchell’s disposal can still be an issue – in the 2nd quarter, we had he set up the kick out to the open side and he missed the outlet kick; then later he worked hard to create the overlap run, but his handball went behind Ginnivan which stopped the flow.
• The “small” wingers were under pressure early, but as stated above the changes at half-time provided assistance to both for the later part of the game. Morrison had a vital 1 on 2 win on an exit from our defensive half late in the game.
• Meek worked his way into the game after O’Brien dominated the early going – matching him for marks and the hit out count went: 3/9; 11/10; 12/7; 14/17 matched by clearances going: 6/11; 8/10; 11/9; 14/14.
• 0 disposals quarters – Mitchell (1st & 4th), Macdonald (2nd), Hardwick (3rd)
• Tackle count by quarter – 9/19; 22/10; 23/18; 24/28
• I50 count by quarter – 9/18; 10/19; 19/12; 14/10. When you look at the halves: 19/37 vs. 33/22 – it was the game of two halves.
• TOG % - Bottom 5 (leaving out subs): Mitchell 65% Butler 66%, D’Ambrosio 70% C. Macdonald 72%, Nash 75%, Newcombe 76%. (Battle 97% & Weddle 92% highest.)
• Kicking efficiency (DE): Barrass 100% (88), Battle 80% (60), Moore 75% (78), Impey 74% (79), Ginnivan 71% (75).
D’Ambrosio 33% (53), Mitchell 33% (50), Butler 30% (45), Chol 22% (25) Ramsden 40% (17), Hustwaite 0% (25)
Starting 4: (CBA/CC)
1st Qrt: Newcombe (13/0) Nash (13/2) Ward (4/0)
2nd Qrt: Newcombe Worpel Butler (5/0)
3rd Qrt: Newcombe Nash Watson (3/1 – all 2nd half)
4th Qrt: Newcombe Nash Moore (5/0 – all 2nd half)
Meek 15/0 Hustwaite 2/0
(Impey 0/1 Weddle 0/1 – the overlap run from half back as an outlet is handy.)
With the low goal count, CBAs were a season low and reflected in how few players went through the centre square. The fact that Watson and Moore had more CBAs than Hustwaite is a indicator of concern for him. Butler’s work rate around the ground with his tackle pressure associated with his leg speed puts him on safer ground at the minute even with some managed workload issues.
Issue for the week:
With Jiath providing the energy, pace and enthusiasm associated as the norms for a sub, it does create a team balance issue playing another defensive option. The last two weeks with a midfielder being subbed out, it has meant that the back half had to be re-arranged with Impey last week and Amon this week being the one shifted to accommodate Jiath. Considering that Sicily will return at some stage after the bye, will Jiath be the best option as sub, purely on how he is best used on the ground as against the structure of the team?
Love your stats Mick.
I txt a friend during the game “Rama must be told to NEVER handball again” Seen better in Auskick!!!! Given is age, height & athleticism, I don’t want him traded but has a long way to go. Whilst Butler’s DE isn’t great, I like what he brings, he looks a likely type & should improve with continuity.
The 2nd part of the year will be interesting as the real teams set up. Without key forwards, I don’t think we stand a chance. We need Lewis to return to his best & remain healthy. Think Calsher needs a pre-season in order to return to the promise of 2024. Will McCabe is a watch for me, starting to show a bit, but maybe not 2025.
What a roller coaster of emotions this game was with a frustrating first half followed by a complete turnaround showing some hope in the third quarter to then feeling the nervous excitement after Newk kicked (as it turned out to be), the winning goal to hold on and get the win and four important points heading into the bye.
It certainly was freezing in Launnie on Friday night sitting in the grandstand but a great atmosphere was provided with 15,129 that attended the game that included quite a few crows supporters that had travelled over from Adelaide. It's a winter sport so you just have to dress appropriately according to the conditions forecast and expect the players to try and adapt to the playing conditions too as best as they can. I'm just grateful that I get the opportunity to watch and barrack for my Hawks throughout the season whether they win, lose or draw or where they play with a roof or not.
I totally agree that Dylan Moore should be considered for our next captain with Will Day following after that. Dylan has stepped up nicely in James Sicily's absence and over the past few years I've been very impressed when he's spoken to the media and obviously "bring your mouthguards to training" moment was a turning point that changed our team for the better. Also, off field he has been a wonderful leader in the mental health space which is so important as well in today's society.
I will miss not being able to watch the boys for another two weeks .... but, in the meantime, I hope all the HI team and the HI community enjoy the bye round doing whatever else they like to do.
Then bring on the next part of the season ... GO HAWKS!!!
A win on a Friday going into the bye sure makes for a top weekend.
Perhaps it's overstating things, but Ramsden and Butler have been more important than they are perhaps being given credit for. Given his time on ground, Butler's possession rate is excellent as is his tackling numbers and as many have noted, he does give our midfield a different dimension with his pace. It has however meant that Mackenzie is now stuck in the reserves, where he's doing well, but hard to see where a spot opens up for him right now. While Ramsden is still raw, he offers several points of difference - he can take a mark, with 3 contested marks in his two games , he allows us to retain a forward structure when Meeky has a rest, he commands a tall opponent which can mean Gunston or Mabior get an under sized defender, and he has an unusual athletic profile for a ruck/forward which potentially makes him a difficult match up.
It's hard not to feel for Hustwaite and Seamus who are not given any time to adapt to the faster pace and higher standard of senior footy, but each has recently struggled. If they could be given a run of games, there's good reason to think that they would show that they can perform at the level, but that's unlikely given the selection pressures. You'd think that Worpel comes in for Henry and Sicily for Seamus against North.
The point Mick makes about our short wingers is a good one, especially when you look at Geelong's aerial threat with Blicavs and Dempsey. If we had a pace advantage, we could live with the height disadvantage, but neither Morrison nor D'Ambrosio has leg speed. It will be interesting to see if other teams seek to exploit our wingers by using taller players. It also means that we should perhaps have a look at Serong as a winger and another try at CJ playing that role, particularly given our abundance of defenders.
The hard tag on Jai is likely to become a permanent thing, at least until Day returns. It left a real hole in our midfield possession numbers and relying on Josh Ward with 20 possessions as our leading midfield ball winner is not going to work, especially in better conditions. Jai has shown real capability as a forward and it would be good to see this move made from time to time while Jai works through a tag. With Sicily and Worpel available for the North game, and Lewis and Dear to play post bye and others such as Mackenzie, McDonald and Serong playing well with Box Hill, selection will be very interesting in the coming weeks.
Thanks guys. Great summary. North coming off the Bye feels like a danger game to me. Hope I’m wrong.
Very good analysis.
The first half was one of those 'why do I watch football' games. God it was awful, with 8 minutes to go to half-time and Chol was shockingly lazy in two contests my dog was cowering in the corner of the couch. Agree with Hustwaite and Ramsden and Mitchell. Just because you dominate VFL these days doesn't mean it relates to AFL. I would add that Morrison was badly exposed - not through lack of effort (although there was one contest where he pulled up short) but sheer size. I think as good as CJ is as the sub I think he might be a better bet than Harry. He is just bigger and more physical and despite his sometimes wayward disposals I would prefer him there.
Moore was brilliant in the second half, he is showing real leadership when it counts. Chol probably won us the game - he is what he is - if we can get Dear (or Lewis) to take some of the pressure off he will probably improve even more. Agree on Hardwick down back - would have been five goals further away without him. A big win in the contest of the season.
The biggest winner of the night was the AFL - you don't want to be playing games in Tas in winter at night without a roofed stadium. Our third lowest winning total in history - and for those of us who remember going to Glenferrie in the 60s and 70s that is really saying something.
The Curtin on Morrison match-up was like watching a man v boy (no disrespect to Morrison). I was a huge advocate for the Hawks to draft the kid as I thought he would develop as a key bookend. To play him on the wing is a master-stroke or just luck as the Crows are spoilt with key positions. We should look at Serong on the wing (193cm) before list management run the ruler over his name.
Thanks HI
Great points number 6 a definite !
See you there for the North game which will not be easy I’m thinking.
Enjoy Tassie Lyne & rug up. Hawks will need to start hot as North are definitely showing signs of improvement. I can’t stand that footy club, losing to them will P me right off.
Another of the Chol = Lazy remarks? What other player gets branded lazy every time he isn't dominating? What other player gets called 'laconic' as some sort of racially charged stereotype? Honestly, look at the blokes journey - is it any wonder that self-belief might be lacking at times given all the rejections, stereotyping and LAZY character assessments that are made purely on the basis of physical appearance. I come here to get away from the laziness of the main stream supporter/punditry but this stuff keeps cropping up.
5 week rolling ladder
Rd For Agst %
5 91 81 111.82%
6 87 83 105.05%
7 90 81 111.11%
8 96 78 123.14%
9 99 76 129.66%
10 100 73 137.09%
11 96 74 129.38%
12 82 81 101.98%
13 77 84 91.65%
14 68 81 83.54%
The fall off in the attack is clearly evident - 5 goals worse off from our peak thus far. Also reflective of the opponents through this period, however, the defenders are certainly no dropping their standards.
Why do you think that is Mick? Certainly, conditions played a big part in Friday's lower scoring, but even before Friday, there was a trend in place. The 5 weel rolling average for points against has been very consistent.
Hi Stuart
I think that over the past 5 weeks the opposition has been a contributing factor (Crows, Dogs, Pies, Lions & Suns) and as you say the conditions in the Crows game didn't help. There are three scores of 60 points or less in this run.
Having said that the forward half hasn't really connected this season - evidenced by the fact that we've only kicked 100+ three times this year and only kicked 90+ 4 times.
The small/medium forwards probably haven't hit the scoreboard as much as they did this time last year i.e. Moore & Macdonald as Watson didn't have his kicking boots until post-bye last year.
Coaches' votes
5. Impey Impey
4. Moore Berry
3. Gunston Rankine
2. Weddle Moore
1. C. Macdonald Dawson