Wake me up, I'm dreaming
A blow-by-blow review of the night we turned off the Power in Adelaide
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ROUND 2: HAWTHORN 120, PORT 56
📝 Main recap:
Hands up if you expected us to get the W on the road against last year’s Preliminary Finalists in round two?
Right - looking around the room, not one single hand. Granted we all thought we had some sort of a chance after the opening round win, with our experienced players coming back into the side, and the injury list that has crippled the Power.
But to do it with such conviction? Not even the most one-eyed brown and gold fan would have seen this coming. And wasn’t it a thing of beauty.
The kids can play - led by our young midfield brigade - Josh Ward, Connor MacDonald, Jai Newcombe and Ned Reeves.
Up forward we saw another glimpse of a rosy future with Mitch Lewis and Dylan Moore controlling our offensive arc.
And down back, it was Sic together with the likes of Jack Scrimshaw, Blake Hardwick and DGB that has us all giddy with excitement.
An even contribution from the whole list - including our senior stars - Gunston, Bruest, McEvoy, Frost - it is not hard to see that we are on the right path and building something very special!
🍒 You never forget your first #1:
Not sure what was better - MacDonald’s all-round game on the night, or the way he went back and from 50 metres out close to the boundary and hit one of the sweetest drop punts the Port fans have ever seen from that spot. Maybe that’s getting a little carried away … or not. Magical celebrations as every single player on the ground ran to Mac - a moment he will certainly never ever forget.
🍒 You never forget your first #2:
This was just as special for so many different reasons. But how amazing that after he butchered the chance to register his first major earlier in the game, Ward - with players running on the right of him - had the confidence and self assurance to back himself and slot it through. A great kick from Titch to Worpel followed by slick hands back inside saw Ward run onto the ball, inside 50 and as cool as you like, finish off the chain. And didn’t everyone get around him.
🥇🥈🥉 Choose your own adventure - goal edition:
Okay - instead of going the triple goal gif here we are going to try something a little bit different. A poll will go up on social media today and the votes can be cast by the people, for the people.
So which one most tickled your fancy?
Jai Newcombe and his set-shot snap from the boundary line;
Gunston when he one-two stepped his opponent, backwards, sideways before kicking a 400-metre snap from the pocket on his non-preferred left; or
Conor Nash smashing the ball at top speed, roving, running, circling past a number of Port players before snapping truly from the goal square?
It’s kind of like picking your favourite child. But if you had to pick one, which would you choose (and we all have a favourite child right 😳 )?
🍔 Prinsy’s key takeaways
1. The Sam Mitchell game plan has arrived. In our Tuesday night Twitter Safe Space, the Hawks Insiders team touched on the implementation of Mitchell’s run and gun game style. Our opinion was that the adaptation of the game plan would be a slow burn, with fans needing to be patient as the players understand what’s expected of them. We got a full game glimpse into what the game plan looks like when executed well, and it was, dare I say it, very pleasing.
2. The inside 50 to scoring shot ratio was incredible. The Hawks got the ball in fast and deep on Saturday night and had an efficiency inside 50 rating of 54%, with 25 shots from 46 inside 50s. When you consider that the conversion rate of those shots at goal equated to 19 goals and 6 behinds, that’s an incredibly efficient night at the office for the Hawks mids and forwards.
3. Kicking for goal was on point. Has Jason Dunstall been brought back to the club and no-one told? The Hawks were sharpshooters and it paid off big time. It was the opposite of Cameron Mooney during the ’08 Grand Final on the Adelaide Oval, with every shot the Hawks taking seemingly sailing through the big sticks. As they say, good kicking is good football.
4. Jack Gunston completely transforms the Hawthorn forward set up. His ability to play taller or smaller than he is, depending on match up, is something that not many forward set ups have and every single one of them craves. It’s not surprising that with Jack back and Jack’s back feeling good, our forward line looks far more potent than it did for the majority of 2021.
5. Mitch Lewis has finally arrived. The Hawks have been waiting for Lewis to grab his career, and football matches, by the scruff of the neck, and on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval he did just that. Lewis’ effort in Round 1 against North Melbourne was very good, equalling his career high goals tally of three, but against the might of Sam Skinner and Trent McKenzie, Lewis went to another level, booting five straight goals and tearing open the third quarter. To borrow a line from our friends at the Hawk Talk Podcast, the #SwitchToMitch is well and truly on.
6. More of the ball doesn’t always equal better football. As we had suggested might be the case, the Power midfield - led by Travis Boak, Ollie Wines and Karl Amon - wracked up the touches. But as our good friend Kane Cornes explained on AFL.com.au, the Power midfielders were fumbly and constantly turned the ball over. The Hawks, on the other hand, were clean and damaging with the ball in hand. The quick handball out of the stoppage and burst from the contest was a hallmark of Mitchell’s time as Box Hill coach, and it’s clear that it’s a big part of the plan at the Hawks going forward.
7. Those first goal feels. A player’s first goal is one of the really special things our game has to offer, and seeing the joy and adulation on the faces of Connor MacDonald and then Josh Ward when they drilled their first goal in Hawthorn colours were two moments to savour. And didn’t the boys get around them!
8. Sam Skinner – maybe not as scary as we thought? Darcy Byrne-Jones put the pressure on Port newcomer Skinner earlier this week saying “he’s had to tone down some of his aggression at training just so guys don’t get hurt. If I was a Hawthorn forward, I would be pretty nervous standing under high balls that’s for sure”. If anything, it looked like Skinner was the nervous one when he was left on an island with future Coleman Medallist Mitch Lewis.
9. The unsung heroes - there were 23 contributors who walked off the park victorious on Saturday night, and some of our ‘lesser’ names played a big part in making it happen. Ned Reeves was brilliant in the ruck against Scott Lycett, collecting 34 hitouts and a couple of timely marks. Conor Nash’s game will be remembered for the beautiful crumbing goal he kicked, but he provided a tough body in the contest and ended up with 16 touches. Finn Maginness continues to take time to adapt to the pace of AFL footy, but his running ability is unquestioned, covering 16.4km during the match, which was one km more than anyone else on the ground.
10. The defensive unit was incredibly solid. This wasn’t a match where we saw as much of the high-flying intercept marks or line-breaking runs from our exciting defenders, but the back six were incredibly effective in stopping their men. Sam Frost, Denver Grainger-Barras and James Sicily held down the key position roles, while Blake Hardwick, Jack Scrimshaw and Changkouth Jiath were great in taking out the smaller forward players for Port. If not for Sam Powell-Pepper in the 3rd quarter, no one player really got hold of the Hawks backline at all.
11. Dylan Moore. Still loves a goal! Enough said.
12. There’s still more in reserve. Winning football means changes are hard to make, and that’s a good problem to have. Box Hill have Kyle Hartigan, Will Day, Jacob Koschitzke, Emerson Jeka, Seamus Mitchell, Dan Howe and co all pushing for selection. Liam Shiels and Tyler Brockman seem to be having a week off, plus there’s still Jarman Impey, Connor Downie and Lachie Bramble to come back from injury.
Superstar/Rising Star/Falling Star
⭐️ Superstar - Jack Gunston
How often are we going to hear it this year? People just don’t appreciate how important he is to our structure, and how much we missed him in season 2021. On Saturday night he recreated 2020 - a year when he won the PCM and more importantly was super consistent throughout the season. Three goals including two brilliant snaps, seven score involvements, and going at 83% dispodal efficiency. He worked hi backside off leading and presenting all night. Superstar status is duly applied.
💫 Rising star - Connor MacDonald
We know this story too well by now also - could have traded our pick 26 up the order, could have traded it higher packed up during trade week. But we kept it, and boy have we got hold of a ripper. Calm, composed and played beyond his years - converting a wonderful set shot for his first goal at the club, and contributing to many more with six score involvements. Fingers crossed we get to see him play close to 20 games this season, and together with Josh Ward become two of our next golden generation premiership heroes.
🤷♂️ Falling star - Liam Shiels
Some confusion as to whether or not Shiels was omitted on form, team balance, or with a leave pass for the birth of his impending baby. The club suggested it was one of the former which must put his place in the team moving forward in real doubt. Because despite his consistency, heart and leadership - none of which can be denied, what he does lack is pace, and that was the cornerstone of our Port Adelaide trouncing. Together with Kyle Hartigan, he might just struggle to play double-digit games in 2022.
Unsung Hero & Scapegoat
👼 Unsung Hero - Sam Frost
In a concerted effort not to give this award to Blake Hardwick every week, we have nominated Frost for round two. Has been given a huge task down back with the omission of Hartigan in the opening two rounds, and has looked right at home in the heart of our defence. One particular play saw him make an incredible calculated decision to leave his man in acres of space to get to a contest further upfield and force a stoppage - saving a certain gimme goal. No doubt having the likes of James Sicily and co would help elevate your confidence and game as a whole to new levels - but what we have seen from Frost so far in 2022 has been outstanding. Long may it continue.
🔪 🐐 Scapegoat - Chad Wingard
14 touches in six quarters of footy is probably not the output many would be hoping for or expecting from Chad, and it has some supporters concerned with his relatively quiet start to the season.
Granted he has booted four goals - two in each round - but anytime the words Chad Wingard and hamstring are used in the same sentence, there are usually a few murmurs abound.
Fingers crossed his injury and then the decision to sub him out of the game was merely precautionary and that we don’t see Wingard spending too much time off the park. Heaven knows we need his x-factor on it.
The Obligatory Ladder Check-In
You just take one look at this ladder and then the shock really does start to take over. Can you believe it? The Suns are in the top 8!!!
News & Notes
A sleeveless Chad Wingard graced the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night - and conditions were balmy which suited the guernsey with no sleeves. But the question it posed was wether or not Chad wore them in round one just to prove a point or will he genuinely pick and choose when to wear them based on the conditions? Time will tell.
It was our sixth time playing against the Power at this venue, and only our second win against them in those matches. With four wins against the Crows in five outings there, history tells us it really was a win to savour.
The AFL media can be a fickle bunch, but as they used to say, yesterday’s headlines are tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappers. It’s the fans that remember how much baiting, goading and ill-informed information that gets circulated in the search of a story - and when it comes to the brown and gold, everyone wants to write about us. So in the aftermath of the Clarkson / Mitchell / house burning down reporting, the headline on the afl.com.au Match Report was a site to behold.
You know who - the GOAT formerly known as.
Sammy Press Conference Bingo
The belief in our group is growing ✅
Our best can match it ✅
Individual performances were pleasing ✅
We’ve got some work to do ✅
Showed maturity beyond his years ✅
What They Said
🗣️ Mitch Lewis
“I’m just super proud of the effort of the whole group - we came over here knowing that it was going to be a tough environment but we just embraced that.”
“I thought that the work-rate and the poise from our mids tonight was outstanding and the entries inside 50 was amazing - I think we were going at about 50% entries per score which is awesome.”
“We really embraced the environment and knew it was going to be hostile early, and I thought the boys were really mature tonight - we have quite a few young guys but they really stood up and it was awesome to see.”
“I’ve got to thank the mids - I think I owe a few coffees this week because some of the connection inside 50 was absolutely awesome. It was nice to get on the end of a few tonight but I knot that if I can compete and just play my role, that’s all the team expects from me so I will continue to do that.”
🗣️ Dylan Moore
“That was our goal going in - we wanted to own the noise because we knew it is a pretty hostile environment here, it’s just that own the noise piece that we had to control and we thought we were able to do that and then feed off each other’s energy which also we thought we ticked that box.”
“At half time Sam said scores are 0-0 - we know what’s coming from them, they are going to try and ambush us and get the crowd back on their side so we were prepared for that and just wanted to keep playing our game style and we thought that we did that.”
“Every win you get is great and the boys are so happy at the moment but we have got another game next week that hopefully we can go three and zero, and Carlton are playing pretty good footy so hopefully it’s a good game.”
Chaps - a really great and enjoyable read. Whimsical reminiscing of the night of nights fills the heart with pure, utter and unfathomed joy that has been starved from us,passionate Hawk fans, over the past couple of years. It was the most enjoyable 4 quarter game I can remember for a very long time. To do this away in the cauldron of Port Adelaide fortress will pay back in spades with belief, for a long time to come, for such a young and energetic group of players. Go Hawks!... and of course, Go HI !!! 💪💪💪👏👏👏👏
Agree with Graeme and Keith this is a great read, I like all Hawks were surprised and a bit shocked especially Port having a huge home ground advantage but your summary nailed it to a tee. I said to my son after watching the game and coming away with this great win we all loved Clarko and his time and success with the club but we’re seeing a new Hawks led by Sam and his fellow coaching staff are working well together. We’ll have our up’s and downs but that’s what footy is about.