Game Day

[pitchfork 181]

The free against Tappy was for throwing Osborne down after Osborne HIT HIM IN THE FACE. The umpire could be heard saying, "if he punched you in the face I'll report him but you can't throw him to the ground..."

[hells bells 2,023]

100 point loss coming up...

[Samsara 65]

In terms of playing the top echelon clubs, we've taken a big step back this year in my opinion. Way, way of the pace.

Edited July 24, 2011 by Samsara

[Akum 2,660]

Comprehensively outcoached and out-thought. In a game where we really need something - anything! - from the coach's box to try to stem the tide, we get nothing. Again.

[Face Your Demons 175]

Starting to sound like Tiger supporters guys

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Don't doubt the effect of Darwin. Not a shock that some of our players that made the most impact were guys who didn't make the trip. Half of Jack Watts is still in Darwin now.

[rhaz 342]

Drop Strauss until he figures out how to impact the game offensively.

Milne and Betts have shown this week that small forwards can kick a lot of goals, needed more from Maric today. Green was being a seagull today (well he does it all the time actually...) which is what Maric should be doing.

Trengove offered zilch today, disappointing but considering what he has been doing for the rest of the year it can be excused.

I really want Ro Bail back in the side.

[Samsara 65]

Why isn't Jurrah playing?

[rhaz 342]

Why isn't Jurrah playing?

Flu

[Akum 2,660]

Why isn't Jurrah playing?

'Flu apparently.

[Clanger King 9]

AFL have had a great week for exciting footy... NOT

[Akum 2,660]

Biggest possession winner to half time - Stef Martin!

[agent 99 71]

So with our roller coaster season does this mean we come out and smash Geelong next week?

[praha 11,240]

Not surprised by the performance. Could smell it after a Darwin game.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

What ended up happening sub wise?

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I walked out after Osborne got that 50 metre penalty.

The effort was there, just a better team.

Also, Hawthorn supporters would have to be the least knowledgeable about the game of Australian Rules football. There is no such rule as "dropping the ball"!

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

So with our roller coaster season does this mean we come out and smash Geelong next week?

Looking at the draw, we have this situation now everyone's talking about where we have to cause an upset over one of these next three teams to make it.

The thing is all these other sides have been causing upsets. Essendon over Cats, St Kilda as well, Bulldogs did an amazing job there or a while, and North are looking pretty powerful.

I think the next two weeks we'll lose, and lose big.

Which means we have to beat WC at Etihad, and the last 3. That's four in a row. Going on what we see today, we won't make it.

[Flemo56 396]

for a leaderless bunch of youngsters they DIDN'T stop trying, but geez we still have a very long way to go to bridge the gap..........start pre season 4 2012,now, more gym work and a lesson from the Melb Storm on how to stick tackles........

[Sir Why You Little 37,053]

The effort was there, just a better team.

I am watching this on the TV, the effort is there...We are still not big enough or strong enough.

We are being towelled up by the better sides this year, because opposition coaches and teams rate us higher.

will not make the finals this year....Another big long pre season needed.

[rhaz 342]

What ended up happening sub wise?

Maric for Bennell

[Born to Run 204]

I sort of agree that the effort was there today. We made bad skill errors and lacked some expirience and class compared to our opponents.

I do get frustrated that we cant break down opposition zones when trying to get out of defence, but much of that is due to poor skill errors. Cant tell you why I dont feel as angry about today as other games, maybe because I felt we would get touched up.

Lets hope we are more competitive against Carlton and WCE. Think we will get toasted by Geelong down at KP.

Interesting to see Essendon get pummeled last night. Means our best win of the year was against the 9th best club in the league. They might be 10th or worse by seasons end. So I think that it is fair to say we are just not there yet, and we have a long way to go. Was so hoping that we would be a bit better than that this year.

[Akum 2,660]

Nobody will be surprised if we lose this game and the next 3. Trouble is, we're going to get smashed by 10-12 goals each game, and look pretty hopeless in doing it. All those sides are going to make us look that bad. Prepare for it people. And we won't be able to fire a shot.

[Trengove 0]

anybody else see Lewis get into Moloney for 'ducking his head' - what a [censored], deserved to be head-butted.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

I am watching this on the TV, the effort is there...We are still not big enough or strong enough.

We are being towelled up by the better sides this year, because opposition coaches and teams rate us higher.

will not make the finals this year....Another big long pre season needed.

Correct. We wont and IMO we've gone backwards this year.

I would say at least 2 pre seasons away from even matching it with middle of the rung teams and that's just in a physical sense.

And we are so far away from matching it with anyone in the top six on a consistent basis it's scary. Top teams also demonstrate how much talent/fitness/ability we have/haven't got.

There wasn't a moment in today's game that i thought to myself, "wow, we've uncovered someone/something special here, or the game plan really seems to be finally coming together...as a club (on the field) we're finally getting somewhere, we've made some significant progress this year, the structure is really starting to take shape and form". Just nothing other than a few individual efforts from Petterd, Dunn, Martin, Mckenzie (shut down role on Mitchel) and Tapscott.

Reaction times when up against the top 6 clubs are just too slow. Caught far too often too easily, even when there's a fair amount of decision time. The top 6 teams escape the stoppages way too easily against us way too often. Decision making generally poor when under decent to full on pressure. We don't work for each other nor do we play 'team' footy and take the game/opposition on often enough with run and carry style play that worries or upsets the opposition for more than a few minutes in spasmodic passages of play.

We're often standing still in the back line and stationary. The opposition teams run run run and we just look too slow or unwilling to find a man to shut down quickly enough when we turn the ball over. And senior plays seem to chase the ball in general play instead of finding their man once the ball's left their general area. This creates yet another free man/option opportunity for the opposition to hit up once they find that free man again as the play continues. And turn the ball over we do. Even senior players, time and time and time again. Jones & Sylvia classic examples today as well as dumb free kicks given away at crucial times (Moloney).

Match ups pre match are often questionable. Frawley to Buddy was always a height mis-match IMO and nullified one of the few advantages we have when Frawley applies some creative play and run off half back for us. Instead of having the option to be attacking he has to watch his key forward at all times and play him close.

Garland surely would have been the option for Buddy. Can leap to spoil and run with him as well. Couldn't have got a worse result from it and would've freed up Chip to provide the run and creative side off half back. Another poor match up decision by the FD/Bailey. Neither appear to be learning and Bailey seems unable to motivate this team against anyone other than interstate clubs (West Coast excluded), Richmond and the Bombres at the G.

At one stage we had Garland playing on Rioli in the forward half lol. What a joke. Surely Nicholson (at least he'd be able to run with him and learn something) or Bennell (albeit i don't rate him to shut down Rioli either...but hopefully he'd run and pressure him just a little) and allow Garland to match up against a taller defender (eg., Hale).

Most senior players seem unwilling (or unable??) to make the 2nd and 3rd efforts when the game was up for grabs. Martin running off half back early in the last, 4 bounces, not one lead up target?? Turns the ball over through lack of options...goal to the Dorks.

Sorry to say but Rivers under any sort of pressure on a half decent opponent is just not up to this level. Not many obvious replacements at this point but it's time to start blooding someone else. He cost us at least 2 - 3 goals in the first half.

Movement out of goal square after a point is still way too slow. Other teams race it out of there (not all the time but far more often than we do) before the cameras even had a chance to show the umpire finishing his flag waving!! We take tooooo long. Then when we've made a little progress through the zone, say to our half back line, some of our players decide to go back deep into the goal square again, lacking the instinct/confidence/ability to look up field or take the game on with run & carry, and we have to start allover again from the goal square. At times, our style of play is comical.

Not all in the same boat, but as a team, we played/looked like amateurs today.

The West Coast, Carlton and 2nd half of first Dorks game aside, one of the most disappointing efforts all season.

IMHO we are at least 2 pre seasons, a key forward, some class/grunt through the middle, a brutish tallish defender (maybe Garland with 2 more pre seasons but unlikely) and a new coach away from going anywhere other than 9th to lower with this present set up/list.

If we're happy with that sort of result year after year, and to waste the talent we may have with some of our recent draft picks, then i'm sure 'steady as she goes' will be fine at the MFC from here.

[Jack7 528]

Bottom line is Hawks are a top 4 team and we're not ready to beat top 4 teams yet,we have far too many under 22 year olds that are not up to it physically and our footskills are well below par and on top of that Jurrah,Petterd,Maric,Bate & Dunn have all been out of form this year and Aussie not available.Only Watts has taken his game forward this year with Green & Sylvia up and down.Howe is a good upgrade on Bate and Cook will be worth waiting for.

This is only our second season after our last wooden spoon,look how long it took Carlton.We need patience while we get 50 more games into this group.