Autopsy Round 3, 2025: Hawks fell the Giants

[Leather Poisoning]

Not many people mentioning CJ's game - this guy is a machine for getting to the right places and now has his timing and confidence back for the aerial contests. Still loopy kicks but the good far outweighs that. He's been great in his two games back

 

[Hawthorn1971]

Had a big social event last night, and came here to say I've not seen a second of gameplay, or read a line of analysis of this beeeeeaaaautiful victory.

My Sunday starts NOW!!!

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Considering he’s only in his 3rd year, weddles ability to be swung around and impact is very exciting.

 

[MinerBoy]

Not many people mentioning CJ's game - this guy is a machine for getting to the right places and now has his timing and confidence back for the aerial contests. Still loopy kicks but the good far outweighs that. He's been great in his two games back

Yep has settled back in well. I still have frost ball type of nervousness when he has the ball so if he can sort that out then that’d be great


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Gut Runner]

Not many people mentioning CJ's game - this guy is a machine for getting to the right places and now has his timing and confidence back for the aerial contests. Still loopy kicks but the good far outweighs that. He's been great in his two games back

I didn't expect him to play so well on his return - fitted in very nicely.

Credit to Sam's system that players know what to do and what their role is as well

 

[OnTheRocks]

I wouldn’t call it a stinker, it wasn’t his best game but he was busting his gut all match.

I just think the plan was probably to sub for Gunston but because he was playing so well, particularly in that 3rd quarter, it made sense to go with Chol instead.

My take from that is Gunner is the consummate professional. Chol, Mitch, Calsher & other up & coming forwards can learn a lot from him. He's forcing them to be better

 

[rei154]

I cannot imagine how much fun Battle must be having playing in our line up- coming across from St Kilda to the fastest flowing playstyle must be heaven for him.

 

[kazzooka]

Not kicking a goal with a 5 goal breeze is not great.

No such thing as a 5 goal breeze.

 

[cs61]

Not many people mentioning CJ's game - this guy is a machine for getting to the right places and now has his timing and confidence back for the aerial contests. Still loopy kicks but the good far outweighs that. He's been great in his two games back

Was 'one touch' as well, which is no mean feat with the Giants' pressure and the crazy conditions.

 

[moginie]

One other moment that hasn't been mentioned is Dylan Moore's intercepting mark in the last quarter. Just when they were looking dangerous. Great bit of play.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Not many people mentioning CJ's game - this guy is a machine for getting to the right places and now has his timing and confidence back for the aerial contests. Still loopy kicks but the good far outweighs that. He's been great in his two games back

I thought his first 3 quarters were fairly average. His final quarter won us the game though. He was at every contest making an impact

 

[HawthornHawk]

Our young leaders really stepped up and helped turn the tide after quarter time. Day, Weddle, Watson and Mackenzie all magnificent. It makes me think we have this draft thing worked out and we should just keep taking kids rather than trading picks.

We just know how to win at the moment regardless of in game circumstances, great time to be a Hawthorn supporter.

 

[The hands of stone]

Love watching Wiz getting interviewed post game , you can see his mind ticking over trying not to drop an 'f' bomb on live TV

 

[Barry Damage]

Great win in the end. Really struggled in that first quarter to manage the wind but also everything fell The Giants way as well. Great second half of the second quarter and really put them on notice. I can’t help but feel we sometimes do that extra hand pass or two too many That would bring us unstuck but we just managed to pull it off nowadays whereas it would’ve been a turnover in the past. Brilliant sign of maturity.

Most impressed with CJ - has taken him time to regain touch and confidence in the past. I thought that would be the case but he has been very impressive straight up.

Also how about dimma’s lead outs from full forward? Haven’t seen someone charging out in a straight line to take it on the chest almost since Dunstall.

Mackenzie brilliant, Day special. Love the Wizard, love Weddle, love the win!

 

[OnWardnUpWard]

Great show of maturity from this side. We’ve been challenged in all our wins and we’re not even firing on all cylinders.

From my elevated vantage point of the upper Western Stand both CMac and Watto were standouts.

Overheard some pea hearted supporters walk out after the 1st qtr and others potting our players throughout the game. Do better. We’re not Carlton.

 

[Come back Cyril]

Were you watching the game? He was chasing like crazy.

Sure, it was his best game for the club, but he certainly didn't have a stinker.

I don't think he had a stinker in terms of effort, but Taylor absolutely killed him in the third, beat him one on one about 5 or six times in a row.

Now I rate Taylor as easily the best FB of this era, so Chol won't be the only one losing to him, but I can see why we subbed him, feel like he'd lost all confidence in halving a contest v Taylor.

 

[OnWardnUpWard]

Josh Ward. Metres gained and getting a good feel for it. Onwards and upwards

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

Thanks for taking the time to explain.

You're right - people who are paid to talk should have the vocab for this.

Watson is tiny and strong and fast. It makes him very hard to tackle. That's the tackler's problem, not Watson's.

They compare it to Selwood, who use to fold himself in half when a tackler approached him. Completely different. He was normal height and would turn a legitimate tackle into a high tackle. Watson goes hard and low and they don't know how to tackle him without grabbing him around the head.

And the media never really went after Selwood. Other teams and fans would mention it but the media was always sympathetic to Selwood

 

[Hawkspot]

Best win this year by far in my opinion, that [emoji639]rd quarter was such a massive flex on another top [emoji640] side.

Mackenzie’s best game, what an absolute star we have taking over more each game he plays.

I don’t envy the coaches trying to find a spot for our returning players.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Toward the end of the call tonight Buckley said it wasn't any single feature of structure, speed, system or determination that made us so hard to play against, but all four of them.

It amazes me how "footy smart" and adaptable this team is. Each week they've crafted a different way of winning to overcome the conditions and the strength of the opposition on the day.

Best piece of analysis I've heard about us.

'Analysts' like Kingy and Joey could learn a lot by listening to what ex-coaches like Bucks, Simmo and even Horse say.

 

[HappyHawk_1]

Geeze, I love this feeling!!!

I think what has been particularly pleasing over the last few wins are performances of some of the players who aren’t necessarily our ‘stars’ (i.e. those perceived to be stars externally).

Ward was one of our best players against Carlton, and still played a pretty good game against GWS.

Mackenzie had one of, if not, the best games of his career, racking up 30 touches and looked incredibly composed as always.

CJ has fitted back in seamlessly after some minor adjustments early in the Carlton game, and he is doing exactly what we need him to be doing.

MaGinness floated between the forward line and a tagger role, yet picked up 25 touches - I can’t think of many games he’s picked up 25 before, let alone playing as a tagger.

Morrison has done everything you could ask of him this year - he’s put his head over the ball when needed and creates an important link on the wing.

Gunston had 5 scoring shots, 16 touches, and did a massive role in quelling Taylor today (I don’t think we win without his influence), whilst he bobbed up with 2 very important goals against the Blues.

It all begs the question… if these guys are playing like this, how do we fit in the likes of CMac, Scrimshaw, Worpel, Dear, Lewis (who would be in many, if not most peoples, ‘best 23’)?!?

A great problem to have, that’s for sure.

 

[Hawkk]

Sshhh.

We don’t want him on the Hawks. He has no f****n clue and it’s better he doesn’t.

He was so up and about how the GWS forwards were now at full tilt and expecting them to damage our defence.

Bzzzt. Wrong again David. Calling it now. We have the best defensive group of about 10 players that are capable of handling any type of forward set up.

Since round 8 2024

Brisbane Lions 19 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses
Hawthorn 18 wins, 4 losses
Sydney 14 wins, 9 losses
W Bulldogs 13 wins, 6 losses
Port Adelaide 13 wins, 9 losses
Collingwood 11 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses
St Kilda 11 wins, 7 losses
GWS Giants 12 wins, 9 losses

I’m surprised that given how much he dives into stats he hasn’t reflected on this. It’s not like it’s a hidden secret, this was the graphic that Channel 7 displayed leading into the finals series

 

[Maybloomer]

Geeze, I love this feeling!!!

I think what has been particularly pleasing over the last few wins are performances of some of the players who aren’t necessarily our ‘stars’ (i.e. those perceived to be stars externally).

Ward was one of our best players against Carlton, and still played a pretty good game against GWS.

Mackenzie had one of, if not, the best games of his career, racking up 30 touches and looked incredibly composed as always.

CJ has fitted back in seamlessly after some minor adjustments early in the Carlton game, and he is doing exactly what we need him to be doing.

MaGinness floated between the forward line and a tagger role, yet picked up 25 touches - I can’t think of many games he’s picked up 25 before, let alone playing as a tagger.

Morrison has done everything you could ask of him this year - he’s put his head over the ball when needed and creates an important link on the wing.

Gunston had 5 scoring shots, 16 touches, and did a massive role in quelling Taylor today (I don’t think we win without his influence), whilst he bobbed up with 2 very important goals against the Blues.

It all begs the question… if these guys are playing like this, how do we fit in the likes of CMac, Scrimshaw, Worpel, Dear, Lewis (who would be in many, if not most peoples, ‘best 23’)?!?

A great problem to have, that’s for sure.

The smarts of Harry Morrison are mentioned in this forum a lot but his goal summed it up, he would’ve been covered on his right so he snapped with his left. Another Samism passed down to his players.

 

[Bedi]

From the ground commentary (Ben Dixon i think) it sounded like Chol wouldn't come off when he was supposed to, so wonder if he got a dressing down over that.

 

[triple treat]

I hope Sam leaves Weedle forward, he’ll become a star there IMO