{"id":74946,"date":"2025-06-11T10:34:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T00:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=74946"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:29:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T00:29:51","slug":"how-good-is-hawthorn-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2025\/06\/how-good-is-hawthorn-really\/","title":{"rendered":"How Good is Hawthorn Really?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TFeUrC2gR30\">Watching Hawthorn this year has been like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry dates a woman who looks stunning in one light and terrible in another.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Some weeks, like last Thursday night against another second tier contender in the Bulldogs, Hawthorn were irrepressible.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">OH MY JOSH WEDDLE!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsHawks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dEtt5kzOSP\">pic.twitter.com\/dEtt5kzOSP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; 7AFL (@7AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7AFL\/status\/1930562661953012163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Other weeks, like against Brisbane and Collingwood, they were dreadful.<\/p>\n<p>To understand what they really are, you have to start with last year \u2013 and what has changed.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the Hawks were a pace-and-space footy team with their running power serving as the point of difference.<\/p>\n<p>They called themselves Hok-Ballers but really they were the Seven Seconds or Less Hawks.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hokball \ud83d\udc4d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VFP4U1gYWV\">pic.twitter.com\/VFP4U1gYWV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Hawk Talk Podcast (@HawkTalkPod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawkTalkPod\/status\/1901461179001970840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>When they won clearance, they hunted space above all else and when they found it, they went quickly usually through the corridor.<\/p>\n<p>They were top-5 in handball receives, running bounces, ground-ball get differential and loose ball get differential.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hokball is alive at the &#39;G! \ud83d\udcaa<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLBluesHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLBluesHawks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gt4tdQzaOp\">pic.twitter.com\/Gt4tdQzaOp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFL\/status\/1822500754222940393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Those last two numbers were the key.<\/p>\n<p>When Hawthorn couldn\u2019t get their handball, run and carry game going they were content kicking to contests (which made them a just okay marking side) because they were so brilliant at getting to the ball first when it hit the deck.<\/p>\n<p>It was the foundation of their game.<\/p>\n<p>They won the ground ball get count 19 times for the season including finals and were 14-5 in those games.<\/p>\n<p>Just over the last 10 weeks, they led the league in scoring, scores from turnover, and from the forward half.<\/p>\n<p>They were second in scores from the back half and from stoppage and were the best transition team.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last five games, and really for 2025, their statistical profile is much more muted.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s to be expected, you can\u2019t be NBA Jam style sizzling forever.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Breaking shattering the backboard in NBA JAM On Fire Edition. Pacers vs Nets. Over the top dunk.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mQ5D2Dh3vrM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But the drop is stark.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re 14<sup>th<\/sup> in front half scoring, eighth in back half scoring and 10<sup>th<\/sup> at scoring from turnover on their way to kicking fewer goals a game than St Kilda over the same period.<\/p>\n<p>The crucial difference is the way that they\u2019re moving the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last 5 weeks, the Hawks are still in love with the handball, sitting third in handball receives and 12<sup>th<\/sup> in kick percentage.<\/p>\n<p>However, their ground ball game has fallen away significantly. They have won ground balls just twice.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re trying to do the same thing it\u2019s just not working as well.<\/p>\n<p>In that sense, it\u2019s been an M. Night Shyamalan season \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QUYKSWQmkrg&amp;ab_channel=HorroRviXenKate\">same formula, diminishing returns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Teams have gone to work on stopping their run.<\/p>\n<p>Brisbane especially showed how, and showed Hawthorn in ugly lighting in the process.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions Highlights | Round 11, 2025 | AFL\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yD3RsbALt5s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Lions made it a numbers game and threw bodies at the Hawks between the arcs, particularly in the corridor.<\/p>\n<p>While Hawthorn have the more fluid group of athletes, the Lions were bigger and there were more of them.<\/p>\n<p>Weight of numbers and size between the arcs told, as Brisbane junked up running lanes and forced contests which they dominated.<\/p>\n<p>The Lions won the ground balls by 13 and contested ball by 18, both Hawthorn\u2019s second worst games for the year.<\/p>\n<p>Much was made about Hawthorn\u2019s meagre tackle count in that game, and that did belie a lack of effort, but the other alarming thing was watching Hawthorn fail to adjust.<\/p>\n<p>The Hawks kept trying to do what they have done best, dishing 171 handballs but had their worst game of the season at scoring from the back half while allowing Brisbane to kick seven front half goals.<\/p>\n<p>Against the Dogs, Sam Mitchell made big changes, and they made the Hawks look like Giselle.<\/p>\n<p>While plenty has been said about their renewed intensity, they totally shifted how they moved the ball to go along with a Cena-style Attitude Adjustment.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">End-to-end footy \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsHawks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hL6YLUiwr8\">pic.twitter.com\/hL6YLUiwr8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; 7AFL (@7AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7AFL\/status\/1930573653986492759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Hawks prioritised their kicking game and reapplied themselves at contest.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, they had their third-best first-possession game, and second-best contested ball game.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\udfc5 Adam Simpson\u2019s votes for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsHawks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3\ufe0f\u20e3 &#8211; Jai Newcombe<br \/>2\ufe0f\u20e3 &#8211; Josh Weddle<br \/>1\ufe0f\u20e3 &#8211; Jack Ginnivan<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLNation<\/a> \ud83c\udfc8 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFL<\/a> \ud83c\udfc6 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/u5EDflZzgU\">pic.twitter.com\/u5EDflZzgU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; AFL Nation (@AFLNation) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFLNation\/status\/1930609247492198669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Not only that but two weeks after 198 kicks to 171 handballs against Brisbane, the Hawks had 217 kicks to just 157 handballs against the Bulldogs, and an extra three goals from the back half.<\/p>\n<p>Another key difference between the Brisbane game, to me their low point, and the Bulldogs game is the Sicily factor.<\/p>\n<p>Against Brisbane, James Sicily clearly was not moving well and Cal Ah Chee subsequently ripped him to shreds.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#39;s all unravelling for Hawthorn as Ah Chee puts through his fourth!<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLHawksLions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLHawksLions<\/a> LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tEbIJrg77g\">https:\/\/t.co\/tEbIJrg77g<\/a><br \/>\u270d\ufe0f BLOG <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2ydMgBTUqf\">https:\/\/t.co\/2ydMgBTUqf<\/a><br \/>\ud83d\udd22 MATCH CENTRE <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cYaSFB18QJ\">https:\/\/t.co\/cYaSFB18QJ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zUwgPT2Agz\">pic.twitter.com\/zUwgPT2Agz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FOXFOOTY\/status\/1926196308173349142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Jamie Elliott did the same thing a week earlier.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Four bags of 5+ goals in the last six weeks for Jamie Elliott \ud83d\udd25<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLPiesHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLPiesHawks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MJwCZ9FjZi\">pic.twitter.com\/MJwCZ9FjZi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; 7AFL (@7AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7AFL\/status\/1928426605577461773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Sicily\u2019s skill is playing bigger than he is but now with Tom Barrass, he has to play to his size. Ironically, he can\u2019t do what he should be best suited for.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like a negative version of Brad Pitt being too handsome to do what he was built for: be a character actor.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pikey Caravan - Snatch (1\/8) Movie CLIP (2000) HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tGDO-9hfaiI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Beyond that, his kicking which had been a real feature of his career, has been awful this year possibly because of the injury that saw him ruled out.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">James Sicily (abdominal\/hip) is set to miss the next 2 weeks, per Mitch Cleary. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/aflratings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@aflratings<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ScATf79yah\">pic.twitter.com\/ScATf79yah<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; aflratings.com.au (@aflratings) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/aflratings\/status\/1929765405444526459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>However, with Sicily out, Mitchell moved Blake Hardwick back into defence to play on mediums and freed Josh Weddle up to run and drive their back half, and the Hawks looked far better for it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">JOSH WEDDLE, OH MY \ud83e\udd2f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLHawksTigers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLHawksTigers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MX6Zo17d9Z\">pic.twitter.com\/MX6Zo17d9Z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFL\/status\/1918932002822045724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>So\u2026how good are they?<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll note that I\u2019ve barely mentioned players. That\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n<p>I did that because, outside of a couple of structural pieces, the Hawks don\u2019t have any stars without Will Day.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a team of role players who have to be playing in the right roles for it to work.<\/p>\n<p>Jack Ginnivan\u2019s recent form explosion is a good example of that.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s moved from being a pure forward pocket into an extra number on the outside of stoppage, as a high-forward.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">JACK GINNIVAN \ud83d\udd25<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsHawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsHawks<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BVGSJDl0p1\">pic.twitter.com\/BVGSJDl0p1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; 7AFL (@7AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7AFL\/status\/1930593231416226247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fragile to rely on your coach being right constantly, rather than having the players to make him right.<\/p>\n<p>You can only do so much from up in that box.<\/p>\n<p>Sam Mitchell is good enough to keep them competitive, but stars win finals and Hawthorn just don\u2019t have enough.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re a fringy contender.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watching Hawthorn this year has been like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry dates a woman who looks stunning in one light and terrible in another. Some weeks, like last Thursday night against another second tier contender in the Bulldogs, Hawthorn were irrepressible. OH MY JOSH WEDDLE!#AFLDogsHawks pic.twitter.com\/dEtt5kzOSP &mdash; 7AFL (@7AFL) June 5, 2025 Other weeks,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":74947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8298,598,344],"tags":[8260],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-74946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-rules","category-guywholikessport","category-special-interest","category-sports","tag-guywholikessport"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":null,"md_tip_date_end":null,"md_market_url":"","tip_date":"11\/06\/2025","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74946"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87769,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74946\/revisions\/87769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74946"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=74946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}