After an unofficial match simulation meeting against the Western Bulldogs last week at the wind tunnel that was the Whitten Oval, the Hawks would face the same opponent but this time at their adopted home at UTAS stadium.
Touted as the final dress rehearsal before facing one of our great rivals in Essendon exactly two weeks in the future, there was plenty to prove for the young Hawks in this match-up.
Unfortunately, the end result was far from what players, coaches and fans would have envisioned, with a 57-point loss making for some tough viewing at times.
Despite the final scoreline, there were still plenty of positives to find from the hit-out and some areas that will need some improvement before going up against the Bombers in Round 1.
Jai’s Nuclear Start
Coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Peter Crimmins Medal at just 22 years old, it is hard to put a ceiling on the potential of Jai Newcombe, with the young bull putting the writing on the wall to the competition in Tassie.
On a day where the midfield as a whole was beaten, Newcombe was the clear standout in brown and gold with a game-high 37 disposals, nine marks, seven clearances and six score involvements.
I am tipping two things for the lad we lovingly call Nuke; he will finally break the streak of second place finishes and win his first best and fairest as well as break the AFL record for most tackles broken in a season!
Karl’s New Home Is Permanent
The change of role for Blake Hardwick has been the dominant discussion point amongst fans, with Karl Amon’s move to half back flying under the radar, but he showed the vision in his first appearance of 2024.
Amon had 28 disposals, with 24 of them being kicks as well as nine rebound 50’s coming out of the back half, being the obvious starting link in the offensive chains the Hawks want to start.
The new fad in the AFL is to have a “designated kicker” coming off the half back line and with Amon taking that title, I feel confident we will get some elite ball use moving forward.
Day & Night
Apart from being a popular Kid Cudi song from the late 2000’s, it is also an extremely apt way to describe the way things played out at UTAS stadium.
The ball lived in the Bulldogs forward half in the first quarter thanks to slow and safe ball movement by the Hawks defense, before the script got flipped on it’s head in the second quarter, with Hawthorn playing the free flowing brand we became accustomed to in 2023.
Unfortunately, the second half was much the same as the first quarter, reverting back to slow and predictable movements forward. The challenge for the coaching staff will be unlocking that second quarter style for larger portions of the game moving forward.
2022 Draft Class – Tick!
It is still early days, but the 2022 draft crop is looking like it could be a circuit breaking moment in the rebuild at Waverley, with year two returns set to be massive!
Josh Weddle was the diamond of the group, playing 17 games in his rookie season and being touted by some media personnel as a future superstar, but fellow ‘22 draftees Cam Mackenzie and Henry Hustwaite just strengthened their case for a Round One start.
Mackenzie had 19 disposals, five marks, five score involvements and a goal, while Hustwaite had 17 disposals, five tackles, three clearances and used the ball at an extremely tidy 76% efficiency. With Weddle back for Round One, this trio could be elite!
Mighty Mosquito Fleet
The additions of Jack Ginnivan and Nick Watson over the off-season to pair with Luke Breust left fans pumped, with the long summer of hypotheticals being worth the wait to see the mosquito fleet in action.
Ginnivan was the pick of the three, with 12 disposals, six marks and two goals, but the thing that impressed me the most was his work rate up the ground as well as his willingness to pressure and tackle.
Breust did Breust things with 10 disposals and a goal in second gear while Watson flashed signs of brilliance, but was working overtime defensively with constant pressure on the exit kick.
Defensive Deficiencies On Display
The ACL injury to James Blanck was a massive blow at the time of the injury, but was only magnified throughout the course of this game, with the Bulldogs tall forwards running amok around UTAS.
Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan kicked 8.4 between them as well as taking 12 marks, while looking dangerous whenever the ball came into the forward half with purpose.
While the Bulldogs height down forward will be uncommon around the league and Ethan Phillips looked good in patches despite being hard done by from the umpires, this shapes to be the major Achilles heel in season 2024.
Who’s Missing?
The end result may have left a sour taste in the mouth for most fans, but if we have a look at the broader picture and realise who is coming back into this side throughout the next couple of months, things don’t look as grim.
Josh Weddle, Jack Gunston and Harry Morrison were all rested for this game, showing that they are more likely than not to play Round One, without the public knowledge of injury for either of the three.
Vice-captain Dylan Moore should be back for the opener, Will Day is progressing well in his rehab as well as Changkuoth Jiath, Chad Wingard, Bailey McDonald and Seamus Mitchell all tipped to return within the first half of the 2024 season.
Not only will this strengthen the starting 22, with most of the names mentioned strongly amongst the best starting mix on the list, but the competition for spots will also heat up more than it already is, which only leads to better quality footy in the AFL and VFL setting.
