3 things Learned - Round 13 vs Hawthorn, 2025

[Happy Days]

1. We’re shit.

2. I have no self respect because despite swearing off it in mid-2023 I watched Ryan Gardner play an AFL game live and genuinely thought we could win it.

3. Rhylee West isn’t the best ground ball player in the AFL. Of course I already knew this but can someone let the idiots at Champion Data know so I can stop hearing it every time I turn the radio on.

[The Adelaide Connection]

1. We can't have nice things

2. We are going to enter a final series (if we make it) with skeletons in the closet- the skeletons will be that we would have been beaten by almost all/all other Top 8 teams.

3. Even Australia qualifying for the World Cup couldn't make that loss feel better.

[chef]

1. Mitchell's just another top 8 coach who has Bevos number.

2. I doubt Bont is going to want to hang around another 2 season of this and who could blame him. Deserves better.

3. Its time to move on from Bevo. Need to do the brave thing, Gardner over Busslinger is the straw for me. Like WTF.

[merantau]

1. We flatter to deceive - every time. It's a culture that needs to be rooted out and bonfired

2. Bottom six are well off the pace.

3. We nearly always fail to kick the goal when we NEED to kick the goal. English twice.
Lobb, Harmes, Sanders, West, Bont - all missed last night
Throw in Naughton, McNeil, Vandermeer, Cleary, Jamarra from past games.

Where is Andrew Hooper when we need him?

[ReLoad]

1. Everyone is getting stuck into naughton, and yes he is down a bit, but honestly, the delivery to him is abysmal.
2. I love Bevo, hes been our greatest ever, but he was outcoached again significantly, not only in selection (Gards, really?) but the way in which Hawthorn setup, Meek is a run of the mill footballer, but hes 100% consistent in that he will half a contest, every single kick in and defensive rebound from the hawks went to the same place, he either halved it or won it, the hawks congested, then regrouped and did the same again; and not surprisingly for the same result, they had drilled for it, and we didn't compensate for it. it was ad nauseam the same, so frustrating. Bevo: I think we need to break up
3.I love the way we develop a young player, watching JOD for example is pure joy, so why don't we do the same for Buss?

a bonus:
4. Not that we have learned, but we have reconfirmed we have a few players that are no good and we have to move on: McNeil and Gardner in particular. A few youngsters still young enough to earn a still learning mark (Cleary, Davidson)

[jazzadogs]

1) Mitchell can actually out coach Bevo
Gunston dragging Lobb away was a great move
2) When our midfield fails to dominate e really struggle.
3) West couldn't do a thing right. Treloar might have needed that extra week.

Surprised the last three times he's done it wasn't enough evidence. They always seem to have extensive plans specifically for us, and we just try to play the same 'plan A' that we roll out each week. It's not a bad plan...but we need something to shift to. Libba to the half back line was no game changer.

[jazzadogs]

Jack Ginnivan holding the ball out not getting enough hate. Confirmed his status as one of the all time flogs.

[The Underdog]

I learned that sometimes a school music night can save you from suffering even worse things.

[EasternWest]

1. Everyone is getting stuck into naughton, and yes he is down a bit, but honestly, the delivery to him is abysmal.

This is unquestionably true - but our forward line entries have pretty much always been abysmal, but Naughton historically found a way to have an impact, usually with his pressure.

He was a shadow of himself last night.

[merantau]

1. We flatter to deceive - every time. It's a culture that needs to be rooted out and bonfired

2. Bottom six are well off the pace.

3. We nearly always fail to kick the goal when we NEED to kick the goal. English twice.
Lobb, Harmes, Sanders, West, Bont - all missed last night
Throw in Naughton, McNeil, Vandermeer, Cleary, Jamarra from past games.

Where is Andrew Hooper when we need him?

For those who don't remember:

Andrew Hooper made his debut in an Elimination Final v Sydney in 2010. He nailed a set shot just before half time from a fair way out. His and the team celebration really got us up and about and we out played them in the second half.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Hooper

[Countrydog5]

1 - This is STILL a mentally weak team. Place any sort of expectation to rise to the challenge on their head and they go to water.
2 - We're witnessing another 'scrape into finals and exit first week year' and it's like a slow motion trainwreck to watch. Burns me inside to see us wasting the years of two of our best ever in Bont and Libba
3 - Selecting Gardy over Jones / Busslinger was absolute madness. Training / VFL form does not mean a player as limited as he is will walk in and all of a sudden do stuff he can't.

[Mofra]

1. Our ground ball game in the D50 is woeful. The best teams have settled defences. We don't.

2. We live and die by our midfield. When they get beat we're terrible.

3. Pressure the ball carrier and we're a bog average side. Geelong and Hawthorn have worked this out.

[azabob]

1. Mitchell's just another top 8 coach who has Bevos number.

2. I doubt Bont is going to want to hang around another 2 season of this and who could blame him. Deserves better.

3. Its time to move on from Bevo. Need to do the brave thing, Gardner over Busslinger is the straw for me. Like WTF.

On point 2. Maybe Bontempelli should've decided to rock up in the first quarter.

[azabob]

1. The midfield was embarrassed for the fourth time against this mob. They started the game on the back foot and with no self-respect.

2. jeekmak is a sucker for punishment. For someone who rarely goes to the footy, why, why do you keep picking to go and see Hawthorn?

3. We still can't win a game that matters. I cannot remember the last big game we won that was 50/50 or we were slight underdogs. Maybe 2021 prelim weekend?

4. I'm still trying to figure out is Naughton injured, lazy, or just does give a shit? He finally came to life in the 2nd half... but damn a very underwhelming season.

[SonofScray]

1. The midfield was embarrassed for the fourth time against this mob. They started the game on the back foot and with no self-respect.

2. jeekmak is a sucker for punishment. For someone who rarely goes to the footy, why, why do you keep picking to go and see Hawthorn?

3. We still can't win a game that matters. I cannot remember the last big game we won that was 50/50 or we were slight underdogs. Maybe 2021 prelim weekend?

4. I'm still trying to figure out is Naughton injured, lazy, or just does give a shit? He finally came to life in the 2nd half... but damn a very underwhelming season.

It’s a worry.

Bevo says it’s the execution and connection to him that is hurting and I think that’s part of it, but he is just so far off the peaks we’ve seen from him. The fitness base is a huge factor, he is clearly a player that needs the solid foundations of a preseason to put his strengths in motion. I thought his mentality and approach have been fine and even some competitiveness coming back into his game in recent weeks, but the last fortnight seems like the confidence has taken a hit.

He’s not flying for the ball. His bread and butter.
He can’t get separation on the defenders and wrestles. Bad habit.
Conversion remains an issue.

Having a poor season. It’s going to impact his reputation.