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Sport Nation
A message to the Hawthorn critics
Andrew Slevison • May 28th, 2025 10:40 am
There has been some negative talk surrounding Hawthorn on the back of the weekend’s loss to Brisbane.
Some critics feel Sam Mitchell’s Hawks have hit a rough patch given they’ve lost two on the trot which includes the Round 10 defeat to Gold Coast by eight points.
There have also been questions raised about their apparent inability to take a big scalp.
The Hawks have beaten just one team inside the eight (GWS), have lost to three contenders (Geelong, Gold Coast and Brisbane), while six of their seven wins have been against sides placed 10th or lower.
However, the doubts might just be a misconception if you talk to Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne.
He believes the overall profile of Mitchell’s Hawks is in good shape despite the negative chatter.
“I’m going the other way, I think there’s a lot going right with Hawthorn,” Hoyne said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“I think they just came up against a team on the weekend that was red-hot defensively and shut them down.
“We saw Brisbane at stages this year have a flat performance. We’ve seen Geelong have a flat performance, Collingwood and so on.
“So I’m not going to jump at that. I’m more looking at it from a Hawthorn perspective. Don’t panic at the moment with your overall, holistic profile.”
Hoyne provided some insight into why he is not being sucked into the negativity.
There are some specific areas in which the Hawks are excelling and that will hold them in good stead if they can improve their scoring return when they force a turnover.
“From a profile perspective, what they’re doing with the footy is top five in the comp,” Hoyne added.
“What they’re doing without the footy is number one in the competition, in terms of what they’re doing defensively at restricting the opposition.
“Even though they lost on the weekend, Brisbane kicked 93 points which is a good return but we’ve seen Brisbane pile on some significant score returns over the last couple of years. So it’s not horrendous.
“What they’re doing from a post-clearance perspective is number two in the comp. Their raw clearance work is mid-table.
“So if that profile persists for the next three or four months of the season, they are going to be in this up to their absolute eyeballs.
“The one aspect of their game which Sam Mitchell and the coaching group will need to go to work on is how do they get more scoreboard return when they win the ball back off the opposition.
“They’re bottom six at the moment. That’s the one area of their profile at the moment that is standing out. When they win the footy, how do they generate this scoreboard return?
“Other than that, profile-wise, if you’re a Hawthorn supporter, hold the line.”
The next few weeks will show us where the Hawks are really at as they take on Collingwood at the MCG this Friday night before similarly tough tests against the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
The Hawks remain sixth on the ladder with a 7-4 record.
