Pleasing kicking 17 goals? It was really pleasing. I thought it was a strong performance against quality. But we spoke about moving on already. We'll do a review, but we're focusing on a significant challenge in Brisbane. I watched them play last night. They were really exciting and dangerous. There's certainly no breathing out.
Compared to last year's GF, did you make more of your opportunities?
With respect, I don't think you can compare them. You can't live in the past. If you keep looking in the rear vision mirror, you'll have an accident. We're squarely focused on the future, and trying to improve our footy. We acknowledged it was a significant challenge before the game, it would be fool hardy not to. What was meritorious is we got jumped at the start, and then had an ability to fight back. That was really pleasing. From there it was a real arm wrestle for most of the day.
What did you change up at quarter time to fix things, especially centre clearances?
Nothing really. I didn't change anything. I just said tighten up in these areas. Mark Stone really spoke to the (players about) centre square bounces. He got a clip in the first quarter, and got a bouquet in the second quarter and the second half. That's the thing, you can't do everything yourself. You hold people accountable and that's your area, you need to spend some time with them to fix it. And to his credit and the mids' credit, they did that. It was a significant turnaround and instrumental in us getting some momentum.
What are your thoughts on Matt Taberner?
I thought he was good from the start. He's a young player. Max Duffy played again, (although) limited minutes. And Hayden Crozier. gee whiz, that draft is... Cam Sutcliffe is an automatic really. Lee Spurr was off the rookie list in that same draft. Lachie Neale was in that draft. Talk about pick 70s, pick 40s. Crozier was in that draft and he's starting to establish himself, and Tom Sheridan's played a fair bit of footy. And then you get Taberner, a second year player, 196cm, tall forward, who was given the opportunity today. And Duffy. Our youth, they're not home by a long shot, but it was pleasing. And it adds to our list. And then there’s hard decisions. Matt de Boer and Nick Suban weren't easy to drop, but we just pick people who perform and play well at Peel and train well. We got reward for having some gumption really.
Was your defensive game back to its manic strength?. Are you playing more direct?
It's pretty hard to measure. I'm not too sure what it looks like. That's always the aim, to play direct, positive footy. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does work. I thought a bit went right today. It was pleasing. Oversimplifying that because Michael Walters is back, more likely to play direct? I think it is oversimplifying it. I thought we were a bit taller with Taberner in there. Walters helped. But games are won and lost in the midfield. I thought our midfield supplied opportunities and pressured the ball and protected our defence. I thought it was a midfield performance today.
Did Aaron Sandilands start that?
No, I think you try to go to the singular. I always go to the plural, so the plural being midfield - both ruckmen, all mids, all wingers. I didn't think one person got us across the line today, I thought it was a real weight of numbers performance. I thought it was across the board in all areas, but specifically the midfield.
Tactically, the Hawks didn't seem to have run off their half back line?
I think they still got a fair bit. They were really dangerous. Grant Birchall might have kicked a goal, Matt Suckling might have kicked one. We worked really hard to pressure the ball carrier. At times it worked, at times it didn't work.
But we certainly were able to perform better than in previous times against Hawthorn. Make no mistake, they're a great team - dual grand finalists. And they had a couple of players out, I think you've got to acknowledge, no Jarryd Roughead, no Cyril Rioli. So they've had some challenges as well.
Did you see anything in the way Nat Fyfe was handling the tagger?
No, I wouldn't have thought so. I agree with you. Nat Fyfe is a pure ball player. Like all ball players and winners we send tags out, the opposition sends tags out, you've just got to work your way through them. I think he's doing that really well and that's why that weight of numbers across the midfield is significant. If it's just left to Nat then you're in trouble. But he's had a few mates digging in helping him - Michael Barlow, Lachie Neale, Stephen Hill, Ryan Crowley, Tendai Mzungu, Danyle Pearce. I thought it was significant, the spread.
Did you talk to Fyfe to cool him down?
No, no, certainly not.
Matthew Pavlich’s five – it’s the first time he’s kicked that many in a few years.
Was it? Well it was a nice time to have it. I thought we gave him pretty good supply. I thought he played well. Yeah, it was good response from Matthew.
Your thoughts on the high scoring first half?
It was a beautiful day for football. Both teams aren't really high stoppage teams so I wouldn't have expected a huge amount of stoppages. They're number one attack and I think we’re fifth. So, one and five are always going to score some goals. Obviously they're a bit more pronounced but everyone is chasing them. We did that okay today.
At times you had seven forwards today, did you initiate that?
I'm not too sure really. It's something I'd have to go away and look at. Nothing jumps to mind for me. Sometimes that happens, sometimes you're a bit cute, and we'll play seven forwards just to see if they're alert. They would've done it a few times. Teams in the modern game continually change. Seven, five, four, eight, it just moves around, it keeps you on your toes at both ends of the ground. The days of six, six, six are dead and buried to be truthful.
Was it important to get the monkey off the back by beating Hawthorn?
Well, I think we spoke about it's important to bank four points, we've done that. We're in a fight to position somewhere high up on the grid or lower down. It's irrelevant really. It means nothing for the future to be truthful.
Did you plant some seeds of doubt for them?
I wouldn't have thought so. They're an elite, high-performing premiership team. I wouldn't have thought they'd have too many seeds of doubt. I just think they'll go away and review and improve. That's what we do regardless of when we win or lose and I'm squarely focused, once we get the review done, on Brisbane. I watched all of that yesterday. I had a strong view, a strong look. We've already spoken about Brisbane. We're focused. Again we continue to write our own story if we win. Outside of that, future engagements, I haven't got my crystal ball. I leave that to others. No assumptions here.
Does it give you confidence though?
You can't go down to the shop and buy confidence can you. So it's got to be built from action. Our action today, you talk about action, builds confidence, so we would get some confidence if we deliver the type of action we did relentlessly for a long period of time, we'll be ok. That's really what it does for you. It firms up belief in what we're asking each other to do and how we want to play. That's really what it does. So that helped. When you have losses there's a bit of seed of doubt, isn't there? Geelong, how are we going? That's really what it does, it helps firm you up, coaches and players, that we're on the right path, because if you can deliver against quality it does give you some confidence out of that action.
Hayden Ballantyne a late withdrawal?
Really close. It was left to the coach to make the call.
You ruled him out?
I had strong advice he shouldn't play. He had met all the KPIs but there was a risk. So it was left with me.
He wanted to play?
Of course he did. He's an animal. He wanted to play.
Next week?
He should be available. Because really he was named and wanted to play and could've played. You can play him but there's a risk and I said leave it with me I'll make a decision.
When did you make the call?
I can't remember to be honest. I can't remember. I've got that many decisions going on and I don't think it's important anyway. I just know when we put the team sheet in he was out.
Michael Walters created a real spark.
Did he? Did he kick one? Did he? Look, he's lively, he's a good player.
How was his fitness? Do you expect it to improve?
Well that would be the aim, again I don't know. He's a credit to his preparation. I agree with you all, he's really important to us and it'd be great to see Hayden and Michael, ‘Son Son’, together. It's been a big day. I can't remember minute details. Hopefully he can train on, but there's no guarantee. We'll have to look after him. But we've got some great staff here that hopefully should do that.
