The Herald Sun Footy PodcastIt's a situation that not even the most optimistic Hawks fan could have predicted in April when they started the season oh and five - Hawthorn into a semi-final and favourites to make it into a prelim.
Glenn McFarlane joins the show to chat about the excitement around the brown and gold. And he also digs into what went wrong on Saturday night for the Blues.
There's certainly a happy team at Hawthorne, and a happy team is leading to some very exciting results. The Brand and Gold are into a semi final and expected to win their way at least into a prelimb, situation that not even the most optimistic Hawks fan could have predicted in April when they started the season zero to five. Hello and welcome to the Herald Sun Footy Podcast. I'm Andy Belaiz and today on the show, Glen McFarlane will join me to talk all things Hawthorne as the juggernaut looks almost unstoppable and for every Hawks there's a Blues Macca will also talk to us about how Carlton's finals hopes disappeared in a quarter of footing. Here's Macca. Well, it's all about the Hawks. I've been trying not to say that all year, but now in Melbourne you can't escape it. Glenn mcfhil enjoins me.
Andy, how are you.
I'm really well, And if you're a Hawthorne supporter, you're ten times better than I am, and if your a Hawthorne player, one hundred times better than I am. Because they seem to be having the best time.
I was just trying to look at the actual year on the newspaper and I thought it said two thousand and eight for a minute, because that's got that sort of feeling, isn't it? So not twenty twenty four. But they have been extraordinary, haven't they. They have captivated the AFL finals. If you look at it, there were you know, it was one amazing game in Sydney last week, but I think Hawthorne is the story of the finals so far.
Well.
I mean, as a as a football fan over a number of years, you know, there are plenty of things that are unorthodox in footy. There are things that you don't think are going to happen and they do. But this is one thing that has completely flammexed me because completely five rounds in they looked in the bottom two and now they are. If they're not Premiership favorites, but they're getting there.
Well they're on their way.
If I expect them to win against Port Adelaide on Friday night and you think about that back to round, you know, when you know they lose their first five games and Sam Mitchell's not looking the happiest camper, then I can tell you I don't want to get Sam upset.
But in that sense like they have been outstanding.
They've found players, they've found players where they've got you know, guys, they've got from nowhere in a sense like Kelsha Deer was meant to be a project player and he was the best player in terms of the key forward on the ground last Friday night. And you think there's some pretty important key players out there down the other end. You had Jamara, you know, you had Sam Darcy had you know, there's others Aaron Norton there as well, and Kelshader was doing it.
He's played sixteen games.
So you've got three players up the other end, two in the top two of the draft, Aaron Norton's fifteen or whatever it was. They're all credentialed forwards. Got Kelsha did down the other end. Who many thought that you know, he was one of the last picks in the draft, so he was a father son for it was a wonderful story for Hawthorne, but he was two or three years away. He's at nineteen years old and he's looking like Wayne Carey.
He's outstanding and are really kid too. Let me tell you I did a story on before he played a game earlier this year when the Hawks were doing the you know, the game against Geelong for pancreatic cancer. Of course, he lost his father, the Norm Smith medalist ball deer a couple of years ago and spoke to me this very quiet in the in the car park of the mcg and there he was out there on the stage. There was no deer in the headlights. There was the Dogs deer in the headlights, wasn't it in a lot of ways? And you know, to be able to do that, and also they're canny recruiting. What they've been able to do with getting players from other clubs but also get players in from other parts of the system have been extraordinary.
And it feels like the momentum is unstoppable in some ways. You know that because of this, how unlikely the thrust has burned for the last four months. You can almost can't see how they how it can ever come to an end without a premiership company.
This nineteen ninety three, the Baby bombers all over again. I think that was one that jumped out of the box. There were a few that had jumped out of the Bulldogs jumped out of the box, didn't they In twenty sixteen is one of those years that you could actually jump out of the box. I'm not going to be easy. I don't expect it to be easy on Friday night, but I do think they'll win.
Yeah. So you mentioned Sam Mitchell and and like all the talk around the Hawks is they're having fun on the field, they're Alaricans, they're being a bit cheeky, they're celebrations of goal. Sam Mitchell. Wasn't that play Sam? That was the opposite of what sam Mitchell was. How does he? You know, how does he sit up there in the box? I guess winning helps.
It does, There's no doubt.
I had a really good chat to Shane Crawford yesterday, who knows Sam really well, still speaks to Stam all the time, and he was sort of suggesting this is, you know, this is not Sam, but what Sam is as a competitor, and he knows that by allowing the players the freedom that they've actually got now, it actually is good for their you know, their own belief And but you got to you got to keep winning. If that's the case, that can change pretty quickly if you lose. So you've got to give him full credit, don't you like and you've also got to give you go back. I was at the famous media briefing when there was the handover ed it was meant to be, you know, handy hand over in the sense it was all sweet going on from the moment you walked in the room. That it wasn't sweet between Clark and Sam. But from that moment you think they knew what they were doing, didn't they. This guy is an absolute genius. He could have been coaching Collingwood. There was a you know, if Hawthorne didn't make that move, there swings and roundabouts of history, and Craig McCrae might have then been coaching Hawthorne.
It's the swings and roundabouts of history and cy.
What he's done has been quite remarkable and their form line is as good as anyone's. And they can win it, don't make no mistake. They can win it.
Yeah, they're going to have to come up against some pretty sort of hard bodied and well drilled teams in Jolong and Sydney possibly along the way, but yeah, momentum, will and confidence and all the things, and not having that sort of fear of failure because they hadn't been there before. So I think I think it's you know, could go all the way you mentioned two thousand and eight, just wondering who the stud jew is in this hall?
Yes, is there a jewey Jew?
Like?
That's a very good point because you look back at that and again in a similar way, they were able to get people and to get players into that team who came from different roots, and stewet Jew came from He was probably twenty kilos heavier and like Clarko had to fight tooth and nail to get him on the list there and he just he was about to get, you know, taken off for a rest in that third quarter and he stayed on the ground and then changed the course of that game absolutely and called Cyrol really when I write in that particular stage as well. And they had some good players, But I think for the future, the way they're set up, and it's never a guarantee. We're talking about twenty twenty four now, what happens in twenty twenty five, twenty six, twenty sevens never a guarantee. You get different draws, you get injuries, and they're starting to get a few little injuries late now.
But je there's a big future there.
I think yeah, I feel for Sam Frost because he came through at Melbourne. He played through that twenty eighteen final series. They identified that his role was one one of those that was left wanting, so they came. They brought his highly expensive players. He was surplus to requirements. But he's turned himself around and he's been one of the stories of this Hawthorne runs. So it's a real shame.
It is a real shame and it's going to be hard to replace him, that's the thing. And you know, I'm sure they'd wish they could get Tom barrass into that team now or Josh Badam to be handy, but they're gonna have to try and find a different way. They've got a few options they're looking at at the moment, so I think they've got enough depth to cover it. But she's been really important player for us, hasn't he He has.
At the other end is Jack Ginovan And we mentioned having fun and being cheeky, and we all knew, you know, Ginevan burst onto the scene at Collingwood being exactly that player, and he hasn't changed having moved clubs and you know, he went to the pub last week before he played in the game and all that sort of thing. It's a really interesting how he's almost he's got a millennial sensibility, but he carries himself like a seventies or eighties player. He does without social media.
Or he does.
Imagine the for social media around in the seventies and eighties. My goodness, that would have been a real concern. But you know what, I've probably changed my view on this a little bit. You know, maybe I'm maturing a little bit and I'm thinking what's wrong with it?
Having a bit of fun.
This is the way he's become the player that he and he's a very different player than he was at Collingwood. He's delivering on the field, not that he didn't at Collingwood, but he's a much He could be a bit player at collin Yeah, and he's much more than that now. And there was a stage last week where I absolutely loved it. He's theming in towards goal. It's late and you know, in a quarter and he looks across and I think it was the third quarter, actually looks across and normally Jack Ginevan in black and white would be slotting it through the middle or trying to He saw the Wizard, and he goes, you know what, I'm going to pass this off. So on the field he's doing all the right team things. Off the field, he's been Jack Ginarvan and I think while the Hawks would love him to just temper some little bits, I don't have too many problems with Well.
I will say, we'll pull you up on one thing there. Jeff Farmer will always be my Wizard.
There you go the other Wizards, so there is there is a new Wizard in town. So the millennial Wizard. But yeah, you're right, and I think Warreck Kappa, the original Wizards.
He called himself the Wizard.
He still does wiz Jeff Farmer. He's got a fair bit to go Nick Watson to get the Jeff Farmer. But you know what, he looks pretty dumb world at the moment.
We were talking about Greatest Finals performances in the office yesterday and I had to bring up because a lot of people forget Jeff Farmer kicked eight goals in a pre limit in the YouTube thousand. He was one hell of a small forward.
He was in credit.
He's a really good player. Can do it, you know, on the ground, in the air. He just had so many attributes and I'm not sure whether Nick Watson's ever going to get up as high as as Jeff Farmer, but she's going to give some some fun over the next few years.
And play the kids. So the Hawks up against Port and be something to watch.
And there's a lot of pressure on Port, so much pressure on Port.
If you look at it and Kenley, what happens if they if there are another straight sets exit, which they've it's become, you know, a bit a habit at the moment for Port Adelaide. And we know he's got a year to run on his contract. We know that Josh Carr's there sitting waiting in the wings. If it comes up, it's going to be fascinating watching and viewing and looking forward to Friday night.
Well, at least Port got a second chance, because there are two teams who didn't. They went out in the first week, take a break, come back and talk about that first half in Brisbane at the Gabba. Here on the Herald Sun Footy podcast, I'm Andy Belaiz. I'm joined by Glenn McFarlane MACA. We talked the good news story, we talked the Hawks, Let's talk the Blues. No you have to let's talk five minutes to go in the second quarter at the Gabba on Saturday.
It's not very often you're watching a final and you're getting out your history books trying to work out what's going on, because it wasn't until the end of that first quarter that you think North Melbourne in nineteen seventy four was the last ting fifty years.
To not score in a quarter.
And then I was thinking, who's the last team to not score in a half or not kick a goal in a half? They were in massive trouble out. He's got so much wrong Andy selection wise. I think if they had their time over again, they'd make some really different decisions in terms of and I get the fact that everyone's going to say, you know, Michael Voss said that, you know Tom Deaconey could only play sixty seventy minutes, but I think I would have preferred him to start the game. And I think they changed once he came on. There was a new sense of energy out there on the field. That's what he does, That's what TDK does. He does do amazing things in terms of lifting the energy.
But there are things that you can do with a player who isn't as mobile and you could stick him in the gold square. I mean he's still very tall and stick his arms up and take a mark. Yeah, yeah, it was It was a curious decision. Well.
I just think that they realized are in trouble. Like all week they talked up, we're going to be okay, we can get it back. But if you go back at all the teams in the finals, the eight of them, and you look at their last you know, four six, eight weeks, Carlton was the.
One that was the most vulnerable.
And so it proved when you've got the September lights on you, gee, they shine pretty brightly if if you're not up to the challenge, and they weren't. So they've got a bit of soul searching to do now. It doesn't impact on the list. The list is still quite good, but there'll be some changes to it, and they're obviously eyeing Dan Houston. It would be a really good addition to that list as well. But it's going to be a long, hot summer for the Blues, I think.
And not just the Blues. We've spent plenty of column inches talking about the travails at what do we say we say you know, we say, Casey, is that where the D's live? No, at Melbourne anyway.
Sure they're still trying to sort that out.
Yes, well yeah, that's been going on for a long time. Might be down at Corefield Racecourse, but who knows. So the D's, you know, they got the good news with Christian Petrarca. The news has come out also that that has cleared their medical team of you know, wrongdoing or negligence or anything like that. They couldn't have done anything more, which is another good.
Important It is important they won't It won't repair some of the damage. There's a bit of damage there. There's a lot of repairing to do from that. But it's a step forward. And to see him out there in the club Pilo and that on the weekend. I know it was a bit stage managed, but they still had to go. I think it's an important step forward. There's obviously, you know, a review going on with Melbourne now. We've had a few reviews in recent times having with the Demons, but and no Stephen Smith, which is interesting. I thought that was an interesting scenario.
I think I think the way that it was sold seems pretty reasonable. You know, he's come out of a long career as a partner at law firm and wanted to do some traveling. I mean it makes sense, mane, you.
Know so I mean trying to get him in at some stage.
Yeah, I would too. He seems he seems like he would be a calming influence and I know he was a wonderful president of the mc C.
He was absolutely and Brad Green gets a chance now.
I think that there was something that had to happen that needed to be changed there. You know, if you speak to some people there, Kate's done some really good things, Kate Roffy, but I don't think she was ever going to survive after the interview on radio, and maybe someone needed to make way in terms of the way forward.
They've got a lot of work to do.
I love the fact that Max Gorn says, we've got a lot of work to do.
We're going to get to work.
So I think, again, like the Blues, it'll be a long, hot summer for the Demons, well.
As long as you know they stay fit. And you've got Clayton Oliver in a preseason having missed all of last and I know, as Christian Petraka keeps getting better and maybe they can bring someone in who knows.
Well, that's it. That's the key, isn't it. Try and bring a couple of players in. And I think what they did do they found a couple of kids out of necessity in a sense, they found a couple of kids. So I don't think they're going to you know already they've fallen down the ladder, but don't think they're going to fall any further.
And putting my Demon's nuffy Demons hat on when you look at.
Goman on too absolutely gone.
I could see it here when you go to see look at the top eight and Melbourne beat four of the top eight and they lost by another three of their top eight under a goal in the season.
So it does say that everything is I mean, I think they've got to work on some things to make the harmony a little better. But I think footy wise, if they can bring a couple in, importantly, if they can get Petrarca and Oliver fit Gorn has a reasonable run through the year, I still think there are a chance to play finals next year. I don't think it's all doom and gloom for the Demons.
Thanks Macca. That makes me feel better. I'll put my hat on now, Macca, thank you again. We'll talk to you again pleasure soon.
Thanks Andy, that'll do us.
On today's Harold Sun Footy Podcast, I'm Andy BelAZ and my thanks to Glenn mcfallan for joining me today. Make sure you keep an eye out for Moneyball on Wednesday morning. Mick McGue will preview each of the finals. We'll have live coverage of both games and of course Robbos can't mistackle on Sunday night. I'll catch you next week.
