Hawthorn players admit to ‘stat-padding' in brutal player-led meeting

7NEWS

2 days ago

Injured Hawthorn midfielder Will Day took charge of a players only meeting to dissect the shocking loss to Collingwood last Friday night.
7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary revealed Day delivered a 'scathing assessment' of what he saw from the stands during last week's capitulation.
The 51-point loss to the Pies was Hawthorn's third in a row and has the one-time premiership favourites suddenly in danger of dropping out of the top eight altogether.
In the meeting, that was observed by coach Sam Mitchell, the players nominated 'stat-padding' and 'self-centred approach' as things they were doing that they don't love.
'Some home truths delivered in what the hawks hope is a line in the sand to turn their season around after three straight losses,' Cleary explained
'Players asked to nominate what is and isn't working in two columns.
'Under what we're doing that we don't love, suggestions included: Stat-padding disposals and a self-centred approach or lack of team first focus.
'And then what we love that we're not doing, players said they need to bring more energy and to celebrate everything — including one-percenters like smothers and defensive efforts.'
Mitchell said the 'robust' meeting was not out of the ordinary.
'The thing about Will is, he is injured at the moment, he's got as much passion and as much care for us to have success,' Mitchell said on The Agenda Setters.
'He doesn't have the self consciousness and the fatigue of actually going and playing all the time. He's probably the one who's got a bit more time to watch the vision and drive a bit of standards.
'Every club every week has got players talking about what they like and what they don't like in the game. The fact that it's driven by our players I think is much better than if it's driven by us.
'Of course (it was robust), but if you asked me at the start of the season when we were 4-0 if the review was robust then I'd say yes.'
After starting the season with four straight wins, the Hawks were quickly installed as premiership favourites.
They were entrenched in the top four with a 7-2 win-loss record after Round 9, but their season is now in freefall.
The Hawks lost to Gold Coast in Darwin before being comprehensively outplayed by Brisbane and then Collingwood at the MCG.
The past two losses were of particular concern for Sam Mitchell given they were smashed in the tackle count (38-82 against the Pies and 36-59 against the Lions).
They now face blockbuster clashes against the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide in desperate need of a win to get their season back on track.
But they will head into the next two matches without captain James Sicily.
The club confirmed 7NEWS.com.au's earlier report that he will be sidelined with an abdominal/hip injury.