1. Are the Bombers done for 2018?
Club great Matthew Lloyd says they are. The 270-game Bomber declared the game "a final in May" before the bounce and questioned where the team was headed. "If they lose this, it's all over," Lloyd said on 3AW. "The way they've lost has concerned me. I don't know what they stand for at the moment. I don't know what their brand is." On Saturday, their "brand" was handball happy, with the players appearing desperate to avoid kicking. The result? A stagnant, painful first half where they chipped, meandered around, and frustrated the life out of the Hawks to the point where Alastair Clarkson ended up coaching from the bench. They were also smashed in the tackle count 45 to 72 despite having 44 more possessions.
2. Another third term goes begging
John Worsfold said during the week the Bombers would consider tinkering with their half-time routine, having not won a third quarter all season. Whatever they changed, if anything, didn't work. Their seven-point half-time lead was gone nine minutes in when Luke Breust kicked the Hawks' second for the quarter, and it was blown apart by three-quarter time when Tom Mitchell booted their sixth unanswered for the term – a controversial major that was paid despite the siren appearing to sound before his kick – which opened up a 31-point lead that left the Bombers with a third quarter differential of -136 points from seven games.
Jarryd Roughead has been goalless since round four but stood up with three on Saturday. It was a refreshed looking 'Roughy' who jumped at the ball and took seven marks, the most he's managed since round three. Joining him with a prolific performance after a period of scrutiny was defender James Sicily, who was the Hawks' best after missing his second game for the season through suspension last week. Sicily had 29 disposals and took 14 marks, and while he's no doubt trying to reel in his recklessness, he couldn't help but showcase his cheeky side when he offered Joe Daniher a "low five" after the embattled Bomber handed him a certain goal through a 50m penalty in the third quarter.
4. Bellchambers stands up
The Bombers didn't have many winners, but ruckman Tom Bellchambers was one. Being rested last week against Melbourne saw the ruckman emerge refreshed, and he mounted a strong first-half that featured six contested marks – half of the Bombers' total, and one more than the entire Hawthorn team had taken. The veteran was the better big man around the ground, finishing with 20 possessions to Ben McEvoy's 11 and with eight marks to three, while he also got his hand to five more hit-outs and kicked a goal.
5. But more of the same from Joe
It was his 100th career game, but the struggling Daniher remained in his form slump. It wasn't a great day for the Essendon forwards with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti continuing to look a shadow of the pressure-bringing goal-kicker he was in 2017 and Jake Stringer touching the ball 11 times for no goals. Daniher also had 11 disposals and did kick a goal, but it came in the fourth quarter when a comeback was only an outside chance. He made a few costly errors, including the 50m penalty for encroaching the mark that gave Sicily his goal, with his day summed up when an after-the-final-siren shot from 50m and fell short.
