Hodgey's read on the Pies | The Leadership Portfolio with Luke Hodge (12.05.26)

Gerard Whateley· Host0:00

What's your read on the Pies right now?

Luke Hodge· Guest0:02

Um, well, I watched them last week against Hawthorn. We commentated that game, and I said, "Oh, geez, they're an efficient team." They score really well from intercepts. I think they're number one in the, in the AFL with scoring from intercepts. So when a team is working their outer position defensively, they can move the ball quickly, potently, and score against you. Um, they look a bit hesitant. They look a bit stagnant. When a team is set up, um, behind the ball, they sh- really struggle to score. Um, on the flip side, they, they let teams transition and kick against them. They've had 60 scores against them the last two games. They were lucky that Hawthorn were, uh, inaccurate in front of goal last week. I think it was 13-15. Um, and then on the weekend, the Cats obviously dismantled them. My concern for them is still their be- [chuckles] their best two players, one will get tagged, as we saw on the weekend, who I rate in the top couple in the competition, who Marn did an amazing job on him, Dakos. Put him under pressure, turned the ball over. Um, people will have a go at Dakos about that. He's getting someone hanging off him. Um, can understand why he made some of those mistakes, and he's human. He's allowed to do that. Uh, on the flip side, the second-best player [chuckles] is a 38-year-old. Um, he's been in the top couple of their highest rating the last two games that he's played. Um, if he played against Hawthorn in that drawn game, I reckon they probably... He, he does enough to get them over the line. So I think that's their, their, their biggest issue for me, is the two guys. One's a young up-and-comer who's gonna get tagged the whole time. The next one is a bloke who has played in the first three games, averaged about 50% game