Questions are again being asked about Hawthorn’s small forward after the thrilling battle against Gold Coast on Thursday night in Darwin.

Hawthorn narrowly lost the high-quality encounter by just eight points, but it was through no fault of the Hawks’ lively sharpshooters who did their best to keep the team alive.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jack Ginnivan gets high free kick.

Nick Watson slotted three goals, Jack Ginnivan kicked two from 22 disposals, and Dylan Moore also hit the scoreboard from his 17 touches, four marks and five tackles.

But troubling fans and commentators alike, and also rival players for that matter, is how the three players attempt to earn high free kicks from umpires.

SEN commentator and North Melbourne champion David King said it was “the biggest talking point” from the game, and Channel 7 expert and Port legend Kane Cornes agreed.

“I think it’s an issue for them,” Cornes said.

In 2024 Hawthorn was a clear clubhouse leader from free kicks from high tackles inside their forward 50. And they are again leading the pack in this stat this year, with 15 frees for the same offence in the forward line.

In last night’s game, one particular free kick in the last quarter stirred up fans, when Ginnivan collapsed his knees and slid down in the tackle. He slotted a goal from the dubious free kick.

Cornes doesn’t like the tactic and says something needs to be done about it for the benefit of the game and the players who drop their knees.

“I said this during the call (last night), I think Nick Watson’s first contest that he went to, before he had even gathered the ball he was looking to lower his sense of gravity and win a free kick,” Cornes said

“His first thought is not, ‘I’m going to gather this ball and distribute it or try to have a shot myself’, it’s, ‘how can I win a free kick?’.

“That’s the first thought ... But the Ginnivan free kick that he won and kicked a goal from is not a free kick.

“We’ve all seen the video (about the rule). Go watch it again.

“He’s lowered his centre of gravity and the umpire has been sucked in to that.

“And then in a critical stage late (in the game), once again Nick Watson is trying to win a free kick. That is their first thought.

“I think Dylan Moore’s first thought is to win the football and, if the tackle goes high, then he’ll take it.

“I think Dylan Moore is different to Ginnivan and Watson.”

But King believed Moore was also guilty of the same strategy.

“They’ve had 15 high free kicks in the forward 50 this year,” King said.

“They were No.1 last year. The competition average is about half of that.

“You’ve got work out whether you think this is a strength area and an asset that they’re maximising by challenging the tackler to get it right, which I’m just slightly in this bracket ... (but) it just annoys the opposition fans, it really does.

“It challenges umpires to get it correct as well.

“The thing what annoys me most though is when they don’t draw the high (free). It has to be a free kick the other way, because that’s your prior opportunity.

“They’ve tried to draw the free kick and failed. They’ve been tackled, pay the free kick. Too often they don’t.”

Cornes and King wondered whether it was time the AFL took action and adjusted the rule.

“As soon as you duck into the tackle, automatic, it has to be your prior,” Cornes said.

“I’d go as far as to say it should be a free kick against for ducking into the tackle because of how dangerous it is.

“It’s an issue, it’s a really difficult one for the umpires because when they’re running at full speed, it looks violent, it looks like you get them high and your automatic instinct is to blow the whistle.

“But I think it’s starting to affect some of their contests which then it becomes a problem.”

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has also said - ahead of the clash with Hawthorn - that slipping in tackles was a problem with the game.

It’s also a problem for the AFL who are trying to stamp out head trauma and concussion.

“But leading with the head in a tackling situation, if we didn’t reward that with a free kick, do you think players would stop this immediately?” King asked.

Cornes was unsure, though, if that change would stop players from doing it.

“I don’t know because we’ve had high tackles for so long,” he said.

“Some of them are just genuinely high tackles. Nick Watson is hard to tackle. He’s 170 centimetres.

“It’s a real challenge for the game, I think.”

Last year Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw spoke about the issue and said something had to be done.

“Lots has been made of these examples of high free kicks with these Hawthorn small forwards,” Brayshaw said on Channel 7.

“I think I’ve made my opinion on it pretty clear ... but for me this is such an easy fix.

“If you decide to lower your body and drive with your head ... you sag, there’s your prior (opportunity) gone ... Holding the ball against.”