Hawthorn’s noodle bench sign leaves the AFL world baffled

AFL teams try and hide their tactics from rivals but on Monday afternoon one club left fans stumped with a peculiar message.

Hawks sign baffles AFL world

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has explained the bizarre sign which caught the eye of the AFL world on Monday.

Signs being held up at the interchange gates is nothing new with teams flashing colours, clocks and other signs to try and get a message out to their troops.

Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Teams do their best to code their messages so rivals can’t decipher them and pick apart any potential game plan changes.

On Monday however the Hawks took the signage mindgames to baffling levels.

In their hotly contested Easter Monday showdown against Geelong, the sign left fans and commentators scratching their heads when it was displayed minutes before halftime.

Displayed on the cardboard was a bowl of noodles with chopsticks hanging above with a noodle dangling.

Instant bemusement took over the commentary box with Brian Taylor and Luke Hodge having absolutely no idea what it meant.

“I’ve seen some signs this year, but chopsticks and noodles beats them all,” Taylor said on Channel 7’s coverage.

“I’ve got no idea,” Hodge added.

They weren’t alone with the official AFL account tweeting: “Any ideas what this sign means?” while Channel 7’s AFL account tweeted in a similar vein with: “What could this sign mean?”

Ok this is the final straw. Just put the countdown clock on at the ground. 🤦🏼‍♂️ #AFLCatsHawkspic.twitter.com/8grjBv9pVG

— Mikey Mkoka-Nicholson (@Mikey_Nicholson) April 10, 2023

Speaking on AFL 360 on Monday night, Mitchell explained it was a request for players to play a wet weather style of footy.

“Every club has got these signs that we use, and we’ve got a style of play that we go to. We talked to the players and they gave that style of play a name, and they called it noodles, so we asked someone to put the noodles sign up,” he said at first on Fox Footy.

“Johnny Cavarra who puts that sign up, he’s always disappointed because he gets a bit of a ribbing from all his mates when they put it up.

“We might have to give it a change if you guys keep running it.”

But Mitchell then spilled the beans: “We’ve got a radio sign and a noodles sign and they’re just different modes of play.

“It started raining around that time so it was just a wet weather style of footy sign. We could put up ‘wet weather’ but then everyone obviously knows what it is - though they’re gonna know it now I’ve just said it, so we’re gonna have to change it.”

Hot and wet?
Fast footy?
Wet and slippery?

The bench steward's lunch order?#AFLCatsHawkspic.twitter.com/BB6I8mcnA5

— Damo (@DamoSC) April 10, 2023

Fans speculated over what the sign could possibly mean with differing opinions being thrown around.

Many believed the sign was referencing two minute noodles and trying to tell the team how long was left in the quarter. Unfortunately there was well over six minutes on the clock.

Others believed the reference was correct but it instead meant to hold the ball and slow the game down for two minutes.

Some simply believed it was the club passing along what was going to be on the menu for the players when they went into the rooms at halftime.

Hawthorn burst out of the blocks against the Cats, kicking the opening three goals of the contest to put the reigning premiers on the backfoot.

In what has been a nightmare start to the 2023 season, the Cats are yet to taste victory having lost their opening three games.

Things look to be heading in an even worse direction against the second-last placed Hawks as they trail by nine-points at halftime.

Star forward Jeremy Cameron is playing a lone role for the Cats with three of the teams four goals in the first half.

Hawthorn are picking the Cats apart through the middle of the ground by dominating clearances, holding a 20-10 advantage.

Originally published as Hawthorn’s noodle bench sign leaves the AFL world baffled