Sorry Hawthorn, but you’re going to have to explain this one.
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.
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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?”
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.
