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Hawthorn has won just ten games from 28 since its 2008 premiership victory. On that stat alone, serious questions must be asked of the entire club. How can a team with so much talent and ability be underperforming so badly?
The list hasn’t changed much, so why have the Hawks taken such a major nose dive?
Admittedly, the club was cruelled by injuries last year and most put missing the finals down as an aberration. But now sitting in the bottom four with just one win for the season, the Hawks are staring down the barrel of again missing September action.
There are no excuses; Hawthorn has the personnel to be a top four team not bottom.
For my mind it all starts in the midfield and while confidence is well down, so too is motivation.
Is it time to question some player’s mental toughness? Or is Hawthorn’s midfield simply overrated?
They’ve been smashed in the tackle count, the clearances and contested footy.
Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell and Chance Bateman are all quality players but they need to do more. Only one Hawthorn player had more than 20 possessions on Saturday night, Essendon had 9.
If they can’t mentally get themselves up for a season defining match like this, they need to take a good hard look in the mirror.
It’s unbelievable to watch such a skilful team constantly turn the ball over with so many clangers.
Sam Mitchell has missed the past two matches through injury and maybe this simply exposes how important the Hawks skipper is to the team?
The club’s ruck stocks have been depleted through injury and having only Brent Renouf hasn’t helped their cause.
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But that brings me to the Hawks’ decision to recruit Shaun Burgoyne. I’m just not sure he was the right move at all.
How many players does Hawthorn already have that play a similar style? There’s no doubt Burgoyne is a gun, but with his age and serious knee problems, surely he’s a much bigger gamble than Stuart Dew ever was?
And anyway, when you consider the Hawks’ lack of a quality ruckman, I’m still bemused by the decision to chase him so vigorously. At season’s end, the question might well be asked, why didn’t we chase Darren Jolly instead?
Saturday night’s performance looked apathetic at best and Jarryd Roughead is leading the charge of Hawthorn players who appear almost uninterested.
Roughead for me has been the most disappointing player of 2010.
His set shot routine is atrocious and as a key forward paid to kick goals, I think Hawthorn fans have a right to be worried. His stuttering and awkward run up needs to be quickly fixed!
I wrote an article on The Roar earlier this year suggesting Buddy Franklin had lost his ‘mojo’ and while it has returned somewhat, the rest of the team has now completely lost it. Maybe it’s contagious?
Alastair Clarkson admitted they need to quickly rediscover their ‘mojo’ otherwise he too should not escape scrutiny, post match he suggested wielding the axe at the selection table might be the answer.
“We’re going to have to rattle the cage a little bit and try to find a group of guys that will have the confidence in one another to execute the game plan”.
Don’t worry Clarko I’m sure President Jeff Kennett will do more than rattle the cage this week. His now infamous letters to Hawthorn members via the clubs website are always honest and blunt.
But I’d be surprised if the outspoken President didn’t go even further and call the whole football department into his office for a please explain.
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