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What can we say about Hawthorn that hasn’t already been said? Especially in the wake of their grand final demolition of Sydney, the most emphatic exclamation mark on back-to-back premierships.
As we approach the new season, many pundits have looked to the last match in 2014 to tear Sydney down a peg or two for the areas where they were found wanting.
Perhaps it is better to simply applaud a Hawthorn performance of peak footballing perfection, rivalling and perhaps bettering Geelong’s 119-point grand final victory against Port in 2007.
Check out the rest of Rosey’s AFL preview series here.
The Hawks may well have beaten the All-Australian side with the way they played that day, so we can cut Sydney some slack.
Let’s have a look at the side Hawthorn will attack 2015 with.
B: J.Frawley, B.Lake, M.Suckling
HB: S.Burgoyne, J.Gibson, G.Birchall
C: I.Smith, S.Mitchell, L.Hodge
HF: C.Rioli, J.Roughead, B.Hill
F: D.Hale, J.Gunston, L.Breust
Foll: B.McEvoy, J.Lewis, L.Shiels
Int: P.Puopolo, B.Stratton, J.Anderson, W.Langford
Em: M.Spangher, B.Whitecross, J.Simpkin
The scary proposition for opposition clubs and fans is that Hawthorn has lost not a single player from grand final day. Not only that, but they’ve added to their group by picking the eyes out of weaker clubs to siphon out James Frawley from Melbourne and Jono O’Rourke from Greater Western Sydney.
They’ll also add exciting young talent Jed Anderson to their best side, and Brendan Whitecross will make his way in at some point too. Neither played a senior match last year.
The Hawthorn old firm is spectacular in their steadiness.
Luke Hodge is the heartbeat of the side, both nominal and spiritual leader with courage to burn and a laser left foot. Jordan Lewis took a step into the AFL elite in the back half of last year, mixing hardness and skill with unrelenting running and a thirst for possession.
Sam Mitchell is possibly the smartest footballer in the league and continues to win the ball and distribute it by either hand and both feet with class and poise. Despite making his name as an extractor, he is lethal as a free-running linkman between the arcs.
Shaun Burgoyne continues to impress, lifting in the big moments when required, seeing options with ball in hand that few others do, and being able to deliver to them. Grant Birchall links out of the backline with reliability, always picking the perfect moment to leave his man and find space to provide an option.
Josh Gibson is the best third man up in the league down back, and is getting more and more of the ball as each season passes.
Jarryd Roughead is arguably the most complete big man in the AFL, a formidable presence to be negated inside 50, but equally capable of pushing up the ground as a leading target, and even winning his share of clearances when thrown into the middle as a big ruck-rover.
The above mentioned players have all played a lot of football together, several going back many years, and they continue to maintain and improve to a higher standard, both individually and implementing what Clarkson wants from the team.
Brian Lake and David Hale are other experienced hands that still have a role to play. Lake showed signs of struggle in an injury and suspension interrupted 2014 campaign, but is still a big game player.
Hale has provided more than many expected as a ruck-forward over the last four years, but may get squeezed out by the Ben McEvoy-Jonathon Ceglar combination this year. It’s a strong position to be in when he’s playing VFL.
There’s no shortage of class in the middle and younger band either.
Three 26-year-olds play important roles across the ground – Isaac Smith combines exhaustive run with bursts of pace, and is ever-damaging on the outside. Matt Suckling is probably the best mid and long-range kick of the football in a team full of elite ball users. Ben Stratton performs the lock-down roles down back.
Of the younger brigade, Brad Hill makes the game look easy and will continue to get better, but is already of critical importance to the Hawks with his speed and incisive kicking. Liam Shiels is the most unassuming player in the team, and is tracking brilliantly, having greater impact in the midfield as generational change takes place.
Jack Gunston and Luke Breust have averaged almost 100 goals a season between them over the last three, and neither has reached a ceiling yet, having more influence in front of goal and in general play as each year passes.
Of course, the x-factor that is the cherry on top of all this flexibility and class is none other than Cyril Rioli, the magic man who forces opposition mistakes just by being in the vicinity, can seemingly scythe through four opponents while almost standing still, and can turn a game with one deft touch.
Add to this guys like Will Langford, who polled in the Norm Smith medal last time we saw him, Paul Puopolo, the role-playing pressure specialist, and Matt Spangher, Taylor Duryea, Jonathan Simpkin, premiership players all.
There is no more finely honed team in the league, a point reinforced by the Hawks not missing a beat when Alastair Clarkson was absent from the coaches box for over a month in 2014.
A key part of their success is the great anticipation they show out on the field, swarming like angry bees all over the ground.
How often do Hawthorn have a man 20 metres in space switching in the back pocket, who then finds a man 40 metres in space at halfback? And down the ground they go, loose men everywhere.
Yes, they can move the ball with dazzling speed, but only because the 18 men on the ground at any given moment never switch off. They understand that every individual is always in the game, regardless of how far away the ball is.
Selflessness is another trademark of the Hawks, as is relentlessness and professionalism. All three will be required to win a third premiership in a row, and all three will be delivered again.
Hawthorn has enough quality, experience and depth on the field to finish at the top end of the ladder and contend once more. Will they then go on and become three-peat immortals? Only time will tell.
Predicted ladder spread: first-fourth
Predicted finish: first
Rosey’s ladder
1st – Hawthorn
2nd – Port Adelaide
3rd – Sydney
4th – North Melbourne
5th – Fremantle
6th – Gold Coast
7th – Geelong
8th – Richmond
9th – Essendon
10th – Brisbane
11th – Adelaide
12th – Collingwood
13th – Greater Western Sydney
14th – West Coast
15th – Carlton
16th – Melbourne
17th – Western Bulldogs
18th – St Kilda