To date, without doubt, Hawthorn has been the AFL’s most impressive performer this year.
Prior to the season getting underway the general consensus from the experts around the country was that Fremantle and Sydney were the likely grand finalists.
Hawthorn was on the third line of betting with many.
One of the big question marks over the Hawks was how they would function post-Buddy.
The loss of Lance Franklin to Sydney shaped as a problem for Alistair Clarkson’s side up forward.
The super-talented left-footer had kicked 580 goals in nine seasons in the brown and gold.
Just what sort of dilution would the Hawks suffer on the scoreboard?
Very little.
After 17 rounds this season Hawthorn is averaging 111 points per game.
Last season at the same point the Hawks averaged 118, just seven points higher.
Last season at this point the club’s percentage was 141, compared with 138 this year.
In Franklin’s absence the goal kicking load has been shared primarily by three players – Luke Breust (45), Jarryd Roughead (44) and Jack Gunston (41).
At times during Buddy’s stint at the Hawks there was a feeling that they were a little too one-dimensional.
That reliance changed last season when Roughead became more of the go-to-man.
It may have been a case of Clarkson looking to the future with the knowledge that Franklin was likely to leave through free agency.
Nonetheless, losing a player of his ability would be seen as a blow to any club.
But the loss of Buddy was only one of the serious issues that Hawthorn has faced this season.
The other has been injuries, with many of them ruling out key players for extended periods.
Sam Mitchell, a four-time best and fairest and an All-Australian last season, has been sidelined for eight weeks this year. His ability at stoppages has been one of the primary weapons in Clarkson’s armoury in recent seasons.
The reigning best and fairest, Josh Gibson has, like Mitchell, played just nine games. Since joining the club from North Melbourne in 2010 he has been a linchpin in defence.
His ability to play on opponents of varying sizes has provided Clarkson with much-needed flexibility down back.
Brian Lake, the Norm Smith medallist in last year’s grand final win, has spent more time in rehab than he has on the ground.
Restricted to just five games through injury and suspension, the loss of his experience in the last line of defence has required some deft handling.
Brad Sewell has also missed a lot of football – ten games in total – with his running ability and ball use sadly missed.
Talisman Cyril Rioli has once again been plagued by hamstring problems.
He has missed six weeks and is not going to be back in the near future.
A dynamic small forward, he has been a match-winner on numerous occasions – not just through his goal kicking prowess but also his strong defensive tackling and chasing.
In the aftermath of last year’s premiership Max Bailey decided to retire.
The big fella had battled several knee reconstructions and after just 43 games he chose to go out on a high.
In an effort to bolster their depleted ruck stocks the Hawks recruited Ben McEvoy from St Kilda.
The plan was for him to shoulder the bulk of the ruck duties this season, however the football gods had other ideas.
In his first season with his new club injury has restricted him to just nine games.
An injury toll like the one Hawthorn has endured this year would prove fatal for many sides yet the team sits second on the ladder, just 0.8 per cent behind Sydney – the team it beat in stirring fashion last weekend.
Somehow the club has found a way to paper over the cracks this season.
Their performance has been testament to the quality of the coaching staff – and even there there have been issues.
Clarkson was sidelined for five weeks due to illness with Brendan Bolton having to step-up in his absence mid-season.
As good as Sydney has been this season it is hard to go past the Hawks.
At present the bookmakers have the Swans at $3.00 favourites to take out the flag.
Hawthorn is next in line at $3.50 followed by Fremantle ($5.00) and Geelong ($7.00).
Should the Hawks injury woes be largely behind them come September they will be a formidable force.
And win, lose or draw the club will have performed incredibly well given the problems that have beset it this season.
Brian
Guest
Taking the fringe players out of it I would gladly swap Gibson for McGlynn Lake for McPharlin Burgoyne for Kennedy Gunston for Franklin The rest Simpkin, Cheney, Spangher, McEvoy are basically fringe players. McEvoy will hopefully steup up from that soon.
Don Freo
Guest
Headline: Critics and Freo Singing From The Same Hymn Sheet Rubric: Gene, Michael and Macca all concede that Don, Johno and Balt'z were on the money. Lead: Despite TV and radio commentators suggesting that Carlton was the better side and that Freo's season was in tatters, Roarers have rallied behind the Dockers talismen and point to the fact that Freo won three of the four quarters. Freo's stoic achievement was in the face of 4 players and 3 umpires mauling genial Docker, Ryan Crowley, a strained Zimbabwean hamstring and a captain who has taken the lead in the AFL concussion count. Roarers are recognising that the game has replicated the AFL season where the Dockers won the first 2 quarters of the season, dropped the 3rd quarter under the weight of injury and unfairness and Roarers are beginning to acknowledge that the 4th quarter of the season is likely, also, to replicate Freo's barnstorming, Nathan Fyfe led and Stephen Hill/Hayden Ballantyne supported last quarter. Hawthorn and Sydney hopes were represented last night by a faltering Ed Curnow, whose first 3 quarters were strong ( despite a few glaring errors...his 50m penalty to Hill was like Sydney's loss to GWS) but his last quarter ran out of puff and just sat down. The story goes on...
johno
Guest
I'd read it and agree with all the points you make. Nominating it for a Walkley already!
Don Freo
Guest
Can't work out what you're saying here Penster.
Don Freo
Guest
The AFL season is full of results that are completely different the second time around. GWS beat Sydney...next time they didn't. That scenario happens more often than not. Look at NM. Look at Carlton. Look at Geelong. Do you think they are going to lose by 100points to a fellow contender again? You don't need me to name games that provide the basis of my expectation. You can see that by looking at the volatile nature of this season's results. See for yourself. There are records available everywhere. Get Macca to show you...or Gene. The boring aspect of posts here are when people quote stats that are readily available and footy fans, like those of us on The Roar, already know them. We don't need them repeated. What is interesting to me is what someone expects and why. You can't prove it, you state it, think it, hope it. If you don't know the reasoning behind my optimism for Freo, you haven't visited this site much. Just search 'Freo' and you'll see my suppositions and arguments. You'll love 'em...and probably start wearing purple.
Cat
Roar Guru
Lake, Burgoyne, Petrie, Hale, Simpkin, Gibson, Gunston, Cheney, Spangher, McEvoy, I'd say Hawthorn have scored more than they've lost.
Jim
Guest
Fine to say that Don, but how about some reasonable evidence/arguments/suppositions to support that?
Penster
Guest
Junior became a missionary doing God's work on the Godless Coast, he and his manager didn't approach the team that defeated them in the grand final the following day and lie through his teeth all year or be too busy with personal commitments to attend his own club's best and fairest night shortly after announcing the defection. Did he. That's why he gets booed.
Cat
Roar Guru
Not complaining it wasn't hard enough, it in the ballpark of what a premier should expect. Was just making the point to the OP that pointing out a difficult fixture for the reigning premiers is kind of silly.
Don Freo
Guest
Its interesting that the only top four side to win in Round 19 so far is Freo. Perhaps I ought to write an article about how they are now the form team and the premiership is settled.
New York Hawk
Guest
It is very difficult for it to be the hardest Gene, if judged by prior year rankings, as they never play thereigning premier.
New York Hawk
Guest
Let's not get too far ahead of oursleves with bold, absolute statements like "there is no doubt we are the best" etc. We are excellent, but so too are others, eg Geelong, Sydney, Freo, even Port, certainly Collingwood. Perspective, please.
Shouts Chen
Guest
The Hawthorn has had a very good year this year in AFL despite losing to the Port, Cats, Roos and Swans this year. I think the Hawks are doing very well this year without the mighty Buddy Franklin who is currently playing for the Sydney Team. I feel that the Hawks can win a few games and can finish them on top. Jack Gunston, Jon Simpkin, Cyril Rioli, Paul Puopolo have been good players since 2012.
New York Hawk
Guest
Interesting article but there is no team of the year yet. And since when did making a prelim become the condition of being team of the year? Any Hawks supporter wouldn't expect to be the team of the year unless we won the flag. So we were the team of the year last year, not the Swannies. They were the team of 2012. And no one will care, nor remember, who had injuries in a given season 5 seconds after the final siren in the GF sounds. And as for 2013, the Swannies may have made a prelim, but they were thumped to within an inch of their life in that prelim, as they were in the Qualifying Final. They were making up numbers at best. That is how I remember 2013, as should anyone who watched the 2013 finals (exception being Swannies supporters).
EddyJ
Guest
Hawthorn the team of the year? I didn't realise the premiership was handed out in July. I understand the article has been written for speculation, but you've got to try better than this. Let's look at the 'team of the year' over the past decade. Hawthorn in 2012, Collingwood in 2011, St Kilda in 2009, Geelong in 2008, West Coast in 2005 – yes, we could go further. Essendon in 1999, West Coast in 1991, Collingwood in 1966, 1970, 1973 or 1977 (sorry, I just had to put that in). These were all very good teams, but their names are nowhere near the premiership cup for those respective years. The team of the year, and rightly so, is the team that wins the grand final match. Yes, Hawthorn won match against the Swans last Saturday night, but that's all it means – a win in Round 18, and a small psychological advantage in September, if the two teams meet again. The Swans had a few of their usual performers down on contribution – was it the pressure from Hawthorn, or just that they were due for a bad night? I still think the Swans are favoured to win the premiership this year but, any team from the top four can win, depending on circumstances between now and the last day in September. Fremantle were not very impressive in their 5-point win over Carlton tonight. Sure, winning is better than losing, but they better pull up their socks soon, otherwise they'll drop out of contention.
AB
Guest
As a Hawthorn supporter, I really wish people would stop talking up Hawthorn. We all know it's a great club, we all know it's a great team. But they're nothing better than a one-in-three chance to win the flag this year. That's the way footy is.
Brian
Guest
Despite the popular myth that Hawthorn has taken players from other clubs that list is hardly better then the former Hawks going around elsewhere Franklin, Kennedy, McGlynn, McPharlin, Lisle, Gilham, Murphy, Savage..
andyl12
Guest
Natalie- the academy is something the Swans believe should be available to them exclusively and not to clubs from any other state. Because they believe no youngster from any other state would want to come to Sydney, despite the harbour, the beaches and everything else. How anyone on a footballer's salary could struggle to pay rent in Sydney is beyond me. People rent in Bondi on the minimum wage.
Malahka
Guest
Hawks have been impressive. So have swans, freo and north on patches. Best team maybe, maybe not. Doesn't give them a 3 goal start first week of finals tho and it all will depend on ladder positions and travelling or not.
Elizabeth A
Guest
Oh how I wish I could propose a convincing argument to refute yours. The Hawks are the real deal again this year and only Sydney looks to have the smarts to beat them if it comes to the crunch in September. Having said that a totally alert and armed Cats team could just topple the Hawks, but that would mean Stevie J and Jimmy in top form and Stokes and Varcoe at their best. I hold hope for the Cats but maybe undying loyalty gets in the way of clear judgement.