We all acknowledge what an offensive beast Hawthorn has been during the club’s premiership three-peat. But this year’s premiership was built on a foundation of superb team defence on grand final day.
The 2014 defeat of Sydney to win the flag was the result of fierce, brutal pressure, and precise, skilful ball movement. It was the best display of pure football we saw all year. That day was very much about the Hawks, and how superior they were with ball in hand.
Saturday’s grand final wasn’t a great game. It was more about West Coast’s ineptitude than it was about Hawthorn’s obvious brilliance. But it did show off how complete and balanced the Hawks are as a football team under Alastair Clarkson.
The best sides get the game played on their terms, and are able to run in waves when controlling the ball. We saw the Hawks use the full width of the MCG with their ball movement, frequently hitting up a man right on the boundary in an attempt to draw out the Eagles’ defensive web.
They are the masters of handballing the ball backwards from a pack situation, and then moving the ball laterally across the ground, freeing up a loose man in the process, and then cutting the opposition up with elite kicking skills going forward.
But Hawthorn’s defensive prowess and system is underrated. It won them this grand final. They also conceded the fewest points of any side this year across the home-and-away rounds.
West Coast couldn’t create any run in the grand final. More than even their calamitous errors, this was the key component of why they couldn’t get into the game, or stay in it.
The Hawks crowded the Eagles for space whenever they had the ball, particularly in the first half when the match was decided. Hawthorn were able to deny West Coast any lateral movement, shutting down that avenue. They also cut off any options through the middle, through smart positioning.
The Eagles were forced to kick it slow, long and high down the line, allowing the likes of Brian Lake, James Frawley and Josh Gibson to influence every contest. Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling had little to no influence. Callum Sinclair had even less.
But the way West Coast brought the ball forward was a nightmare for key forwards, and a dream for key backs, thanks to the Hawks’ superior all-ground defence.
The suffocating pressure that denied West Coast any fluency had a cumulative effect on the already existing nerves of a young side in their first grand final. Whatever dash and dare the Eagles runners would like to have played with was quickly shaken from them.
Hawthorn have effectively been the best side in the competition over the last four years. Premierships are hard to win even when that is the case, so three flags is a more than satisfactory return.
Alastair Clarkson is the Australian rules football coaching genius of his time. And given the complicated way football is played these days, he may well be the coaching genius of any time.
Offence and defence have a symbiotic relationship in any premiership winning side. Hawthorn have shown us the perfect balance.
Frank R
Roar Rookie
Who would know. But Hodge would have been playing in the drawn GF for the Saints instead of Ball. I know who of these two I would rather have in my GF team. Maybe Saints would have had a premiership???? Anyway - hypothetical as Hawks took Hodge at 1 and I'm guessing with no regrets.
andyl12
Guest
If WCE had balls they'd invite 8 more teams to join the market in their city and see how they compete. They'd also play home games in another state. And they'd lobby the WA government to build a 100K+ stadium so they'd be able to lobby for the GF to be played there.
DeanM
Guest
I wouldn't say on the cheap, Freo got burnt hard in that deal although they could not have predicted what would occur many years later. Hawks traded McPharlin and Croad, (Croad who they later got back cheaply) In exchange the Hawks got pick 1 Luke Hodge Pick 20 odd can't remember what they did with that and pick 36 Sam Mitchell. Just a couple of scrubs that could possibly end up in the Hawks team of the century. So we should be very thankful to poor old Freo.
DeanM
Guest
Voila 3 Peat you should have said. Hawks will probably towel up another interstate team next year and then they will be formally known as Fourthorn!
DeanM
Guest
Hawks forwards are also quite handy running up through the midfield. I guess they would just got up the ground and get it done themselves.
DeanM
Guest
Good point, that's exactly why the Hawks were 10 goals up on Westcoast before allowing them junk time goals. Sydney would have the same claim also. The MCG cost them 10 goals also. Let's not forget that West Coast wouldn't have even been there if not for the 12 genuine home games they get each year also on a ground that teams interstate of WA are lucky to play on 1 game per year.
DeanM
Guest
Perpetual wealth and a consistent supporter base that will fill the stadium regardless of teams form is not doing it harder than all but 1 team. Any of the poor Victorian teams have it much harder due to that weak financial base behind them. Hawks were 1 of those poor teams and through sheer hard work and having the right people make decisions have built themselves into an on and off field success.
slane
Guest
You've had it so much harder but you get twice as many home games as the Victorian teams. How does that work?
jax
Guest
How good would those forwards look with poor delivery into the forward line?
jax
Guest
WC has rarely called out for more equalisation measures even though they have had it harder than every team except Freo. WC just gets on with it as they have been since 1987 and yet we are still one of the best clubs in the land, not bad for fast-track bullies. If the Hawks had balls they'd have played the GF at Subi. WC did finish higher after all. I will assume that your baiting.
jax
Guest
Nobody seems to mention that the Hawks won all three GF's on their home deck against interstate clubs.
jax
Guest
"It was more about West Coast’s ineptitude than it was about Hawthorn’s obvious brilliance." "But the way West Coast brought the ball forward was a nightmare for key forwards, and a dream for key backs" That sums it up perfectly. Add in the home ground advantage and the experience differential and voila.
johno
Guest
How? The Swans picked up arguably one of the best juniors in Isaac Heeny. In fact they took a lot of draft picks from their academy.
johno
Guest
Big difference between Judd and the teams he played for and Hodge If Hodge had gone to the Saints and Ball to the Hawks would the Hawks and Saints fortunes been different? Big call.
johno
Guest
He was drafted and not traded. I'm talking about trades here
Frank R
Roar Rookie
I am a bit concerned with letting Lake go. However I have piece of mind in the knowledge that the decision makers at the Hawks get most things right most of the time.
Tricky
Guest
What about Mundy?
DeanM
Guest
I don't agree with that. If COLA wasn't such a joke along with the cheap academy picks maybe I would agree. If COLA was legitimate and not just extra cash to purchase success it would be on a scale from all the different locations across the whole of Australia. Cost of living is different between Melbourne, Adelaide, WA, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney and from my understanding it was only the Sydney teams that received it. Melbourne is more expensive than Adelaide. Perth is more expensive than Melbourne. If it wasn't just a blatant attempt to purchase success it would be scaled.
DeanM
Guest
Any of the Hawks forwards would be a walk up start for Freo, they would probably take them all and send their own to the reserves.
Frank R
Roar Rookie
It's a no brainer - Judd v Hodge. The only test is what has each player brought to their club. Hodge wins hands down. 4 premierships 3 as captain. And he is still playing.