If only they didn’t have to play Gold Coast twice, things could have been so different for the Hawks.
They end the season six points shy of the finals. Eight points were left on the table against the woeful Suns, one defeat catastrophic, the other deflating, both utterly confusing.
10-11-1 and 12th position vastly understate where Hawthorn ended the season. They were 6-3-1 after the bye, notching wins over Adelaide and Sydney, a split second away from another against the Giants.
After looking old, slow and disinterested in the season’s first month – and really, much of the first three – they looked sharp, focused and structured from the middle of June onwards. Their defence was watertight, with no opponent breaking 100 against them in the final 16 weeks after five did in the first six, and the offensive ball movement, once hopeless, tame, and merely in hope, became incisive and punishing.
They went from looking like a team that was existing only as a drunken memory of itself to one that had two determined feet firmly planted in the present. And with that present comes a suddenly bright future.
The Hawks were always destined to follow the Sydney and Geelong models of retooling instead of rebuilding. The best clubs in the AFL go for tweezers instead of sledgehammers.
Early in the season, though, it seemed like the list might be too inadequate for mere tweaking. Hawthorn, on the field, seemed like a building with not enough pillars, too unstable for a renovation to make any difference.
But then the talent surfaced. Ryan Burton emerged, Will Langford salvaged his career and Tom Mitchell transitioned from ‘good stats on a bad team guy who Nathan Buckley throws shade at while everyone quietly agrees with his assessment’ to ‘unquestionably elite midfielder’.
(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Jack Gunston was given new life in a new role floating across the defence, where his composure and precise kicking are invaluable, and Taylor Duryea also found a handy new niche as a defensive forward. Kaiden Brand and Tim O’Brien became key position pillars, and James Sicily moved from ‘possibly not anything’ to ‘definitely something’.
The list, once littered with age and questions, is now filled with what appear to be youthful answers. Tantalising young talents are present in all three phases of the game and established, still capable veterans will be able to nurse them to maturity.
If The Artist Formerly Known as Jaeger O’Meara can resurface with functional knees and Grant Birchall and Cyril Rioli can play close to a full season, this team could be scary in 2018.
Questions still, of course, abound. There is, despite the unreasonableness, a reason why Hawthorn lost to the Gold Coast twice this year. There is still a foot speed deficiency and a certain lack of athletic force, especially in the midfield.
Teams that can leverage quick-twitch power and the balance between physical dynamism and fury, especially at the stoppages, are able to burn the Hawks.
Collingwood, St Kilda, Port Adelaide and Richmond all crushed the Hawks at various times this year, their pressure too manic and rapid for Hawthorn to handle.
Despite the mid-season renaissance, the Hawks ended the year in the bottom four for contested ball and clearance differential, problems that will need to be addressed by list management.
But we’re talking about two or three players, maybe four or five. In April, Hawthorn were looking more like 13 or 14 away from being relevant again.
Relevance has already found them once more, as it always tends to. They have a rich list and the best coach in the game.
For those who like their September line-ups varied, savour the month ahead – next year an old fixture is set to feature.
Mark
Guest
Just how far is your head up your own bum?
Mark
Guest
Shut up spud. The rule was changed, get over it.
Mark
Guest
They didn't travel interstate two weeks in a row in 2015. Perth, Melbourne, Perth, Melbourne.
anon
Roar Pro
Clarko is the best in the business. No excusing poor performances by claiming to be at the beginning of a 4 year rebuild like Rossy.
Birdman
Guest
copy that
Bruce
Guest
They didn't travel 2 weeks in a row in 2015. It was Perth/MCG/Perth/MCG.
Penster
Roar Guru
Outside runners who don't have to win the hard ball are a luxury that only clubs with hard, skillful inside mids can afford. Hawks without Hodge, SMitchell & Lewis feeding out can't afford Hill or Hartung. They need another TMitchell.
Peppsy
Roar Guru
Unlike Geelong Hawthorn don't have the best player in the comp wanting to come because he happened to be born here
Peppsy
Roar Guru
If Roughead had been playing Hawthorn would've won If Ceglar had been playing Hawthorn would've won If Sicily had been playing Hawthorn would've won It was more than just lake that cost them that final
Peppsy
Roar Guru
I think buddy would be a clear loss given that they've gained.... Frawley and vickery.
Macca
Guest
Rick - One more thing "The Cats don’t do rebuilds! Drafting & trading yes, but with restraint i.e. not trading players like Henderson (who I think was our best pick up in the last 10 years so thanks for that) just to bolster your 18-20 year olds. Utter rubbish!" Given that statement how do you explain the blues not trading Gibbs "just to bolster your 18-20 year olds"? Could it be the blues showed "restraint"? Could it be that given Henderson was out of contract they couldn't keep him so they got the best deal they could for him while Gibbs being in contract the were able to play hard ball and keep him?
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Agree re how Swans, Geelong and Hawks have gone about it but how about you judge whether Bulldogs were flukey in another 5 or 6 years just like Hawthorn 2008....I recall their former president questioning the coach's abilities in 2009.
Macca
Guest
That's a whole lot of words to say absolutely nothing Rick. A couple of thigns though; " I’m not lying, go check the ladder for yourself." no one said you were lying what I did say was that if "Stats don’t often lie." my stats are as valid as yours. Perhaps your stats tell a superficial truth because of their basic nature while mine show a more complex truth? "I’m done with explaining the term rebuild" Fantastic because you clearly don't know what it means.
New York Hawk
Guest
BS - appropriate initials! What's that saying, "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". The saying doesn't keep counting as no one bothered to keep going to being four times fooled. Because that is what you are suggesting Clarko has done to the AFL world, not including a GF and prelim defeat among the four premierships. Do you also think Hodgey and Mitch are overrated, Cyril a dud and Lewis just a thug?
Clear the swamp
Guest
Overrated coach? What an ignoramus. How many flags have you won spud? Hawthorn were written off in 2013 - no one could beat Purple Power; In 2014 the Swans were flag favourites and apparently unstoppable after thrashing North in the prelim; In 2015 no one could break the Eagles Web and the old bodies of Hawthorn wouldn't stand up in the heat of the hottest GF in history; Long stretches of injuries to key players (7-10 weeks) - Mitchell, Hodge, Rioli, Gibson, Lake, Roughead, Suckling, Lake. Losing the best forward in the game to free agency; the death of Brett Ratten's son on the eve of 2015 finals; The only team to travel interstate two weeks in a row during finals and win a flag - 2015; losing key assistant coaches to the opposition each year to other clubs - Luke Beveridge, Adam Simpson, Leon Cameron, Brendan Bolton; The coach in hospital for six weeks as a result of Guillaume Barre syndrome. Winning four grand finals with three different game styles; This group and this coach doesn't need to prove anything to you. They've done the sport of football proud. On the other hand - your post wins you Tool of the Week.
PickTheWinner
Guest
Ok Clarko you got me. But please just admit that you got the decision to retire me wrong and that while you are a very good coach perhaps you aren't the super coach that walks on water that everyone makes you out to be.
Nev
Guest
GWS are playing a fat 34 year old that can't run. Poppy would be perfect in that team.
Birdman
Guest
Tony, if those NEAFL Giants could apply genuine F50 pressure and regularly hit the scoreboard, Leon would have selected them already. One of the Giants biggest issues which Poppy could address IMHO.
Birdman
Guest
is that you Lakey?
Cat
Roar Guru
Just like your prediction that Hawthorn would play finals his year ... lol