Hawks in ruins, a victim of hubris

Hawthorn is in a terrible state. It has absolutely been on their own terms and in some ways absolutely deserved.

Let’s be clear first though. The Hawks scaled the heights in a way that few teams in the history of the game have. Four premierships in eight years. Three in a row from 2013-15. It was a stunning achievement in a competition where the rules dictate equalisation, even if the top sides during the inception of Gold Coast and GWS got a free kick at that time.

Hawthorn were always more than the sum of their parts during their dominant era in a way that comparable teams like Geelong and Brisbane probably weren’t.

Yes, they had some top-end stars like Lance Franklin, Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Cyril Rioli and Brian Lake, each one capable of something unique in their skill set. You can probably add Josh Gibson to that list.

But they also had a number of players that were made to look better than they were, that were overrated as individuals at the time. And these players were proven to be no more than bog average without the stars holding them up.

And that’s okay. Football is a team game, and a premiership is the ultimate success. On that front the Hawks delivered in spades. It’s why Alastair Clarkson is held in the highest esteem.

But that’s in the past.

The decisions made to cast off superstars that had given decades of loyalty, particularly former captains that had set the tone and culture of the club, while seen at the time to be bold and courageous acts were actually a culture killer and one of the greatest acts of hubris in the AFL this century.

Whether it was Clarkson himself, the football department or behind-the-scenes powerbrokers, whoever drove the decisions to move on Hodge, Mitchell and Jordan Lewis as well as to try to offload Jarryd Roughead while they still had good football in them was in love with the genius of Clarkson more than they were with the fabric of the team or club.

And fancy saying it was done to benefit the individuals in question, advancing their careers or allowing them to make more money elsewhere. It was disrespectful enough, let alone with the ridiculous spin.

Alastair Clarkson (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

No, it was done to try and bring in big-name recruits who have mostly put in small-time performances. It was done to keep the Hawks in contention. It was done because they overrated the support players and Clarkson’s ability to turn shit into strawberry jam.

And as a consequence it’s deep, dark midnight for Hawthorn.

Tom Mitchell has won a Brownlow and broken a leg, so it’s hard to have a crack. Jaeger O’Meara has been dogged by injury that probably prevents him from being more than a solid AFL footballer, but the Hawks knew what they were getting.

The question is: is there an element of individual over team with both players? Sydney were happy to let Mitchell go despite his undoubted talent for finding the ball. It was absolutely telling that neither was appointed captain for 2021, with rising 32-year-old Ben McEvoy the preferred option. Actions speak louder than words.

Tyrone Vickery. Ouch. Tom Scully was anonymous. Chad Wingard not much better if we’re being really honest, a shadow of his Port Adelaide self. Since leaving GWS it has become clear Jon Patton is not a man for the modern game.

At least Sam Frost gives everything, albeit sometimes to the team’s detriment. Jack Scrimshaw can kick the ball but won’t be confused with Glenn Archer anytime soon. They would be worse without Jarman Impey this season. Someone was going to take Tom Phillips, and he fits the Clarkson mould. Kyle Hartigan.

If you asked Siri to name a collection of uninspiring footballers over the last five years, there’s a chance that many of these would be part of her answer.

Geelong found the balance with Tom Harley and Cameron Ling retiring as premiership captains. Joel Selwood has been skipper ever since, leading the Cats to perennial contention, and will take his last breath as a footballer in a Geelong jumper. That’s how you treat leaders who have led you to the ultimate success.

Would anyone bet good money on Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt or Dustin Martin playing at another club after their Richmond days are over? Alex Rance is retired as a Tigers player only.

Nope. Hawthorn is in ruins barely half a decade after a storied triple premiership, and it can be traced back to the calculated and remorseless actions that started towards the end of 2016. If there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, it can only be an oncoming train.

Will Clarkson be the man to take the Hawks forward? How will the succession plan with Sam Mitchell take place? If Collingwood makes the only decision it can and removes Nathan Buckley, there’s a seamless transition that could take place for both men. It feels right.

Hawthorn needs to reset and rebound from the decay they find themselves in. Perhaps the only way to do it is to move on from the man that first built them up and then tore them down.