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Hawthorn’s next premiership defence is already here

23rd June, 2021
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Roar Rookie
23rd June, 2021
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Defence wins premierships. At times this can be a throwaway line, but it rings true for many of the great AFL sides in recent memory.

There’s no doubting the Hawks have had a poor first half of the season, sitting in 17th with three wins and ten losses. However, Alastair Clarkson has the wheels in motion on a new-look back line that he hopes will drive his club to a 14th premiership.

Take a look at the next potential Hawthorn premiership defence.

Left back pocket: Blake Hardwick (24 years old, 95 games)
He is pretty much the first man picked on the team sheet every week. Hardwick is the ever-reliable back pocket every back six requires. He’s as tough as they come, with the ability to also hit targets, exemplified by his 82 per cent disposal efficiency this season. Hardwick polled second in the best and fairest in 2018, as well as fifth in 2019, which shows how valued he is internally. He also recently signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him in brown and gold until the end of 2024.

Full back: James Sicily (26 years old, 93 games)
Everyone knows the talent this man possesses. At full flight, James Sicily is a genuine star of the competition. An ACL injury mid-way through 2020 halted what was looking like an All Australian season and Sicily will miss the entire 2021 campaign. He slots straight back into the Hawthorn back line going forward after averaging 22 disposals and seven marks a game since making the switch to defence halfway through the 2017 season. He will be a welcome addition to the Hawks’ 2022 line-up.

James Sicily of the Hawks runs with the ball

(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Right back pocket: Will Day (20 years old, 15 games)
Drafted with pick 13 in the 2019 national draft, Will Day was taken by the Hawks with their earliest selection since Cyril Rioli in 2007. Coming into the club at just 76 kilograms, many thought Day would take a while to put on the required bulk to play senior footy. Nevertheless when he got his chance in Round 6 of the 2020 season, he didn’t look back and became the shining light in a bleak campaign for the Hawks. Despite playing just 11 games for the season, Day came in tenth in the Hawks’ best and fairest and finished fifth in the AFL Rising Star voting. An ankle injury has derailed his 2021 season so far, but Day will be a mainstay in the Hawthorn defence for at least the next decade.

Left half back: Jarman Impey (25 years old, 134 games)
Recruited from the Power in 2017, Impey has turned into a valued half back flanker for the Hawks. Averaging 22 disposals a match this season, Impey’s run and rebound is crucial to a Hawthorn side that’s often been criticised for its slow ball movement. Another player who has had to overcome an ACL injury, Impey is enjoying a non-interrupted 2021 campaign and is thriving.

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Centre half back: Denver Grainger-Barras (19 years old, zero games)
The highly touted youngster was selected at pick six in the 2020 national draft, however he hasn’t been able to play a senior game yet due to a knee injury sustained in a pre-season practice match. Grainger-Barras possesses elite intercepting skills and an ability to read the play not too many other players have. Back playing footy in the VFL last weekend, he will push for a debut in the remaining weeks of the 2021 season.

Right half back: Changkuoth Jiath (22 years old, 20 games)
He is the new cult hero of the Hawthorn Football Club, maybe even the entire AFL. Jiath has been a revelation this season for the Hawks, ranking elite in intercept possessions, contested possessions, intercept marks, one-percenters and handballs. His ball use is also improving rapidly, going at 82 per cent disposal efficiency this season. When this guy takes the game on, the whole stadium is on the edge of their seats. We all can’t wait to see the heights Jiath will reach in the years to come.

Changkuoth Jiath

(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Interchange: Jack Scrimshaw (22 years old, 39 games)
Coming across from the Suns at the end of 2018, Jack Scrimshaw had to overcome some niggling injuries to play some consistent footy in brown and gold. Wearing the number 14 guernsey previously worn by four-time premiership hero Grant Birchall, many Hawthorn supporters now feel that Scrimshaw has stepped into his shoes perfectly. His lethal left boot and 83 per cent disposal efficiency this season certainly reminds me of the Hawthorn premiership champion. Scrimshaw is also averaging a career-high 21 disposals this season, as well as ranking elite in intercept marks.

Depth: Sam Frost (27 years old, 120 games)
The former Demon has been a valuable recruit for the Hawks since switching clubs in the 2019 trade period. Frost won the Hawthorn players’ player of the year in his first season at the club in 2020, while in 2021 his best performance came in Round 13 when he kept an in-form Lance Franklin to just one goal and minimal impact. Nearing 28 years of age, Frost will be hoping he’s still around for the next Hawthorn flag tilt but he is currently an important cog in the Hawks’ defence.

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Depth: Damon Greaves (21 years old, six games)
Greaves has proven he can play at the top level, with his best performance coming in the final round of the 2020 season against Gold Coast. He collected 21 disposals and had eight rebound 50s in a 51-point victory for the Hawks. However, he’ll have to play some good footy to force his way into this talented, young Hawthorn defensive unit.

The average age of this Hawthorn defensive group is roughly 23, which is the perfect demographic for a club moving through a rebuild. While the side as a whole is struggling this year, the back line isn’t a major problem for the Hawks.

Prior to Round 14 they sat in ninth spot in terms of points per inside 50s against, so the Hawks’ defence is holding up reasonably well for the amount of entries the opposition are getting inside 50. Hawthorn is also 16th in clearances across the competition, which heaps pressure on the back line.

When Hawthorn next challenge for a premiership remains to be seen, but when they do, this defensive unit should be cherry ripe for a flag tilt.

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