Season 2018 - Hawthorn

Hawthorn

Coach – Alistair Clarkson

2017
Points For – 14th
Points Against –14th

Top 5 Best and Fairest

  1. Tom Mitchell
  2. Ben McEvoy
  3. Luke Hodge
  4. Ryan Burton
  5. Isaac Smith

2017 Rising Star Noms

Ryan Burton (Rnd 2)
Blake Hardwick (Rnd 15)

Ins – Jarmen Impey, James Worpel, Dylan Moore, Jackson Ross, Harrison Jones, David Mirra, Changkuoth Jiath

Outs – Josh Gibson, Jack Fitzpatrick, Luke Surman, Billy Hartung, Kade Stewart, Luke Hodge

My Prediction

So Hawthorns trading away of picks and working the free agency finally looks to have caught up with them. I am sure however that all the premierships make the fall easier to deal with.

The backline is starting to look better although at the expense of the forward line. The obviously have Frawley back there but last year Sicily and Gunston joined him. I am not sure if that is permanent but both looked comfortable back there. Burton is a star already and had massive upside still. They have Birchall from the other half back flank which if everyone stays fit is a pretty good backline.

The midfield looks thin for talent. Mitchell had an outstanding first season with the Hawks, they will be looking for more from Jaeger and he seems to be in the middle of a decent preseason which will give them hope. I remain unconvinced he will ever be the player he was. Burgoyne is a marvel and just rarely puts a foot wrong, Smith on the other wing gives them some toe but the depth of talent through the middle isnt strong enough to contend. They also lack the quality of ball use that they had at their peak.

The forward line could be anything this year. Could work really well or could be a car crash. You think Roughead should be better this year with his body getting back into the swing after a rough couple of years. O’brien looks a real talent. Then they have Cyril who doesnt seem able to do what he could but even 75% of Cyril is better than most small forwards. Then they have Puopolo who to me didnt look the same player last season and Bruest who is capable.

McEvoy is a good ruck although mobility is certainly a question of late. I dont rate Ceglar which to me makes this another area of concern.

For the Hawks to contend this year they obviously need to be better than last year. I dont think there is enough natural improvement in their list for that to be the case. I actually think it is more likely they are going to drop a little further this year. 7 of their best 22 will be over 30 by the end of the season. I think it could be a long rebuild for the Hawks. For mine this year I think 14-16.

For mine this year I think 18th

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I think around the 8-16 mark before a slow gradual decline as they replace the senior players.

Will have a pretty bleak next 5 years despite what Kennett thinks.

They’ll probably rebuild and win a flag before we do

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Hawks Best 22
B: Henderson Frawley, Sicily
HB: Birchall, Stratton, Burgoyne
C: Smith, Mitchell, Burton
HF: Rioli, Gunston, Impey
F: Breust, Roughead, Hardwick
Foll: McEvoy, Shiels, O’Meara

I/C: Langford Whitecross Schoenmakers Puopolo
EMG: Brand, Duryea, Howe,

Kieran lovell - he was a high draft pick they would be hoping he comes on this year
James worpel - first draft pick this year, he has AFL body to make a impact.

On paper there team is pretty balanced.
3 tall defenders - Stratton, Frawley, Sicily
Burgoyne to start in defence like in prior years, move to midfield if required.
Like to See Burton used through the midfield this year, similar to Heppells transition after winning the rising star.
Gunston back forward leading up the ground with Roughead as key talls Swap between FF/CHF as required.
4 small forwards - Rioli/Impey/Hardwick/Breust. Plus Puopolo who I have on the bench - me may be required to play lock down defender at times, if they cant get the ball forward.

Really only missing Hodge on last year.

They still have the supercoach Clarkson.

If they get injuries depth will be tested and the cupboard is getting bare - only kids, with no free agents getting to hawks last year.

New look midifeld - O’Meara they will be hoping he plays well
Rioli is of age and durability surely he can spend some time in the middle
Smith is required to be a midfield leader now and will welcome the pace of Impey into the side.
McEvoy had his best year at the Hawks last year. But if he gets injured cupboards a bit bare as other ruck had knee injury I think.

Think they will end up around the same range as 2017 and still be outside top 8.

Predicted Finish 10th - 14th

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A few key injuries away from a train wreck season.

First 22 looks pretty good, not much depth sitting behind it though. Although Clarkson seems to be able to counteract it a bit with coaching.

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Durable? Rioli? Put him in the midfield, and either one or both hamstrings will ping in about 10 minutes. Freakishly creative is Cyril, his durability is doubtful.

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Probably poor choice of words - durability…but he should have enough of a tank to have stints in the midfield now. And years being in the system he “should” be more durable.

He was injured last year anyway as a small forward. Who wouldn’t love to see Cyril at top flight as a mid.
Dean Rioli used to play midfield when he was the size of the house.

who knows Myers and Cyril could play every game for their respective sides this year.

Really?

Looks damn average at best to me.

On a par with Collingwood for mine.

The pundits seem unwilling to write Hawthorn off. After all Clarko is the coach, and he is a genius.

Among Clarko’s abilities are that he is able to tap the fountain of youth, and supply liberal quantities of that elixir, that will make the 7 - 8 players over 30 young and all playing above their peak. He will somehow, turn the plethora of depth players into champions,

No doubt Clarko is a great coach, but really, come on, the list is not in good shape. The senior players have seen what happened to previous BnF winners, they most likely will spend a lot of time maximising super, and looking at careers after footy.

Clarko might as well stop trying to defy gravity and get into rebuild mode.

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I agree on this, few injuries to their best 22 and they will struggle. They’re asking a lot out of their aging greats.

If hodge, Mitchell and Lewis hardly play they won’t make the eight…

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14th

A succession of Hawthorn players are coming out saying the Hawks will be in the 8, or top 6 or even top 4. That genius Clarko is planning to take the Hawks into the fastest rebuild ever and have it fait accompli this season.

On the other hand our players eg BJ are damping down expectations of Essendon, when many pundits have us in the top 4 and Hawthorn outside the 8.

The games people play.

Whilst I don’t see them making the 8 (I think they’ll win less games than last season), you can see why there would be optimism from within the team.
They were 2 games outside the 8 after a start that looked like they would finish dead last.
They got 5 games from Birchall, 6 from O’Meara, 7 from Rioli, 8 from Frawley and Stratton.
They’d be hoping they get more games from those guys.
They lost Hodge (who was okay), Gibson (had injuries) and Hartung (bad kicking, but he was good enough to be best 22).

If one of their draftees (either Worpel or Moore) play significant games, then they could have as good a result as last year if not better.
Too much has to go right for them to make the 8.

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fark whoreforn

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If O’Meara plays 20 games, well, they’d have to be a chance at finals.
Their team looks kind of slow.

May scrape into one of the bottom couple of rungs of the 8, but that is all. They will need to spend a lot of their gas tickets getting that far. Top 6 is beyond them.

Clarkson to punch more than 1 wall in 2018.

Outside the 8 for mine.

do they have their Rd 1 pick in 2018?

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Yes. They’ve only given up their 4th rounder so far.
But they’ve still got plenty of time to trade away their first couple of picks.