Hawthorn had to make bold trade moves to keep premiership window open, writes Jay Clark
FOR years we’ve called Alastair Clarkson and the Hawthorn footy club the master innovators and this bold trade makeover may just continue the trend, writes Jay Clark.
FOR years we’ve called Alastair Clarkson and the Hawthorn footy club the master innovators.
Remember all that chat about how many times he’s reinvented the game plan, been ahead of the curve and so on?
Well, this bold trade makeover may just continue the trend.
There is no doubt Hawthorn’s decision to let go Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis for a packet of peanuts has left knots in stomachs right across Mulgrave.
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But change had been in the wind for months.
The Hawks were worried about their age profile and their leg speed — and that’s regardless of whether Isaac Smith’s after-the-siren set shot sailed through for a goal or not against Geelong.
The Hawks were watching Greater Western Sydney and Western Bulldogs play with more pace and electricity and Hawthorn’s batch of ageing champions had perhaps reached the end, in a way.
The near-decade long window was closing.
Rather than wither on the vine, Hawthorn got proactive.
This is what they do.
They have paid a big price, no doubt, for Jaeger O’Meara, after some tense and protracted negotiations with the Suns, and there are no guarantees on his dodgy knees.
Hawthorn’s first pick in next month’s draft is No.88 and they have already parted with their first-round selection for next year.
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O’Meara, meanwhile, won’t even begin running for another month.
But this is a young man Tim Watson believed was possibly the best young player he’s seen.
Remember the class and polish from his first season?
He finished third in the Suns’ best-and-fairest that year and was a Rolls Royce on the wing or at half-back, averaging 22 possessions a game.
O’Meara has the maturity and leadership qualities, but not necessarily the on-field aggression, of a Luke Hodge.
The Suns offered him $1.5 million over two years to stay, for good reason.
The Hawks desperately needed a hard onballer like Tom Mitchell and Tyrone Vickery is the David Hale-type forward who can lighten the significant load on Jack Gunston.
These three players will be around for the next six to 10 years, you would think. Lewis and Mitchell won’t be.
And that’s what would have been in the back of Clarkson and Co’s mind. Not next season, but 2018 and beyond.
Hawthorn list chief Graham Wright admitted there was some uncertainty and excitement about the future, but viewed their overall trade period result as a win.
“Obviously losing Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis was really tough, when they had some good footy ahead of them,” Wright said.
“Bradley Hill is the only young guy that we lost. And we are disappointed to lose him, but we feel like we have brought in three — a 26-year-old, a 23-year-old and a 22-year-old — who can really play.”
In 12 months, Hodge, Josh Gibson and Shaun Burgoyne look set to retire, clearing more than $1 million in the Hawks’ salary cap for the club to load up again on more mature-age talent.
Maybe even Nathan Fyfe.
While a flag next year seems like a long shot, these moves were about setting up Hawthorn for another sustained crack at the top four and more silverware.
They were trying to restump a beautiful old Victorian, rather than just plaster over the cracks
Wright said the club wanted to remain at the top end of the ladder next year, as tough as it may be.
“We still really want to challenge for finals and obviously (be) as high up as we possibly can,” he said.
“But we know it’s going to be completely new group now with Sam and Jordan not there, but also Hilly.
“So, it’s going to be interesting to see what we look like and how we line-up, but that’s over to Clarko and the coaches.”
The argy-bargy of the trade deal left everyone a little exasperated at times, but the reality was Gold Coast would have made a mistake putting O’Meara into the draft for nothing.
Still, Wright thought the deal would fall over, several times. It finally went through only with 20 minutes before the deadline.
Carlton came to the Hawks’ rescue swapping the Blues’ future second-round pick for some back-end selections from Hawthorn in this year’s draft.
“We wanted to do the trade and get him in the door as soon as possible,” Wright said.
“We always feel as though we act with dignity and do things the right way and we have a history of getting trades done.
“Gold Coast was really good to deal with. At the end today they were really keen to see this done and make sure he didn’t go through to the draft, and that they actually got something for him.
“We were saying pick 10 in the draft was the last Brownlow Medallist, which was Paddy Dangerfield, so you don’t want to leave that pick on the table.
“In the end, I think we were all happy.”
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Originally published as Hawthorn had to make bold trade moves to keep premiership window open, writes Jay Clark