New Hawk confident in long term plan despite slow start

The first two rounds haven’t gone according to plan, but new Hawk Lloyd Meek is used to being patient and is loving life and a long-awaited opportunity at Hawthorn.

Lloyd Meek catches up with Hawthorn fans at a training session at UTAS Stadium before their pre-season clash with Collingwood earlier this month. Picture: Jon Tuxworth

LLOYD Meek and partner Elonie were in New York, transfixed on Trade Radio at 3am hoping a deal could be reached to send the ruckman from Fremantle to Hawthorn.

The deal was eventually struck as Meek sought more opportunities after 15 games in five years at Fremantle.

While the early games in his Hawks tenure haven’t gone according to plan so far with thrashings from Essendon and Sydney to start the season, the 24-year-old has no doubt it’s the right move and is prepared to be patient once more.

“As we were watching Trade Radio (in mid-October) the timer ran out and I started getting messages from people I know saying ‘congrats, you’ve got it done’. We hadn’t heard officially, but my manager soon confirmed it,” he said.

“Obviously there’s times where anybody would have been frustrated (struggling for games at Fremantle) and I did a lot of work on playing good footy and letting that do the talking.

“An opportunity has presented itself, I’ve enjoyed working with Ned (Reeves, Hawthorn ruckman), and it’s nice to pave my own way not based off someone else’s injury.

“It’s funny being the new guy again after five years at another place. It’s kind of like starting a new job in a way, but I feel so comfortable now.”

Hawthorn ruckman Lloyd Meek is hoping the team can turn their form around against North Melbourne at Launceston on Saturday. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The early signs were encouraging for Hawthorn. In an example pre season matches aren’t a reliable barometer, the Hawks looked promising in a one-goal loss to Collingwood, who are now flag favourites, at UTAS Stadium earlier this month.

They led Essendon by ten points at quarter time in round one before being dismantled by 59 points, before going down by 81 points to the Swans in Sydney on Sunday.

The dynamics before Saturday’s clash with North Melbourne at Launceston are intriguing, given the Kangaroos, last year’s wooden spooners, have started 2-0 under four-time Hawks premiership coach Alastair Clarkson.

Meek, who has shared ruck duties equally with Reeves, admitted the scale of their two losses had come as a shock and the young group in working on getting the basics and intensity level right.

“(It’s been) so disappointing,” Meek said.

“It’s frustrating, because I feel like after a really strong pre season that internally we didn’t really expect results like that.

‘Against Essendon we weren’t up to the standard and Sydney we weren’t either. But I think there was some difference in our effort and intent being a lot better against them.

“Hopefully that Essendon game is a one off, we’ve got to look at the positives and understand we’re a young and building group.

“We all know where the end goal is, the important thing is to not drop our heads and be in a rush.

Lloyd Meek with his family before making his Hawthorn debut against Essendon in round one. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“We can see our basics under pressure and ability to stand up against experienced players wasn’t there. The sooner we can get to that, the better.

“(Against Essendon) there was some game plan stuff. But a lot of it was the fact there’s effort and then there’s real effort, really digging in and when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. “There was times when that wasn’t good enough, the difference between the two was too high.”

The 24-year-old from the small town of Mininera, an hour west of Ballarat, backed coach Sam Mitchell’s philosophies to stand up once the playing group gets up to speed.

“Sam is such a guru at understanding the game and being able to teach the players how to play the game in a way that’s going to be competitive,” Meek said.

“But if we can’t do the basics well and everyone can’t play their role well, it’s a non factor. The method won’t stand up.

“He’s so soon out of the game and he puts the players first with his relationships. His ability to time mangae is incredible, I sometimes think he’s in three places at the one time.

“I know even with El and I coming over, his wife Lyndall and his family have been so welcoming.

“Forming that relationship really allows him to get the most out of you. He understands how you learn and how you think and in the long run that will be priceless.”

• Hawthorn hosts North Melbourne at UTAS Stadium at 1.45pm this Saturday.

Deloraine and Bridgenorth will begin the NTFA season by playing a curtain raiser as a celebration of local football.

Catch both games with Hawthorn’s special ticket offer - a $50 reserved seat family pass, which is available for all games at UTAS this year.

Originally published as New Hawk confident in long term plan despite slow start