Hawthorn set to begin construction on new Dingley base
Hawthorn is “shovel ready” ready to begin construction on its new Dingley base with a massive investment being afforded to its AFLW ambitions. SEE THE PLANS
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Hawthorn has modified its new training base plans to build its women’s and community facilities first as part of a bid to enter the AFLW competition in 2022.
The Herald Sun can reveal the club has tweaked the staging the process in a move which could see construction start on a new oval, pavilion and change rooms for its women’s teams next year.
The club is hopeful construction on its elite men’s training facilities in Dingley would start in 2022 and be ready for use in 2023.
It is an exciting development for the club after putting the $100 million project on hold earlier this year due to the COVID-19 crisis.
But the Hawks have reignited the venture and recently received strong support from City of Kingston to build its women’s facilities first.
The Hawks are determined to secure an AFLW licence and believe a world-class home will be a huge boon for women’s footballers and the sport in Melbourne’s southeast.
Hawthorn initially wanted to construct its men’s facilities first but the call was made recently to prioritise the women’s set up.
The club, which has outgrown its traditional home at Waverley, will also consider scaling back some of its new men’s training facilities in line with the current economic pressures to ensure it is appropriate.
Hawthorn chief executive Justin Reeves told the Herald Sun the project was “shovel-ready”.
“We are ready to go,” Reeves said.
“It is a really important community project and it is the road map for our women’s football program which, along with our men’s teams, will make our club complete.
“So, we have good plans ready to go and our plan is to start the community and women’s facilities next year, and our main training and administration facility the year after.”
The club has tipped in its own money but will also require Government funding to complete the project.
The plans include two ovals, community learning and medical facilities, indoor sports courts and change rooms for men and women.
HEARTBREAK: BULLDOGS CONFIRM WORST FOR MCLEAN
Toby McLean will return to Melbourne to consider surgery after scans revealed a torn ACL.
The premiership Bulldog wrenched his right knee in a tackle with Hawthorn big man Jon Ceglar on Sunday.
He had scans on the Gold Coast on Monday morning, which confirmed the club’s worst fears.
“Scans have today confirmed Toby has sustained an ACL injury,” Dogs medical boss Chris Bell said.
“Toby will return to Melbourne today and have a surgical opinion over the next couple of days to determine the best course of action for him.”.
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Coach Luke Beveridge said on Sunday that McLean had cut “a forlorn figure” in the wake of the season-ending incident.
“When one of our boys go down like that, there’s an emotional coming together,” he said.
“He’s a resilient character, Toby. He’s been through a lot in his life, not just his footy career.
“We’ll get him through. We’ll support him.
“If it is as serious as what it might be, he’s still got many years ahead of him, and hopefully many productive years as a Western Bulldogs player.”
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DOGS CRUSH HAWKS, STAY IN FINALS RACE
The Western Bulldogs have kept their finals hopes alive, with a 36-point defeat of Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval.
In the second quarter, this game looked set to be an absolute flogging when Bailey Smith manufactured the Dogs’ sixth goal with an impressive snap around his body.
Their superior ball movement was embarrassing the Hawks, who managed only one goal to half time.
But a rev up from coach Alastair Clarkson saw Hawthorn kick two quick goals to open the third term, giving them a glimmer of hope, and by the last break had cut the Bulldogs’ halftime lead of 40 points to 28.
However, the class of the Dogs’ midfield led by captain Marcus Bontempelli (28 disposals and 11 clearances), Jack Macrae (29 touches), Tom Liberatore (28) and Smith (25) as well as the electric defensive pressure of Caleb Daniel was ultimately too much for the Hawks to counter.
DEVASTATING START
There’s been one element that has defined the Bulldogs this year: when they get it right they look devastatingly dangerous.
And “getting it right” is what defined the opening 20 seconds: Tim English got the opening tap down to Marcus Bontempelli, who kicked to Jack Macrae, who kicked it wide inside 50 with Mitch Wallis picking it up and handpassing to Toby McLean who kicked the opening goal.
QUICK. PRECISE. DEVASTATING.
Minutes later, though, McLean was screaming in pain clutching his knee after a Jonathan Ceglar tackle.
Coach Luke Beveridge, seeing his creative mid-forward in such pain, ran down from the coaches’ box to be boundary-side as McLean was driven from Adelaide Oval by Medicab.
VETERAN HAWKS
A day before this Round 17 clash, Hawthorn announced their veteran Shaun Burgoyne had re-signed for 2021 in what will be his 20th – and final – season in the AFL.
His importance to this Hawks outfit, both on and off the field, is obvious and despite being relatively quiet in the penultimate game of his penultimate season, he was among his side’s best.
Other Hawthorn veterans were quiet too: Jack Gunston was the side’s only goal-kicker for the first half and Tom Mitchell was held to eight touches in the opening half.
But all these three were in the Hawks’ best: Burgoyne finished with 11 touches, Mitchell finished with 12, while Gunston’s three goals kept his side in touch.
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Bailey Smith snapping a goal from over his head 🙃#ColesGoals | #AFLHawksDogs pic.twitter.com/LE0jqBvHeT
SEASON ALIVE
The Bulldogs had to back up their thrilling two-point win over West Coast from a week ago to stay in the hunt for finals.
A win in Adelaide could have lifted them from 10th to ninth on the ladder; instead this percentage-booster propelled them to seventh.
They dominated all the stats, winning disposals 350-269 (contested possession was 133-104) and inside-50s 42-33.
They lost hit-outs 25-46, but won clearances 34-25, and out-marked Hawthorn 85-58.
Caleb Daniel was everywhere and finished with 28 touches, 11 marks, and had a staggering 546 metres gained. His fourth-quarter goal was icing on the cake.
McLean’s injury aside, all in all, it was a happy day out for the Doggies.
CLARKSON LAMENTS WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has lamented his side’s “lack of polish” in their 36-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs, but says the upside is the club continues to learn more about its entire playing group as it looks toward season 2021.
“The first quarter of the game, the ball was in our half for 70 per cent of the quarter, but they scored four goals to one,” Clarkson said.
“That’s what I’m talking about the polish, they made the most of their opportunities and we didn’t and that’s just a learning thing, the way we kick it inside 50, the way that we defend once it’s been in there for a long period of time.
“We fought the game out well and put some scoreboard pressure on … we at least made it more competitive in the second half.”
Clarkson said he was learning a lot about his players.
“I think we’ve played more players on our list in a single season than we’ve ever done before, now part of that is just because of the environment we’re in and the circumstances of the season, short games and turnarounds, so that’s what led to that, but we’ve had a fair few injuries in the last six or seven weeks which a lot of clubs have had, so we’ve had to turn over a lot of players, so we’re learning a lot about our players and the exposure they get to senior footy is really valuable for them.”
Among the players who have enjoyed exposure is Finn Maginness, who played his first game of AFL footy against the Bulldogs.
Maginness had 10 touches and two clearances.
“He was playing against a pretty high-quality midfield … they are seasoned, strong-bodied players that are experienced, high-quality performers in some instances premiership players,” Clarkson said referring to the likes of Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae.
“Just to understand their strength, their movements, the way they voice themselves around stoppage, set themselves up, communicate with one another, share the ball, it’s just great learning for some of those young guys and we’ll continue to expose them as best we can.
“The highest priority for us at the moment isn’t wins and losses, it’s more about exposure of those young blokes to AFL footy.”
Clarkson said that exposure of youth juxtaposed with the re-signing of club great Shaun Burgoyne for his final season in the AFL in 2021 to then transition into an off-field role in the indigenous space.
“Next year in a sense is like a testimonial year for him … we’re using a list spot in a sense to do that, it’s a little bit risky that’s why we’ve been calling for the (AFL) to let us know what list sizes are because we’ve got decisions we need to make on players and we need to make this decision irrespective of what the AFL come out to tell us with lists,” he said.
“We think in terms of where our club’s positioned and the importance of the role that Shaun can play not just on field next year, but off-field and beyond.”
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SCOREBOARD
HAWTHORN: 1.1 1.2 5.3 6.4 (40)
def by
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 4.1 7.6 9.7 11.10 (76)
GOALS
Hawks: Gunston 3, Breust, O’Brien, Wingard
Bulldogs: Johannisen, English, Naughton 2, McLean, B. Smith, Wallis, R. Smith, Daniel
LIZ WALSH’S BEST
Hawks: Burgoyne, Mitchell, Breust, Gunston, Morrison
Bulldogs: Daniel, Bontempelli, Liberatore, Macrae, B. Smith, Dunkley
LIZ WALSH’S VOTES:
3 — Caleb Daniel (WB)
2 — Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
1 — Tom Liberatore (WB)
INJURIES
Hawks: Tom Scully (illness, replaced in side by Paul Puopolo), James Frawley (back soreness, replaced in side by Dan Howe)
Bulldogs: Toby McLean (knee)
Venue: Adelaide Oval