Alastair Clarkson would have used the bye break to solve Hawthorn’s scoring issues, writes Mick McGuane

Since 2011 the Hawks have lost only once after the bye break, so Essendon must be wondering what Alastair Clarkson has in store for them. Mick McGuane reveals what the Bombers can expect.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson. Picture: Getty Images

Beware Clarko after the bye.

Alastair Clarkson’s record speaks for itself (four flags), but the Hawthorn coaching genius does some of his best work during the mid-season break.

The Hawks have won seven of their eight games following the bye since its 2011 introduction.

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Clarko bunkers down during the break, assessing the positives, working on their RFIs (room for improvements), and isn’t afraid to tinker with things to engineer a strong second half of the year.

That’s bad news for Essendon when it faces Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Friday night in a make-or-break game.

This is the biggest challenge in Clarko’s career.

He is trying — for a third time — to develop a team and a game-style capable of winning one or more flags.

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He did that in the lead-up to the 2008 flag and then won a hat-trick from 2013-15.

Jeff Kennett said delivering the club a fifth flag as part of a third cycle drives Clarko.

It won’t be easy.

This year the Hawks are 5-6, 11th on the ladder, with a percentage of 101.2, and have clear deficiencies.

Historically under Clarko, the Hawks have been a pressure team with the ability to score heavily.

Defensively, they are holding up, but their ability to score is alarming.

Their highest score in 2019 has been 93 points (v Carlton), and they are averaging only 78 points per game.

That’s not good enough.

Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson has an excellent record after the bye break. Picture: Michael Klein

NO SILVER SERVICE

Hawthorn’s inability to kick competitive scores comes back to its midfield connecting with the forwards.

It used to be a great strength; it isn’t now, considering they are still averaging 51 inside-50s per game.

This is a team in transition.

There’s no Mitchell (Sam, or indeed this year, Tom), Jordan Lewis, Luke Hodge and Cyril Rioli efficiently getting it in there.

The measure of any team is ‘what we do with what we have’.

That means the responsibility lies with Jaeger O’Meara, James Worpel, Liam Shiels, James Cousins, Daniel Howe, Ricky Henderson, Tom Scully and Isaac Smith.

They are still good names, but you still have to make the right decisions and execute the skills.

The Hawks need their midfielders, such as Jaeger O’Meara, to provide better service for their forwards. Picture: AAP

Hawthorn loves deep entries (0-15m), which creates predictability. The talls know where it is going to go, the smalls can crumb and apply pressure, and the defenders can roll up to set up their defensive structures to squeeze the ground.

They are doing it their way, but not well enough.

I’d like to see their first kick inside 50m hit a teammate more often.

SWITCH SICILY

I’d consider moving James Sicily forward, as he has done successfully in the past.

Four of Hawthorn’s back six — Tim O’Brien, James Frawley, Ben Stratton and Sicily — love to mark the ball, while Shaun Burgoyne, Conor Glass and Blake Hardwick are likely to be rotated through Essendon’s smaller types Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.

The Bombers’ attack might provide a chance for Clarko to release Sicily to attack in an effort to finally break through the 100-point barrier.

The Hawks have been too reliant on Luke Breust (20 goals) and Jack Gunston (15 goals). No one else has kicked 10 or more goals this year.

Chad Wingard (seven) is out, Paul Puopolo (six) is not hitting the scoreboard; Mitch Lewis (seven) is a kid, and Jarman Impey (four) is playing as a pressure forward.

The Bombers’ attack might provide an opportunity for Clarko to release Sicily to attack in an effort to finally break through the 100-point barrier.

It is robbing Peter to pay Paul, as his intercept marking/rebounding are strengths but Sicily can kick multiple goals.

James Sicily can give the Hawks more potency in attack. Picture: Michael Klein

BURST MENTALLY

Hawthorn is relying on its ability to kick four or five goals in quarters to win or stay in games.

Their ability to sustain it has been spasmodic

It’s a young group, but they need to operate more consistently if they hope to make the finals.

They need to be better for longer and can’t rely on patches of brilliance to win matches.

That was evidenced by their drop off against Brisbane in the last game when they kicked 5.1 to 0.6 in the opening term, but still lost the game. That can’t happen tonight.

It hasn’t been a huge focus for Clarko — even in his premiership sides — but I’d love to see the Hawks improve their contested ball differential.

They are ranked 16th, averaging -10.4 per game.

Their clearance differential, which relates to their territory game, sees them ranked 11th, which is at least an improvement on last year, when they were 18th.

And if they can do it at Marvel Stadium, that will shut-out the talk that the Hawks are only good at the MCG or in Tassie.

WIN, OR IT’S OVER

Hawthorn’s season is as good as over if they don’t win tonight, especially given the club’s difficult road home.

The Hawks play West Coast (twice), Collingwood, Geelong and GWS in the second half of the season.

Potential wins over Essendon and then Sydney at the SCG might breath new life into the team.

If they can do that, the Hawks can turn 7-6, which would provide greater hope and belief. If they can’t, it’s over.