Jarryd Roughead just one prong of Hawthorn’s potent ‘Hawk Fork’ forward line, writes David King

FORGET Buddy, the three-pronged ‘Hawk Fork’ is the most potent forward combination in the AFL. David King reveals why.

First Qualifying Final Hawthorn v Sydney at MCG Melbourne, 6th September 2013. Jarryd Roughead celebrate's a goal. Picture by Colleen Petch.

THE biggest question at the start of season 2014 was how Hawthorn would cover the loss of Lance Franklin.

The weaning off Lance started in 2013 when the Hawks spread their targeted forward 50 entries more broadly across the group with tremendous success.

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Franklin engaged the opposition’s best defender and the domino effect has significantly impacted on their bona fide tall targets in Jarryd Roughead and David Hale since his dramatic move to Sydney.

In fact, Hale has become a liability in the forward half. He has kicked only 10 goals in 14 games, but more damning was his return of just one mark inside forward 50m in his last five weeks. That stamped his omission papers.

Jonathon Ceglar has shocked everyone bar the Hawthorn coaching unit and looms large as a player of importance in ruck and forward roles. But what’s concerning for coach Alastair Clarkson is the fact he doesn’t pluck it close to goal. Ceglar has taken only five marks inside the forward 50m in his 10 games so far.

Yet, amazingly, the Hawthorn attack is still the best in the competition for points-scored as the reliance on Jack Gunston and Luke Breust has grown. Both are heading towards personal-best seasons and there seems no logical reason why this won’t continue.

But as the season nears the pointy end, Jarryd Roughead will need to assume the mantle as the main man in Hawthorn’s forward half. Does last year’s Robin need to become this year’s Batman?

Lance Franklin has kicked 21 goals in the past five weeks. Picture: Mark Evans

The comparisons between Roughead and Franklin are inevitable and the perception doesn’t match the reality. Roughy is still better one-on-one than Buddy. This year Roughead has won 20 per cent of his one-on-one contests, while Franklin is closer to 12 per cent.

Roughead, who plays his 200th game against the Swans on Saturday night, hasn’t been beaten in a one-on-one contest for more than a month of football — winning four and neutralising five. That’s testament to not only his competitiveness but the Hawthorn system, which avails itself to having its forwards in genuine one-on-ones.

Up in the Harbour City, Franklin has been the focal point in the absence of Kurt Tippett, featuring in 19 contests, but winning only three outright.

The Swans’ predictability and penchant to always move the ball forward is a factor for the opposition, who orchestrate an extra defender to help combat that scary attacking arsenal.

The main point of difference is that the Hawks simply have more targets. Geelong have one genuine tall target in Tom Hawkins which we’ll call the “spear” forward line — one-pronged.

The Swans, like some others, have the “meat carver” — a two-pronged attack. Clarkson, though, has the “Hawk Fork” — the luxury of three.

The “Hawk fork” has kicked 122 goals — 16 more than the second-ranked trio Jay Schulz, Chad Wingard and Robbie Gray at Port Adelaide and a massive 42 more than Sydney’s best three scoring contributors in Franklin, Luke Parker and Adam Goodes.

The three prongs of the Hawk Fork: Jack Gunston, Jarryd Roughead and Luke Breust.

Roughead will be exposed to more opportunities in the mad month of finals because winning contested ball becomes critical to success.

Eleven goals in six games against top-eight teams this season is well down on last year’s output, but Roughead plays the team game often to his personal demise.

Breust and Gunston have kicked 19 and 16 goals, respectively, against the pointy end of the competition.

The Hawks lack midfield goalkicking contributors so the responsibility will fall on the Hawk Fork — Gunston, Breust and Roughead — to produce as they’ve done all season. It’s the sum of three not the power of one. Does it matter what the pecking order of scoreboard damage is for the Hawks?

Roughead creates more scores than any other Hawk, Breust doesn’t miss and is the best loose ball get player inside forward 50m in the competition, while Gunston is the No.2 target in the competition behind Hawkins.

Jarryd Roughead has kicked 40 goals this season, well down on his 72 in 2013. Picture: Colleen Petch

For the first time in years Hawthorn doesn’t have a player in the top 15 in the AFL for contested marks inside forward 50m and this will concern, but not alarm, Clarkson as his side is about system and structure over personal glories.

Clarkson knows that his forward line is the best in the AFL for converting an entry into a goal and while the perception at the moment is that it isn’t working for Roughead, it is for the forward group.

The main issue for the Hawks forwards is the fitness and form of the missing. Hale and Cyril Rioli are fourth and sixth, respectively, for goals at the club and fourth and fifth for marks inside forward 50m. That pair will be welcomed back late in the piece.

What about Ben McEvoy, who could prove the wildcard “bear in the square” type?

McEvoy took three marks inside forward 50m in Round 17 against Adelaide, but more significant is that two of those were contested. He could be the modern Clark Keating — hardly sighted during the home-and-away season, but unstoppable in September.

Any fan or media person critical of Roughead doesn’t understand the notion of team.

This is exactly why Hawthorn is difficult to defeat as it now doesn’t rely on one single player.

How many Hawks are a lock for All-Australian honors this season? Luke Breust? Who else?

I rest my case.

ALTERNATIVE COLEMAN

TOP 3 GOALKICKERS, GOALS, LADDER POSITION

Hawthorn — Breust, Gunston, Roughead — 122 (3rd)

Port Adelaide — Schulz, Wingard, Gray — 106 (5th)

Adelaide — Betts, Jenkins, Podsiadly — 90 (10th)

Fremantle — Ballantyne, Pavlich, Pearce — 89 (4th)

North Melbourne — Thomas, Petrie, Harvey — 86 (6th)

Richmond — Riewoldt, Vickery, Martin — 84 (12th)

Geelong — Hawkins, Bartel, Murdoch — 83 (2nd)

Gold Coast — Lynch, Ablett, Dixon — 81 (9th)

West Coast — Kennedy, Darling, LeCras — 81 (11th)

Sydney — Franklin, Parker, Goodes — 80 (1st)

Collingwood — Cloke, Elliott, Beams — 80 (8th)

GWS — Cameron, Patton, Smith — 69 (15th)

Carlton — Henderson, Menzel, Waite — 67 (13th)

St Kilda — Riewoldt, Stanley, Billings — 67 (18th)

Essendon — Carlisle, Daniher, Chapman — 57 (7th)

Western Bulldogs — Crameri, Dalhaus, Stringer — 57 (14th)

Brisbane — Greene, Brown, Zorko 56 — (17th)

Melbourne — Dawes, Frawley, Pederson — 32 (16th)

Jay Schulz and Chad Wingard are two-thirds of the No.2-ranked forward trio in the AFL.