Hawthorn Blueprint 2015: How Hawks’ remarkable rebuild has them in line for three successive flags

THE Hawks have the best decision-makers and leadership in the competition, both on and off the field, writes David King.

Hawthorn v. Geelong at the MCG.

THE Hawks have the best decision-makers and leadership in the competition, both on and off the field.

This 10-year rebuilding of a once great club back to the current powerhouse has been remarkable and although obvious to all still very much understated.

The competition hasn’t witnessed a sustained period of trading and drafting success like the Hawthorn Football Club has done recently.

It’s almost like North Melbourne’s bold, 10-year rule inspired, poaching of Barry Davis, Doug Wade etc. through sheer finance in the 1970s, without the brown paper bags! All credit to them.

JAY CLARK: HAWKS’ RECRUITER KNOWS ALL THE WRIGHT MOVES

Hawthorn’s Jordan Lewis. Picture: Michael Klein

PROS

THE Hawks have changed the game regarding ball movement through their ability to use 45-degree angled kicks through the corridor to engage all running types.

It’s no surprise they rank AFL No.1 for kicking efficiency, but it’s in their forward half where such kicking efficiency becomes the difference.

They have eight players — including Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead, Luke Bruest, Brad Hill and Matt Suckling — who rank well above the AFL average for kicks inside 50 retained by their team and considering the amount of possession those names obtain it shows why their offence is so potent.

Their intelligence learned from other codes both local and international comes to the fore regarding counter-attack scoring as it has some soccer-based fundamentals.

Alastair Clarkson has raised the bar on coaching. He demands all players can play all roles.

Through repetition at training and over summer they build trust and therefore they have less reliance on one player and are less likely to be concerned about injuries of which they had plenty this season.

Jack Gunston and Luke Breust have flourished. Picture: Colleen Petch

“One soldier down, one soldier steps up”. This flexibility has seen Luke Bruest and Jack Gunston thrive after Lance Franklin’s move to Sydney.

The Hawks averaged 112 points per game and had seven players kick 20 goals or more.

Multiple goalkickers are a byproduct of forcing the opposition into turnover then attacking against an unorganised defence with random players unopposed and in scoring positions.

The Hawks average nine individual goal kickers per game, clearly the AFL’s most, including having 10 plus goalkickers on nine occasions this year; by comparison Sydney only managed it three times. This is why Lance Franklin is no longer at Hawthorn.

Hawthorn Blueprint 2015.

CONS

SHOULD the Hawks be concerned by the age of their stars?

The big-game performers like Brian Lake, Sam Mitchell and Shaun Burgoyne all start next season at 32-plus.

Josh Gibson, Luke Hodge and David Hale are also 31-plus, so the juggling of these warriors while the next wave assumes control will be critical to an unimaginable three-peat.

Realistically, the only reason why Hawthorn would have issues in 2015 are regarding hunger and desire, but considering the opportunity for three successive premierships that’s hard to fathom.

The only other issue is the loss of intellectual property through Clarkson’s assistants getting senior coaching roles elsewhere, hardly a negative but losing one or more assistant coaches every year would become challenging.

The injury-ravaged Cyril Rioli was possibly the only downer for the season as the whole football world hopes for an uninterrupted 2015 to allow Cyril to showcase what no-one else can on a consistent basis.

Hawthorn’s perfect performance on Grand Final day had to be seen to be believed as they made a quality outfit look second rate through unrelenting and brutal pressure.

Rarely spoken about external of the Hawks four walls is their commitment as a team to defend.

It’s all for one and one for all at Hawthorn.

JAY CLARK: HAWKS’ RECRUITER KNOWS ALL THE WRIGHT MOVES

blueprint: HAWTHORN | Create Infographics