Alastair Clarkson concedes Hawthorn is no longer in premiership contention

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says externally footy fans will be asking “what happened to Hawthorn?” but he says the fall from grace is a result of the AFL’s equalisation measures.

A dejected Alastair Clarkson leaves Adelaide Oval at the same time as his disappointed players. Picture: Sarah Reed

AFTER sinking to a record low Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson concedes his once-mighty club has fallen from premiership contention.

The Hawks were kept to their lowest ever half time score — three points — en route to copping a 51-point hammering from Port Adelaide on Thursday night.

WATCH ALASTAIR CLARKSON’S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE LOSS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE

Hawthorn is now in 14th spot on the ladder with a 4-7 record ahead of the rest of the Round 11 matches.

Clarkson maintains his playing group will be premiership contenders — he’s just not sure when.

“I’m really confident those boys will be able to do it,” he said.

“When that is, it might take a little bit of time. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be this year.

A dejected Alastair Clarkson leaves Adelaide Oval at the same time as his disappointed players. Picture: Sarah Reed

“But we’re not going to give up on the year.

“And everything we do, whether it’s this year or next year, is all geared towards helping us compete for silverware again.”

Clarkson conceded the season was proving “a difficult period” for his Hawks.

“For Hawthorn fans and perhaps the wider football community, it’s just like ‘oh, what has happened to Hawthorn’,” he said.

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WHAT THE? WHAT WERE THESE SECURITY GUARDS DOING ON THE GROUND?

“But it’s the closeness of the competition and it’s what the competition is designed for in a sense — that it’s difficult to stay at the top for a long, long period of time.

“We have been pretty good at being able to do it.

“But we are just finding it at the minute a real challenge to get everything going for us ... but it hasn’t softened our resolve.”

Hawthorn defenders tired to regroup after a hot start by the Power. Picture: Sarah Reed

Hawthorn’s heavy loss to the Power came on the club’s second consecutive away trip — and successive six-day breaks.

But Clarkson refused to blame the fixture for his side’s performance, which was labelled by club legend Jason Dunstall as “uncompetitive”.

“You don’t usually get dealt that sort of blow in the course of a home-and-away fixture ... what can you do about it,” Clarkson said.

“It’s no point talking too much about it.

“We need to be better than what we were in the first quarter so it’s not anything to do with the fixture really, it just makes it a little bit harder for you, that’s all.”