Lack of leg speed exposing Hawthorn in worst start to season since Alastair Clarkson’s first year

HAWTHORN is 0-3 and enduring their worst start to a season since Alastair Clarkson’s first year and premiership player Campbell Brown says there is one huge issue causing the drop off in form.

Will Luke Hodge play on next year? Picture: Michael Klein

PREMIERSHIP Hawk Campbell Brown says a lack of leg speed is killing his former club and expects two champions to retire at the end of the season.

There is little reward for Hawthorn bottoming out this year with the powerhouse currently slated to enter the draft at pick 32 — Greater Western Sydney’s second-round selection.

After Round 3 St Kilda holds the No.1 pick after the bottom-placed Hawks offloaded their first two selections in last year’s bold trade period.

Hawthorn fielded the oldest and most experienced Round 3 line-up as it slipped to 0-3 for the first time since legendary coach Alastair Clarkson’s debut 2005 season.

Will Luke Hodge play on next year? Picture: Michael Klein

Brown tipped only one of Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson and Shaun Burgoyne to play on in 2018 and said Sunday’s 86-point loss to Gold Coast was the club’s worst defeat since 2009.

That season the hungover Hawks were goalless and trailing Western Bulldogs by 84 points at halftime under the Etihad Stadium roof.

Brisbane great Alastair Lynch said their aggressive trade period suggests Clarkson wants to manage Hawthorn’s transition better than the triple-premiership Lions team last decade.

“The two high-profile exits (of Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis) is not something the Lions did, we didn’t really trade anyone out,” Lynch said.

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“That’s what they’ve probably done different — realised they’ve probably gone as far as they can with the current list and needed to get some high-quality midfielders in.”

Lynch, who retired after the 2004 Grand Final, said it was physically and mentally draining to be the hunted for so long.

“If there is a feeling that this period has ended from the club, you can see a drop off mentally very quickly,” he said.

“And if you lose that edge mentally, it can be a dramatic drop off.

“They may have actually looked at the Lions and thought, ‘We’ve got to do something different and very aggressive to make sure we can evolve this list quickly’.”

Brown has been blindsided by the Hawks’ poor start and said the lack of pace would be hard to solve.

“You can’t send them back to Box Hill to get quicker. Bradley Hill (traded to Fremantle) hurts and Isaac Smith copped a knock last week and is a bit sore,” he said.

“It’s just leg speed, it’s pretty clear cut. A quick Essendon side showed them up and they looked really slow against the Suns.”

Hawks great Dermott Brereton said the club was in a “world of hurt” and lucky not to lose to the Suns by 100 points.

“They’ve got some issues and they’ve got some players who are out of form, out of confidence and committing basic skill errors,” Brereton said.

The Hawks had a contested ball differential of -62 on Sunday — the worst ever recorded by Champion Data.

Hawthorn has played 18 finals in the past six years and Brown said the September workload had left some players banged-up.

“They’ve played a full season more than some other players,” he said.

“Hawks players looked absolutely rooted at stoppages and right around the ground (against Gold Coast).

Isaac Smith is one of the only play at Hawthorn with genuine leg speed.

“That can only come down to being run off their legs a little bit.”

Brown pointed out that at 1-6 Clarkson rejigged his game plan in 2010 as the Hawks responded to play finals.

Brown, Lynch and long-time Hawks recruiter Gary Buckenara all believe the club can still reach September this season.

Buckenara highlighted Round 2 Rising Star Ryan Burton, “clever little player” Teia Miles and out-of-favour forward James Sicily as three bright youngsters.

The Hawks face Geelong on Easter Monday at their longest odds for an MCG match since 2011.

Brown said trading their first-round pick last year was a concern — but backed Clarkson in.

“Maybe form has caught up with them a year or two quicker than Clarko and Hawthorn thought,” Brown said.

Josh Gibson is one of the Hawks’ oldest players who hasn’t been at his best this season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“Clarko’s got a big job ahead of him, but I reckon he’d know exactly where they’re at.

“I don’t reckon this would be a complete surprise to him. That’s why he made a couple of those bold moves last year.”

Former Lions champion Jonathan Brown on Monday night implored the Hawks to start stockpiling early draft picks.

Brown said the Lions were wrong to continue topping up with experience after their premiership era as “the cliff comes quickly”.

Hawks captain Jarryd Roughead yesterday labelled the loss to the Suns “un-Hawthorn like” and the club was still adjusting to significant change.

Hawthorn has farewelled football boss Chris Fagan (Brisbane), chief executive Stuart Fox (MCC) and president Andrew Newbold since last year.

OLD TIMERS

Hawthorn’s Round 3 line-up

Average age 27.1 - oldest in AFL

Average games 131 - most experienced in AFL